England beat Australia to keep Ashes alive

London, July 10: England kept their Ashes hopes alive by beating Australia by three wickets in another nerve-shredding Headingley finale.

Harry Brook hit a superb 75 but it was left to bowlers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood to drag the hosts over the line in pursuit of 251.

Brook's mature knock took them to within 21 of victory, after talisman Ben Stokes fell for 13 following lunch with 90 still needed.

Brook put on 59 with Woakes before top-edging a cut off Mitchell Starc, who almost won the series for Australia with a vicious 5-78.

That wicket brought Wood to the crease amid gripping tension and he hit Pat Cummins for six and thrashed Starc for four to spark jubilant sin the stands. With four needed, Wood was dropped by Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey and Woakes, who finished unbeaten on 32, slashed the winning runs.

England's makes the series 2-1 to Australia with two Tests to play, setting up a grandstand finale that could yet match the iconic contest in 2005. There is a nine-day break before the fourth Test at Old Trafford starts on Wednesday, 19 July.

After 1981 and 2019, 2023 can now be added to the list of Headingley Ashes epics.

It may not have reached the ultimate climax of Stokes and Jack Leach's 11th-wicket partnership four years ago but it was still another another day of almost tortuous tension.

Joe Root's departure shortly before lunch and, crucially, Stokes soon afterwards threatened to give Australia the win that would seal their first Ashes series in England for 22 years.

But Brook, batting on his home ground in his first Ashes series, played the situation perfectly, only to fall with the finish line in sight.

He found a gritty partner in Woakes, who battled through the short-ball attack and played the anchor to Wood at the end. (BBC)