Summary:
- Steve Smith and Travis Head cashed in on dropped catches to give Australia a 134-run lead on day three at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
- Smith hit his first century of the series while Head added his third hundred of the Ashes.
- England’s bowlers faded late as Australia piled on runs and tightened their grip on the final Test.
By the end of day three at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the pattern of the match felt familiar. England had chances, and Australia made them pay for it. Steve Smith and Travis Head were at the center, turning dropped catches into a commanding position in the fifth and final Ashes Test.
Smith Goes Unbeaten, Head Is Relentless
Smith brought up his first hundred of the series, finishing the day unbeaten on 129, while Head continued his relentless run with a fluent 163. Together, they pushed Australia to 518 for seven and into a 134-run lead, leaving England staring at another long fourth innings as Australia closed in on a 4-1 series win.
England will rue missed opportunities. Smith was dropped on 12 at leg slip by Zak Crawley, and he did not look back. That innings became his 37th Test century and his 13th against England, lifting him past Jack Hobbs to become the second-highest run scorer in Ashes history, behind only Don Bradman.
Head was given even more breathing room, with Will Jacks spilling him twice, first on 121 with a straightforward chance at deep midwicket, then again on 156 from a sharp caught and bowled opportunity.
The 32-year-old had been a constant problem for England all series. Promoted to the top of the order after Usman Khawaja’s back injury in Perth, he has now scored three hundreds in this Ashes and passed 600 runs for the series at a striking pace.
He eventually fell lbw (leg before wicket) to Jacob Bethell, but not before further stretching England’s patience and their tired bowling attack.
Ongoing Grind
Australia were briefly checked by a cluster of wickets in the afternoon, including Khawaja and Alex Carey, but Smith rebuilt with Cameron Green and later with Beau Webster, whose unbeaten 42 helped grind England down further late in the day.
England’s attack looked short of ideas. Matthew Potts, playing his first Test of the series, struggled for pace and ended with expensive figures.
In parallel, part-time spinners Jacks and Bethell oddly looked the most threatening as the day wore on.
Can England comeback and go away from Australia with their heads up? Get odds from the Best Non UK Betting Sites.