The Ashes: Third Test, Day Four – Player Ratings
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Quick runs were the order of the day for Australia in Day Four as reports of bad weather in the Perth area circulated around the WACA.
Starting the day on 549/4, Steve Smith declared 113 runs later as his side finished on 662/9, after a spirited bowling performance from England.
In reply, the tourists reached 132/4 when the rain came to end the day’s play.
England basically need to bat out three sessions on Day Five in order to salvage a draw and keep the series alive, whilst Australia need to take six wickets and potentially knock off a few runs to regain the Ashes.
Here are the player ratings from Day Four:
James Anderson - 9
Five wickets fell in the Australian innings and Anderson took four of them. Got the ball full to remove Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins LBW before Lyon slogged one high in the air. Impressive bowling from England’s highest ever wicket taker.
Stuart Broad - 2
Same as it has been pretty much all series from Broad. Loomed easy to play against and couldn’t take a wicket.
Chris Woakes - 3
Similar to Broad really. Bit too ‘samey’ although he did manage to find a bit of assistance off the pitch.
Alastair Cook - 2
Another failure for the former captain, who now has just 83 runs in the series. Actually looked like he was seeing it well as he reached 14 before he miss hit a shot from Josh Hazlewood, who took an excellent return catch.
Mark Stoneman - 1
Looked like he was worried about the short ball as his feet simply didn’t go anywhere as he edged a ball from Hazlewood behind.
James Vince - 9
Played really well to get to get to 55, playing some lovely shots. Was bowled by Starc, although there was no shame in getting out to such a good ball, it was pretty much unplayable.
Joe Root - 3
Wanted to be positive as he got to 14 before playing a terrible shot to edge behind the first ball he faced from Nathan Lyon. Not the shot of a captain looking to save a game.
Dawid Malan - 8
Looked in control from ball one. Solid in defence and he put the ball to the boundary when it was in an area to hit. Ended the day 28*, England need him to add a lot more to that score on day five!
Jonny Bairstow - 7
Carried on where he left off in the first innings as he reached 14* without any issues.
Mitch Marsh - 2
Out second ball of the day, trapped LBW by Anderson.
Wasn’t too great with the ball either, bowling three overs for 14 runs.
Steve Smith - 3
Added just ten runs to his overnight score before he too was out LBW to Anderson.
Tim Paine - 9
Went after England’s tired bowlers in search of quick runs. Played some excellent shots to reach 49* before the declaration.
Mitchell Starc - 8
Run out in almost comical fashion, stranded half way down the pitch.
Looked hampered early on by an injury when bowling but came back well and got rid of James Vince with one of the best deliveries in Ashes history. It was genuinely unplayable, like a 90mph+ leg break.
Pat Cummins - 8
Another example that Cummins can definitely bat as he smacked 41 more runs against a flogging attack. He too fell LBW to Anderson.
Bowled pretty well until an over where Malan kept hitting him to the boundary.
Nathan Lyon - 7
Scored one boundary before hitting a ball from Anderson straight up in the air and Moeen took a simple catch.
Took a wicket with his first ball as Joe Root played a drive and was caught at slip, via a reflection off Paine’s gloves.
Josh Hazlewood - 9
Took the first two wickets of the England innings. He got Stoneman caught behind before taking an excellent low catch off his own bowling to dismiss Cook.