Australia increases its lead to 204 at tea on Day 3 of third Ashes cricket test

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ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Travis Head scored an unbeaten half-century to guide Australia to 119 for two in its second innings Friday, a lead of 204 at tea on Day 3 of the third Ashes cricket test against England.

The Australians went in to bat after dismissing England for 286 just before lunch on Day 3.

Ben Stokes inspired a revival in England’s Ashes campaign in the morning session with a record 106-run ninth-wicket stand alongside Jofra Archer.

Their partnership helped cut Australia’s first-innings lead to 85.

Stokes walked off the field yelling at himself and shaking his head after being bowled for 83 by Mitchell Starc, bringing an end to a defiant, 198-ball innings that dragged his team back ino the contest.

Australia lost the wicket of Jake Weatherald, adjudged lbw to Brydon Carse in a decision he should have reviewed, to reach lunch on Day 3 at 17-1.

Manus Labuschagne (13), well caught at ground level by Harry Brook in the slips off Josh Tongue's bowling, was the only wicket to fall in the middle session when Australia added 102 runs.

Head scored 68 from 94 delivieres, including six boundaries and a six, and shared an unbroken 66-run stand with Usman Khawaja (27 not out).

After losing the first two tests in Perth and Brisbane by eight wickets and allowing Australia to post 371 in the first innings here, England's chances of keeping the series alive seemed remote when Stokes went to the crease on Day 2 with the total at 71-4.

But he batted for almost two full sessions in the heat and was 45 not out from 151 deliveries by stumps Thursday, sharing a pivotal stand with No. 10 Archer after England was on the verge of collapsing at 168-8.

He resumed Friday with England at 213 for eight, still 158 behind.

Australia wanted to clean up the last two wickets quickly but Stokes and Archer, who took a five-wicket haul when England was bowling, dug in.

Stokes stepped down the wicket to Scott Boland for a driven boundary to bring up the 50 partnership off 89 balls, then raised his half-century with a single off 159 deliveries. It was his slowest 50 in test cricket — his 37th — but vital for his team.

Then the England pair started counterpunching against the old ball, with Archer lofting veteran spinner Nathan Lyon's half-volley for six over long-on.

Stokes hits a perfect cover drive to the boundary off Boland in the 73rd over, trying to accumulate as many runs as possible before the new ball arrived.

When it did, Archer was lucky to survive on 48 when Starc beat the edge and somehow missed the stumps.

Archer took a single off Cummins to reach his first test half-century off 97 balls, bringing England's deficit under 100.

But the innings ended relatively quickly after Starc bowled Stokes with a delivery from over the wicket that angled back. The Stokes-Archer partnership was the highest ever for the ninth wicket for England at Adelaide.

England is capable of chasing a big target in the fourth innings, chasing 370-plus against India twice in the last three years, so Bazball won't be completely dispensed with despite Stokes' stoic first innings.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket