England vs Australia – The Ashes 3rd Test Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs Australia taking place? Thursday 22nd August, 11:00 (UK)
Where is England vs Australia taking place? Headingley, Leeds
What is the expected weather for England vs Australia? 22c and no rain forecast for any of the five days
What channel is England vs Australia on? The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket
Where can I stream England vs Australia? England vs Australia will be streamed live on the Sky Go app
Where can I get tickets for England vs Australia? Tickets for the match can still be purchased via Stubhub here!
LAST MEETING
Match drawn
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- England picked up something of a moral victory in the second Test as although the match ended as a draw, they had Australia on the ropes in the final day and they will look to carry some of that momentum into this third Test at Headingley as they look to level the series.
- They have named an unchanged 12-man squad for this match with Sam Curran joining the 11 that played at Lord’s but there is every chance they will go with the same players here. They may contemplate a change in batting order however with Joe Denly moving up to partner Rory Burns at the top of the order, and move the struggling Jason Roy to number three, and skipper Joe Root back to his preferred spot of number four.
- Jofra Archer stole the limelight following his impressive Test debut at Lord’s and England will look to him to be the x-factor once again at Headingley as he rattled so many of the Australian batsmen in the second Test and was a constant menace.
AUSTRALIA
- Australia come into this third Test with a 1-0 lead and they will not be too disheartened from the second Test despite being on the back foot on the final day and scraping a draw, but they will have to do without skipper Steve Smith who has been ruled out of this match after the blow he took to the neck so Marnus Labuschagne will deputise for him in what is a massive blow to the tourists.
- The impact of Jofra Archer in that Lord’s match was significant and it will be interesting to see how the Australian batsmen deal with him once again at Headingley especially with their opening batsmen Warner and Bancroft in below-par form so there is a chance Marcus Harris could come in at the top of the order.
- Conditions will likely suit Peter Siddle at Headingley and he bowled well at Lord’s although there is a chance that James Pattinson could return to the side here after he was rested in the second Test, and Australia may be tempted to bring their fastest bowler back into the side to give England a taste of their own medicine.
THE PREDICTION
The Ashes sees a quick turnaround in Test matches as the third Test gets underway at Headingley on Thursday. Australia take a 1-0 lead into this Test but England will have some momentum after the match at Lord’s where Archer roughed up Steve Smith and other Australian batsmen. Just as important as the bowling for England was the innings by Ben Stokes and the time spent at the crease by some of their batsmen, and this series could ultimately be decided by whichever batting line-up is able to piece together some form. The absence of Steve Smith for Australia is huge and they remain fragile throughout the rest of the team, while England may just be starting to turn the corner with Burns, Stokes, Bairstow and Buttler improving. Conditions at Headingley will favour bowlers once again and the weather forecast takes the draw out of the equation realistically. England however can carry momentum into this Test and Jofra Archer can lead them to glory here and level the series.
