Australia stands on the precipice of an emphatic Ashes series victory after off-spinner Nathan Lyon dismantled England’s middle order on Day 4 of the third Test at the Adelaide Oval. England finished the day at 207-6, still 228 runs short of their improbable target of 435.
Needing only four more wickets to take a 3-0 lead and retain the urn in just 11 days of cricket, Australia looks set to wrap up the series on Sunday. Despite a tactical shift from England's "Bazball" approach to a more traditional defensive game, Lyon’s "genius" proved the difference.
Nathan Lyon turned the game by removing a well-set Zak Crawley (85) via stumping before bowling Harry Brook and captain Ben Stokes. England lost 3 wickets for just 17 runs during this collapse.
Opener Ben Duckett’s poor form continued with a low score, and Ollie Pope (17) faces potential omission for the next Test after another failure, leaving his Ashes average at a dismal 17.62.
Earlier in the day, Travis Head’s magnificent 170 and Alex Carey’s 72 propelled Australia to 349 in their second innings, despite Josh Tongue’s 4-70.
The Adelaide Oval saw a record-breaking total attendance of over 200,000 fans for this Test, witnessing Australia's relentless march toward victory.
While Jamie Smith and Will Jacks survived until the stumps, England faces the "inevitable" loss of the urn tomorrow as Australia seeks a fourth consecutive home series win against their rivals.
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