2017-18 Ashes Series - Australia Vs England Third Test @ WACA Perth Dec 14 - 18 ,2017

2017-18 Ashes 5-Match Test Series Results

First Test @ Brisbane Nov 23-27,2017

Scorecard
 England  302 and 195
Australia 328 and 173/0(Target 170 Runs)
Match Result - Australia won by 10 wickets
MOM  - Steve Smith(Australia)
Series Result - Australia lead the 5-Match Test Series 1-0

Second Test @ Adelaid Day-Night Match Dec 02-06,2017

Scorecard
Australia 442/8 Declared and 138
England   227 and 233(Target 354 Runs)
Match Result -  Australia won by 120 Runs
MOM - Shaun Marsh(Australia) for his 126(231 Balls 4x15 and 6x1) in the 1st innings
Series Result - Australia lead the 5-Match Test Series 2-0

Third Test @ WACA Perth Dec 14 - 18 ,2017

Scorecard

England  403 and 218

Australia 662/9 Declared

Match Result - Australia won by an innings and 41 Runs

MOM - Steve Smith(Australia) for his 239 Runs

Series Result - Australia lead the 5-Match Test Series 3-0 

Third Test @ WACA Perth Dec 14 - 18 ,2017 Match Preview

WACA has been one of Australia's worst home venues in recent years - they have won only 4 of their past 9 Tests there - it has never been a good ground for England.

 In 13 Ashes Tests at the WACA, England have managed only one win - in 1978 during the World Series Cricket schism. It is possible that both teams will be happy to move across the Swan River to the new stadium.

Only once in Ashes history has a team come back from 2-0 down to win a series, and that required Australia's captain Don Bradman to pile up scores of 270, 212 and 169 in the remaining three Tests in 1936-37.

For Steven Smith, this Test is a chance to complete a remarkable cycle. It was at the WACA against England four years ago that Smith spontaneously added a preliminary movement to his batting technique, and his results have been astounding. Prior to that change, Smith had made 825 Test runs at 33.00 including one century. Since the change he has scored 4732 Test runs at 70.62, including 20 centuries. And now, returning to the WACA for an Ashes Test for the first time since then, Smith may find himself captaining Australia to an Ashes series win

England have named an unchanged side for the third Ashes Test starting at the WACA Ground in Perth on Thursday Dec 14,2017

England Squad

Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (capt), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

England last won a Test in Perth in 1978.

Alastair Cook will become the eighth player in history to appear in 150 Tests

Stuart Broad is 7 wickets away from becoming the second England player (James Anderson is the other) to take 400 in Tests

Day One Thursday Dec 14,2017

England won the toss and chose to bat first

At close of play England were 305/4 with Dawid Malan 110* and Jonny Bairstow 75* at the crease

Dawid Malan struck 15 fours and one six - a top-edged hook off Starc - and brought up his century late in the afternoon with a boundary pulled off Hazlewood, from his 159th delivery.

 It was the 20th century of Malan's first-class career and his second on this tour, after he scored 109 against the Cricket Australia XI in Townsville, and it was the first by any England player in an Ashes Test in Australia since Ben Stokes at the WACA four years ago

 

Day Two Friday Dec 15,2017

At close of play,Australia were 203/3 with Steve Smith 92* and Shaun Marsh 07* at the crease, a deficit of 200 runs with seven wickets in hand after dismissing England for 403.

Earlier England were all out for 403 with Dawid Malan scoring  140 and Jonny Bairstow 119

England had looked set to post a massive score when they were 368 for four with Malan and Bairstow seemingly in total control, but then lost six wickets for 35 runs in a stunning collapse before lunch. 

Day Three Saturday Dec 16,2017

At close of play Australia were  549/4 with Steve Smith 229*and Mitchell Marsh 181*at the crease

 

Australian batsmen Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh put England's attack to the sword on the third day of the third Test in Perth Saturday, leaving the tourists praying for rain to salvage their hopes of retaining the Ashes.

The home side took total control of the match and were 549 for four in their first innings by stumps, with Smith on 229 and Marsh on 181, leading the hapless tourists by 146 runs with six wickets still in hand.

Resuming on 92, Steve Smith reached his 22nd Test hundred early in the day from the 138th ball he faced, his quickest Test century in terms of balls faced.

Coming in his 107th Test knock, only Don Bradman (58 innings) Sunil Gavaskar (101 innings)and Sachin Tendulkar (114 Innings) have reached 22 Test centuries in fewer innings.

Steve Smith then reached his double-hundred from 301 balls, including 26 fours and one six, although he was content to milk easy singles against a defensive field as he reached the milestone.

The ton is Steve Smith's 14th as skipper, his 12th in Australia, his 7th against England and 5th ton of 2017.

Steve Smith also completed 1000 runs in 2017 in the Test matches, becoming the only player other than former opener Matthew Hayden to do so for four consecutive years. 

Mitchell Marsh came to the crease under huge pressure to perform after a contentious recall, and having dropped a simple catch and bowled poorly during the England innings.

Mitchell Marsh started nervously but blossomed as his innings went on and notched his maiden Test century from the penultimate over before tea on his home ground, sparking scenes of jubilation from a parochial crowd.

Mitchell Marsh had faced 130 balls for his hundred and a number of powerful drives were a feature of his landmark Test innings. 

Day Four Sunday Dec 17,2017

Trailing by 259 runs in the first innings after Australia declared at 662/9, England were 132/4 when stumps was called early after a rain-interrupted final session, with Dawid Malan on 28 and Jonny Bairstow on 14, still behind by 127 runs 

England's second innings got off to a dismal start when opener Mark Stoneman was caught behind from the bowling of Josh Hazlewood for just three in the second over.

Alastair Cook's woes then continued when Hazlewood snared a brilliant one-handed return catch to remove him for 14, leaving the former skipper with just 83 runs at 13.83 for the series.

Captain Joe Root was the third man out, to spinner Nathan Lyon's first ball of the innings, caught at first slip by his Australian counterpart Steve Smith for 14 off the glove of wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

James Vince looked impressive in making 55, but there was little he could do when a Mitchell Starc delivery hit a crack and deviated sharply to crash into his stumps as England slumped to 100 for four.

Earlier Australia declared at 662/9 was the  highest at Home  5th highest Vs England

Steve Smith added just 10 to his overnight total before being dismissed for 239 adjudged leg before wicket on review after James Anderson's confident shout was turned down by on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney.
The review ended a chanceless 399-ball epic innings which included 30 fours and one six.

The other overnight batsman, Mitchell Marsh, had departed a few minutes earlier -- failing to add to his 181 when he was trapped leg before wicket by Anderson to end a 301-run partnership with Smith.

Day Five Monday Dec18,2017

A ruthless trio of pacemen and the medical men propping them up were key to Australia's Ashes triumph, captain Steve Smith said on Sunday, after his team won back the urn with a dominant win at the WACA.


Australia thrashed England by an innings and 41 runs before tea on day five of the third test, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

Josh Hazlewood took 5-48, with fellow seamers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc sharing three wickets as England were routed for 218 in their second innings on a cracked-up pitch.

Scorecard

England  403 and 218

Australia 662/9 Declared

Match Result - Australia won by an innings and 41 Runs

MOM - Steve Smith(Australi) for his 239 Runs

Series Result - Australia lead the 5-Match Test Series 3-0