Ashes Triumph: 5 Broken Records in England's Thrilling 3-Wicket Victory
England staged a remarkable comeback in the ongoing five-match Ashes Test series, achieving a sensational victory in the third Test at Headingley on Sunday, July 9.
Chris Woakes (32*) and Mark Wood (16*) formed an unbeaten 24-run partnership to complete the task for the home team, who were in a difficult situation earlier.
At the beginning of the day's play, England had to chase 224 runs with all 10 wickets intact. Opening batsman Zak Crawley contributed 44 runs initially, but the other English batsmen struggled against the bowling of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
After finding themselves at 170/6, Harry Brook played a match-winning innings, scoring 75 runs off 96 balls to bring England closer to the target. Woakes, who remained at the crease till the end, hit the winning runs to keep England's hopes alive in the series.
Throughout the five-day match, several milestones were achieved. Here, we have compiled five records broken in the recently concluded third Ashes Test between England and Australia.
#5. Steve Smith has claimed the most catches in Ashes history, solidifying his position as a top fielder.
Steve Smith may not have had an impressive performance with the bat, but he made his presence known by showcasing his exceptional catching skills in the outfield.
In the first innings, Smith took five catches, achieving a remarkable feat as the first fielder (excluding wicketkeepers) to accomplish this twice in a single Test match. In 2018, he also took five catches in a Test match against South Africa.
By grabbing five catches during the Headingley Test, Smith has accumulated 54 catches throughout his Ashes career. This achievement puts him on par with England's Ian Botham, who also holds the record for taking 54 catches.
#4. Mark Wood currently holds the record for achieving the highest strike rate among players in a Test match.
Mark Wood made a fantastic contribution to the English team! The fast bowler, hailing from Northumberland, took seven wickets in the game, impressively achieving a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
In addition to his bowling prowess, Wood displayed his batting skills by hitting the ball hard on several occasions. He scored a remarkable 24 runs off just 8 balls in the first innings and played a crucial unbeaten innings of 16 runs off 8 balls in the second innings.
His combined strike rate for the match was an outstanding 250.00, which now stands as the highest-ever strike rate recorded by any player in a single Test match, considering a minimum of 15 balls played.
Previously, the record was held by Australia's Bill Howell, who achieved a strike rate of 218.75 in a Test match against England back in 1902.
#3. Australia currently boasts the largest number of cricketers who have actively participated in more than 100 Test matches.
Despite his team not achieving the desired outcome, Steve Smith reached a significant milestone by participating in his 100th Test match for Australia at Headingley.
Smith now joins the esteemed group of Australia's 16th male cricketers who have reached the 100-Test mark. This accomplishment also places Australia at the top of the list, with the highest number of male cricketers from any country having played in 100 or more Test matches.
England currently holds second on this list, with 15 players who have completed 100 Tests representing their side.
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#2. Harry Brook achieved the feat of reaching 1000 Test runs by taking the fewest number of balls.
Since his debut last year for England, Harry Brook has become one of the most sought-after talents in world cricket.
The elegant batsman perfectly suits the aggressive 'Bazball' approach and has had an impressive start to his Test career. On Sunday, Brook delivered a stunning performance, scoring an impressive 75 runs.
During his innings, he reached the milestone of 1,000 runs in Test matches for England, marking his fifth half-century. Interestingly, it took just 1,058 balls to achieve this feat, making him the fastest batter in Test cricket history to reach 1,000 runs.
Previously, the record was held by New Zealand's Colin De Grandhomme, who took 1,140 balls to reach the same milestone.
#1. Ben Stokes has become the captain who has led the team to successfully chase targets of 250 or more, the highest number of times.
Ben Stokes has revolutionized Test cricket since taking over as the captain of England. His bold and aggressive approach has not only thrilled the fans but has also led to consistently positive outcomes in every match his team plays.
In the 16 Test matches he has captained so far, Stokes has guided England to an impressive 12 victories and only four losses. Notably, eight wins were achieved while successfully chasing targets in the fourth innings.
What makes this even more remarkable is that England has successfully chased down targets of 250 or more runs on five occasions. The most recent example of this was during the Headingley Test, where they managed to chase down a challenging total of 251 runs.
As a result, Stokes now holds the record for the most successful chases of 250+ runs in Test cricket as a captain. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by MS Dhoni, who led India to four successful run-chases of 250+ runs in Tests.
Final Words -
England emerged victorious in the thrilling third Ashes Test with a narrow three-wicket win, smashing several records. English fans celebrated as their team shattered five records, leaving a lasting impact on the cricketing world. The Fast Live Line app and website are fantastic tools for avid cricket fans. The live match app lets you easily stay updated on all the ongoing cricket matches. The cricket live line feature provides real-time updates and scores, ensuring you never miss a moment of the action. The app and website offer a seamless and user-friendly experience, allowing you to enjoy the thrill of cricket right at your fingertips.
