Cricket legend’s comments about Travis Head are embarrassing

Travis Head was as good as, dare we say it, Ben Stokes as he made a mockery of Kumar Sangakkara’s claims in the Third Test.

Travis Head made a joke of comments by Kumar Sangakkara about his power. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Australia still has hope of winning the Ashes at Headingley despite the weather gods continuing to go against the visitors at every turn in this series.

Pat Cummins’ men have consistently had the worse of the conditions stretching back to Edgbaston – and were tested more so than ever on a rain-affected day three of the Third Test that finished with England 0/27, needing 224 runs for victory.

After the first two sessions were lost, Australia was forced to resume its innings at 4/116 in conditions that were described by all and sundry as “perfect” for bowling.

And it proved that way as England quicks Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood combined to quickly run through the Aussie batsmen.

Mitch Marsh (28) and Alex Carey (five) both fell after attempting late leaves against Woakes, before Wood again proved too quick for Mitchell Starc (16) and Pat Cummins (1).

But before Broad cleaned up the last two wickets, Travis Head (77) launched the type of scintillating rearguard attack we’ve become used to seeing from Ben Stokes.

Travis Head was “staggeringly good” on day three. (Photo by Ashley Allen/Getty Images)

It hasn’t been easy for the Aussie No. 5 since England began targeting him relentlessly with short-pitched bowling, but he’s finding a way to still make runs.

It’s almost been exclusively short stuff since the Second Test for Head, and he hasn’t been able to score as freely as we’ve been accustomed to seeing in the past 18 months.

But in a Test where runs have been hard to come by, he followed a first innings score of 39 with a crucial half century for his country.

Head began managing the strike once No. 10 Todd Murphy joined him in the middle, prompting some bizarre – and in retrospect embarrassing – commentary from Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara.

Sangakkara criticised the Aussie for not trusting his partner and on several occasions claimed Head “didn’t have the power to play the boundaries”.

Despite years of evidence in all three formats of the game that Head knows how to reach and clear the fence, Sangakkara insisted: “Not sure how many sixes he can hit … you need power (and) Travis Head doesn’t have as much power as Ben Stokes.”

Almost on cue Head started crunching boundaries off the English quicks.

“Head doesn’t have the power to find the boundary” says Sangakkara, who apparently has just woken up from a 2 year long coma, as Head promptly pumps the next one to the fence #Ashes#ENGvAUS

— Just An Average Grade Cricketer (@avegradecricket) July 8, 2023

His innings certainly became Stokes-like when he pulled Chris Woakes for six, but just as impressive as the maximum was a deft single from a yorker which kept him on strike at the end of the over.

Murphy faced just five of the first 26 balls of the partnership, during which time the Aussies added 41 runs.

Mark Butcher must have had a better view from the commentary box because he simply declared: “This is staggeringly good.”

Broad left England one wicket away by claiming Murphy so Head went even harder, pumping Mark Wood for six on consecutive balls as the lead reached 250.

He eventually fell to a mis-hit off Broad but finished with seven fours and three sixes to make a mockery of Sangakkara’s earlier claims.

It was England’s day. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Head’s innings was the key reason Australia will enter day four with some hope but the Poms certainly have the momentum.

And so they should. If they can’t manage a victory after winning three consecutive tosses, being favoured by the conditions time and again and for the second time in this series making Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith non-factors – when will they breakthrough?

Australia’s best hope is for more rain, although the forecast for day four is much better than day five.

Forcing the Poms into a stop-start chase in tricky conditions might just bring the Aussie bowlers into the match. It’s not to much to ask for, is it?

4.20am – Rapid start to England run chase

It all keeps going the Poms way as they attempt to keep the Ashes alive.

After Australia batted in difficult, overcast conditions, it’s nice and sunny now for the English openers – who have made a rapid start to their innings.

The hosts took 27 runs off the total needed in five overs before stumps as the Aussies failed to find a breakthrough.

3.45am – Head adds 51 with Murphy and Boland

Australia has set England a chase of 251 after some sensational late hitting from Travis Head pushed the visitors to what they hope will be a competitive score.

Travis Head was the last man out for 77 after playing a Ben Stokes-like knock.

Head began managing the strike once Todd Murphy joined him in the middle – and crunching boundaries off the English quicks.

Murphy faced just five of the first 26 balls of the partnership, during which time the Aussies added 41 runs.

Unfortunately Murphy was on strike as Stuart Broad was reintroduced in the 66th over and surviving that task proved too tall an order.

Murphy played and missed and played and missed and was eventually trapped LBW for 11.

Head went even harder as Scott Boland joined him, pumping Mark Wood for six on consecutive balls as the lead reached 250.

Head kept the strike again with another smart single but mis-hit the first ball of Stuart Broad’s next over and was caught at deep mid-wicket by Ben Duckett.

3.10am – Cummins no chance against Wood

He lasted slightly longer than the first innings but Pat Cummins does not look comfortable against Mark Wood’s speed.

The Aussie skipper was caught fishing outside his off stump to go for one.

3am – Starc adds valuable runs before Wood strikes

Former Aussie skipper Mark Taylor believes Australia will want a lead of at least 250 to enter the fourth innings with confidence, which means there’s plenty of work to do.

England has just three wickets to take after Mark Wood forced an uncomfortable shot from Mitchell Starc high in the air.

Harry Brook almost made a meal of it as he thought for a second it might have been Jonny Bairstow’s to claim, before clutching a diving effort.

Starc did some damage in his 19-ball stay, scoring 16 runs and putting on 29 runs for the seventh wicket.

2.30am – Carey goes the same way as Marsh

Another Australian batsman in two minds has fallen as the English bowlers revel in the overcast conditions.

Like Mitch Marsh before him, Alex Carey made a late decision to leave a Chris Woakes delivery that bounced more than he expected.

The ball hit Carey’s gloves and cannoned down into the stumps as he departed for five.

Carey had been lucky to survive the previous over from Stuart Broad, who forced two play-and-misses with sublime outswingers.

Australia is 6/139 and England is in to the tail. Enter Mark Wood.

2.10am – Marsh falls as England pounces

Australia has really been dealt a rough hand by this resumption in play and it’s cost Mitch Marsh his wicket.

The star of the first innings looked to continue his dominance of the England attack as he clubbed Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes for boundaries following the restart.

But the conditions are perfect for bowling and Marsh paid for changing his mind when he decided on the latest of leaves to a rising Woakes delivery.

He didn’t get his hands out of the way quickly enough and the ball clipped his glove and sailed through to Jonny Bairstow. Australia is 5/131.

2.05am – Quick shower passes and we’re back

Play has resumed for the second time today after a short rain delay.

1.50am – One over, two runs and we’re off again

Talk about an anticlimax.

After one Chris Woakes over – and a run each to Travis Head and Mitch Marsh – play was stopped again as the drizzle resumed.

It’s likely to continue this way so don’t give up on seeing more action – and spare a thought for Head and Marsh who won’t find this easy.

1.45am – Play resumes and it’s ‘perfect’ for bowling

England has been gifted an ideal opportunity to remove Australia’s last recognised batsmen as play resumes.

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has described the conditions as “perfect” for bowling as the hosts look to remove Travis Head (18 not out) and Mitch Marsh (17 not out).

The umpires hope to squeeze in 34 overs of play, but there is more rain predicted to fall so don’t bank on getting that many.

11.33pm — The forecast was wrong

We came into the day with The Met Office predicting only a 50 per cent chance of rain in the first session, while thunderstorms are expected after play finishes.

Well that was wrong.

It’s raining still at Headingley and the Met Office now predicts 60 per cent chances of thunderstorms until at least the 3pm (midnight AEST).

It’s seemingly a 40 per cent chance at 3pm and 30 per cent at 4pm.

What does this mean? Who knows, the weather has just been sticking around and ruining the day.

Hopefully there’ll be some play in the final session.

9.45pm — Match referee clipped over Warner meme

The father of Stuart Broad — who is also an ICC match referee — has reportedly been rebuked by cricket’s governing body.

Chris Broad is a former international star for England, who score six Test centuries, but became an official after his career ended.

Broad has stood as the match referee in 120 Test matches and 349 ODIs, the second most of all-time in each statistic, and 127 T20Is, the fourth most in history.

So he probably should have known better than sharing this meme the Barmy Army also shared.

17 TIMES 🎉🎉🎉🎉

BROADY HAS WARNER!#Ashespic.twitter.com/6tR6ktuca3

— England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) July 7, 2023

The Age reported while the ICC declined to comment, “sources close to the governing body indicated that he had been told it was unbecoming of his role as a neutral match official”.

However, it also mentions that Warner and Chris Broad have a long, friendly relationship.

As for Warner and Stuart Broad, that may be a bit different after he was dismissed for a 17th time in Tests on day two.

9.30pm — The covers are coming off

There will be some play today, but it’ll be after lunch as the teams have taken the early break.

It means the first session has been completely washed out.

But at least there’ll be some cricket today — the suspense has been killing us!

7.45pm — 50 per cent chance of rain …

It’s a bit more like 100 per cent because it’s raining in Leeds.

Looks like we’ll have a bit of a delayed start.

The rain is falling here 🌧

Looks like we’ll have a delayed start in Leeds. #EnglandCricket | #Ashespic.twitter.com/VB8WwM8hE7

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 8, 2023

6.30pm — Warner disaster is no smiling matter

Aussie cricket legend Ian Healy has slammed opening batter David Warner after the veteran Aussie was once again dismissed by England quick Stuart Broad.

It was the seventeenth time Broad had claimed the wicket of Warner, the equal third most in Test cricket history.

But it wasn’t just that he was dismissed for 1 by his old nemesis, it was the opener’s reaction to the dismissal.

Warner was smiling as he left the field, which was a bizarre reaction when dismissed by a guy who’s been living rent free in your head for so long.

“It worries me,” Healy said from the Nine studio at tea on day two.

“He’s smiling a little too much. I’m hopeful it’s not a smile and it just looks like a smile.

“He’s numb, he’s not really into the innings, his clarity in the mind wasn’t there to get 300. Australia have got to get 300 right now. He’s been the real warrior that leads us into those innings in the past, but he’s just been nowhere in this Test when we need to really add 300 at least to our lead of 29.”

It’s not what you want to see from an under-fire opener. Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP

C’mon Davey, at least seem disappointed. Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP

Was the a sledge Warner heard that the stump mic didn’t grab? Maybe, but it’s a bad look for a batter who’s hoping to retain his spot in the side until the New Year’s Test, where he hopes to retire.

That is looking a long way away in recent times with Warner scoring just 1099 runs at 28.17 since the 2020 Sydney Test, which includes his Boxing Day double hundred.

Healy pondered if Warner, who has 141 runs at 23.50 in this series, may not be able to afford sticking true with the batter.

“Not only is Broad unsettling him, but worldwide, bowlers over the last two years have not had much trouble with him. His average is about 28 over the last couple of years in cricket and those numbers for a national team are probably not good enough,” Healy said.

“So I worry that we can pick him again, even in the next Test in this series.”