As Lord’s introduces new Long Room regulations, Mitch Marsh takes the long handle and Mark Wood winds it up at Leeds

Two players making their Ashes comebacks put on the best show of the series and cast controversy to the back corner on the first day of the third Test at Headingley.

Mitchell Marsh celebrates his century on day one of the third Ashes Test at Headingley in Leeds. Picture: Getty Images

Forget the chaos at Lord’s, the Yorkshire crowd was positively polite by comparison.

The only thing catching the eye on the first day at Headingley was Mark Wood attempting to break the speed of sound on the way to a five wicket haul and Mitchell Marsh doing similar on his way to a spectacular century.

Two players making their Ashes comebacks put on the best show of the series and cast controversy to the back corner on the first day at Leeds.

Mitchell Marsh smashes a six during his brilliant innings at Headingley. Picture: Getty Images

Marsh, the man who admitted four years back that Australian crowds didn’t like him, said after play that he now thinks they might be coming around.

It would be impossible not to after that display.

Both players stood head and shoulders above their teammates, ensuring cricket – not the imposition of strict new rules to quell hooliganism in the Long Room at Lord’s – was the talking point of the day.

Wood triggered a collapse that saw Australia lose 6-16 and post just 263 after being sent in to bat on the first lively deck of the series.

England is 3-68 at stumps, with Pat Cummins (2-28) removing Ben Duckett (2) and Harry Brook (3) while Marsh (1-9) topped off a good day to have Zak Crawley (33) also back in the pavilion.

Mitchell Marsh raises his bats to Australian fans at Headingley. Picture: Getty Images

Back in the Test team for the first time since the 2019 Ashes, Marsh’s 118 from as many deliveries was far and away the most impressive batting performance of the day.

Wood, back from injury for his first Test since December, took five wickets with a display of out-and-out pace that will be long remembered by anybody who saw it.

Safe to say few of Australia’s top orders will count among the witnesses to the event, so quick did he run through them.

They may claim they did not shut their eyes but they may as well have for all the good it did them.

Wood touched 155km, Marsh touched the sun, going at a run a ball: he was the only Australian to look comfortable against the Englishman’s searing pace.

In fact, that’s not completely fair to the all-rounder known as Bison, who dominated everybody in the attack, including the quick nobody else could get a bat on.

Coming in at 4-85, Marsh hit 17 four and four sixes in a display that threatened windows and roof tiles in surrounding suburbs.

Shot 🔥 #Ashespic.twitter.com/EjDMs1iEW0

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 6, 2023

“It was a very special day,” he told SEN after play. “I was a bit emotional, but I hid it in the changerooms, but it’s been a long road and I have clung on to get an opportunity to play in this group.

“I’ve still felt part of the squad and that is testament to our group, but it is so good to be back playing.”

Marsh said that on 88 he started to think of his brother Shaun and dad Geoff, both Test players, and resolved to make a hundred for them.

Thing is, no matter how impressive it was, he’ll probably find himself mixing cordials in an orange jacket the moment Cameron Green is fit – which we are unreliably informed could be as soon as the fourth Test.

Let us then savour what occurred at Leeds as they banned members from the Lord’s stairwell in retaliation for last week’s ruckus, because this was goose bump good.

Wood to Marsh was cricket’s Hadron collider moment. A titanic contest.

England quick Mark Wood follows through on his way to a five-wicket haul at Headingley. Picture: Getty Images

The Australian did all the heavy lifting as he teamed up with a misfiring Travis Head to add 155 runs for the fifth wicket.

Early in his innings he’d aimed an ambitious pull at Wood that left observers shaking their heads. The Englishman had sent Usman Khawaja’s leg stump cartwheeling when he’d tried to drive him – anything beyond survival just seemed foolish, but there was no fooling Marsh.

After lunch he rocked back and cracked a 150kmh plus delivery through mid-on to the boundary as if he was facing throw downs from dad.

An over later he pulled him deep into the stands for six.

When Moeen Ali came on from the Western Stands fans began moving their cars from the car park at that end.

The celebration, led by Pat Cummins, on the team balcony when he brought up his century told of just how loved Marsh is and just how important this innings was.

Head had hardly been convincing, David Warner (4) had nicked off fifth ball of the Yorkshire morn, Usman Khawaja (13) was then bowled all ends up ill-advisedly attempting to drive a full swinging delivery from Wood, Marnus Labuschagne (21) had nicked one to slips and Steve Smith (22) will have considered himself unlucky to be caught by Jonny Bairstow (22) behind the stumps.

Essentially Australia was in a hole and who could have had any confidence that Marsh would be the one to blast them out of it?

Back with a bang! #Ashespic.twitter.com/ORrxjIPZlq

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 6, 2023

Marsh, who the archives reveal, has not played a Test since The Oval four years before.

Marsh, who played one first class game last summer and one only every summer since being dropped.

Marsh, who was only in the side because Green has an injury.

Marsh, who made the heartbreaking admission four years ago that his country did not rate him.

“Most of Australia hates me,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that I’ve had a lot of opportunity and haven’t quite nailed it.

“Australians are very passionate, they love their cricket, and they want people to do well. I wasn’t making runs – if you bat four for Australia you need to make runs.”

Those who know Marsh know just how harsh and ill-directed the judgment was.

Mitchell Marsh drives during day one of the third Test at Headingley. Picture: Getty Images

Those watching the first day surmised that had he lasted another hour he would have broken England who, Wood aside, were listing badly.

The home team dropped at least five catches and Ollie Robinson left the field with back spasms. Fortunately they had loaded up with bowlers because Ben Stokes is not confident he can put his body through much more this week.

When Marsh departed Australia was 5-240 but the ball was swinging and England was quick to swing Wood back into action from the northern end.

It was, essentially, a mass shooting incident from thereon in.

Having muddled his way to 39, Head was out caught at slip by Root. The red-faced England slipper didn’t celebrate the catch, which he’d clutched to his chest after it bounced out of his hands, instead opting to throw the ball angrily into the turf.

Fair enough, he’d dropped Marsh on 12 after lunch and Carey the previous delivery to the one he eventually held.

Mark Wood celebrates his five-wicket haul. Picture: Getty Images

He was to miss another sharp chance close to the wicket before the day was done.

Bairstow continues to be costly behind the stumps and England continue to pay for asking him to wear the gloves. He dropped Head on 8 and earlier dropped Smith on 8.

After Head’s dismissal Wood went wild, taking 4-4 from 14 deliveries as Australia lost 6-23.

Cummins (0) looked like he’d left the ball that trapped him LBW but the truth is he just couldn’t get the bat down in time. Mitchell Starc (2) had no answer to a perfectly pitched swinging delivery that crashed into his stumps, Carey (8) panicked and tried to hack his way out and Todd Murphy (13) managed to play one on.

Wood picked the perfect time to return. The anaesthetised pitches at Edgbaston and Lord’s were not for him, but Leeds was just the sort of surface to enhance his speed.

Thrown the ball in the sixth over, he ran in with intent and hurled down 155kmh thunderbolts that had David Lloyd wincing and reminiscing about Jeff Thomson back in the day.