England’s Ben Stokes and Harry Brook resumed on Day 3 with a huge lead on the program. With rain on the cards for the weekend, runs required to come rapidly and luckily the set got their side off to a positive start.
The set raised a crucial 50 run collaboration in the early overs of the day, and with the sun out they both looked good. The lead passed 100 in the 78th over thanks to 3 limits from Brook.
The lead reached 120 by the time the collaboration was broken, Ben Stokes was bowled by Pat Cummins- however not prior to he reached 50. Jonny Bairstow joined his fellow Yorkshireman Brook at the crease.
Runs continued to stream throughout a bleak early morning at Old Trafford, and the lead went beyond 150 by the time Brook was returned to the pavillion by Josh Hazlewood for 61. Chris Woakes reoccured initially ball as England started to take increasingly more dangers.
At lunch England were 506-8 after Wood was bowled on the stroke of the break. The lead was 189, and the concern over lunch was ‘will that suffice for Ben Stokes?’
