Headingley Test in the balance after Ben Stokes brilliance

Australia, for the most part, have been just too good; England, in the main, second-rate and sloppy.

Hopes that Headingley, scene of so many a cricketing miracle, would spark a revival may or may not come to fruition.

Suffice to say that England, 2-0 down, need to summon a little of the famous Leeds magic if the ‘Bazball’ phenomenon is not to hit the buffers.

Heading into day three of the third Ashes Test, a day on which inclement weather is forecast to arrive, Australia are 116-4 in their second innings, a lead of 142, the stage set for another classic, perhaps.

A second day that had seemed all geared up for England to go on and forge a first innings lead in glorious sunshine, to really seize this match by the scruff of the neck, failed to materialise as they fell 26 runs short of Australia’s score of 263 before finding just sufficient penetration in the sultry afternoon.

But for Ben Stokes, who has previous in these parts, the game and the series might already be gone, the captain near single-handed keeping his side in it with the top score of 80 as they replied with 237.

Stokes, effectively batting on one leg, encumbered by various warrior ailments, flayed five sixes and six fours in his 108-ball stay, one that held Headingley agog in a mesmerising spell after lunch in which ‘Bazball’ brought 95 runs off the last 62 balls of the England innings: thrilling stuff.

Fans had flocked to the ground in expectation of nothing less, buoyed by the thrills of the opening day, in which 331 runs were scored and 13 wickets fell, and by weather red-hot before a ball had been bowled.

England were 68-3, 195 runs behind, and it was Yorkshire’s finest who strode out to do battle, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, who were welcomed to the echo.

Two balls was all it took, however, for the bubble of expectation, if not exactly to burst, then certainly to prick, Root edging Pat Cummins to David Warner at first slip without addition to the score. Twenty minutes later, Bairstow was also out, smartly caught at second slip by Steve Smith after flashing a drive at Mitchell Starc.

It might have been 97-6, but Stokes survived when Australia reviewed a leg-before appeal when a delivery from Scott Boland would have gone on to hit the stumps but proved umpires’ call on impact. On such fine margins are series won and lost.

Reining in his aggressive instincts, at least initially, Stokes knuckled down to add 44 with Moeen Ali before Cummins drew the latter into a careless hook, Smith pouching the chance at backward square-leg.

Chris Woakes pulled Cummins for six to draw cheers in the West Stand but fell in the final over before lunch, edging an attempted pull off Starc to the wicketkeeper, leaving England to contemplate Headingley’s eclectic catering alternatives on a distinctly unpalatable 142-7.

Whatever England thought they ate at lunch was either rocket fuel or spinach. From nowhere, a terrific counter-attack was launched, fuelled by that great propellor of rockets with ball in hand – Mark Wood.

The No 9 hit his first ball for six over mid-wicket, carved his second for four between third-man and deep backward-point, and then launched his third for six over deep backward-square; Starc, the unfortunate bowler, could only stand there stunned.

When Wood whacked Cummins for six over long-leg, he was out-Stokes-ing even Stokes, whose score he had nearly caught up when he skied Cummins to mid-on to fall for 24 off just eight balls. Wood’s cameo changed the feel of the day, if not quite the game.

As if inspired by what he had witnessed from the other end, Stokes struck three successive boundaries off Starc himself as 50 runs came in the first 20 minutes after the interval.

The barrage of boundaries seemed to get to Australia, who dropped Stokes twice in successive balls with his score on 45 and the total 197-8 - Starc unable to cling-on off Todd Murphy at mid-off, and then the spinner himself unable to hold on to a return chance.

Cummins claimed his sixth wicket when Broad hooked to Smith at deep backward-square, Stokes striking Murphy for five sixes in 14 deliveries before the debutant got him in the end, caught by Smith at long-on.

Australia’s innings started as it so often does, with Broad removing Warner, who edged to second slip. Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne added 57 in painstaking style before the latter swept Moeen Ali to Harry Brook at deep mid-wicket, just moments after being dropped by wicketkeeper Bairstow - a tough chance diving to his left off Wood.

When Moeen had Smith clipping tamely to mid-wicket, the spinner had his 200th scalp on his 66th appearance and Australia were 72-3. It became 90-4 when Woakes found Khawaja’s outside edge, but Travis Head and Mitch Marsh survived until stumps.