Former Australia captain Steve Smith continues to cause England problems after day three of the first Ashes Test. Smith silenced the crowd in the West Midlands after helping Australia reach 124-3 before play was stopped for bad light on Saturday.
England had earlier posted a total of 374, with World Cup winner Ben Stokes reaching 50 as he helped England increase their lead to 90. Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad worked their magic to dismiss Cameron Bancroft (7) and David Warner (8) although Smith soon found his rhythm.
He scored 144 in the first innings and will resume on Sunday on 46 after he took the shine off a good day for England. Travis Head (21no) will join him at the crease after Usman Khawaja was dismissed for 40 at Edgbaston. If England can dismiss Smith early, they will feel they have a huge chance of victory, but team-mate James Pattinson says he is ready for the challenge.
He told BBC Test Match Special: “It’s about getting stuck in again and trying to bat all day tomorrow. Whatever lead we can get, it’s going to be a tricky chase. “Steve Smith is a superstar and superstars peel off runs. He’s been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
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