England’s Ashes hopes hanging by a thread as Australia press for victory in Adelaide

Nearly four years of Ashes planning was left in smouldering ruins on Thursday as England buckled under the heat and pressure at Adelaide Oval to lurch towards a series-deciding defeat in the third Test.

On a day when temperatures reached 40°C and fresh controversy erupted over the “Snicko” review technology, England were 213 for eight at stumps on day two, still 158 runs short of Australia’s first innings’ 371.

England captain Ben Stokes (45 not out) was battling cramp, and Jofra Archer (30 not out) showed courage to keep the ninth wicket intact for 45 runs, but the duo’s late resistance could do little to make up for failures higher up the order.

Leading 2-0 in the series, Australia need only draw the match to retain the urn they have held since 2017/18.

But there was little sign the hosts would be content with anything less than another crushing win after their comfortable victories in Perth and Brisbane.

There was certainly no easing back into the action for Australia’s returning captain Pat Cummins and recalled spinner Nathan Lyon, who combined to blitz England’s top order before lunch.

“Pretty proud about how the boys went about it,” Lyon told TNT Sports. “Pat’s been phenomenal as captain as always, but the effort from our fast bowlers to get them 213-8 off 68 overs; it’s a pretty big effort, so rest up, recover and we’ll have another crack in the morning.”

England lost wickets for just five runs in a collapse that may have snuffed out the last flicker of optimism from having earlier denied Australia a 400-plus total on a flat wicket.

Cummins threw his rehabilitated back into his work, removing Zak Crawley (9) caught behind in a partnership-breaking dismissal before Lyon struck with two wickets in four balls.

Lyon’s second dismissal was a peach, bowling Ben Duckett for 29 with a ball that gripped, turned and beat the outside edge.

It put the wily offspinner second on Australia’s all-time Test wickets list on 564, one ahead of pace great Glenn McGrath and behind only Shane Warne.

Lyon’s first wicket was a gift, though, as under-fire number three Ollie Pope surrendered it for three with a flick off his pads caught at midwicket.

Pope’s 10-ball knock was not quite what captain Stokes had in mind when he urged his players to “show a bit of dog” in the build-up to Adelaide, and further questions will be asked about his place in the test setup.

Joe Root fell for 19, pushing needlessly at a Cummins delivery to nick behind, leaving England 71 for four.

Saddled with an improbable rescue mission, Stokes was rapped on the helmet by a brutish Mitchell Starc bouncer, but the England captain dug in grimly with Harry Brook for most of the second session.

It took a special delivery from all-rounder Cameron Green to break their 56-run stand, the ball ripping back sharply off the seam to catch an edge off Brooks’s bat through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

We’ve just got to keep digging in and keep scrapping away and seeing what we can do.

—  Marcus Trescothick

A Snicko controversy had engulfed day one, and a new one flared late on day two.

England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith was at the centre of the confusion, first surviving a caught-behind appeal when on 16, then being given out caught behind for 22 when he appeared to completely miss a Cummins ball.

With third umpire Chris Gaffaney having to rule on both decisions, Snicko only appeared to muddy the waters rather than clarify matters.

Australia paceman Mitchell Starc said Snicko needed to be “sacked” after Smith’s earlier reprieve, while Smith left the field furious when he was eventually dismissed.

When focus shifted back to the cricket, England ended up losing three wickets for nine runs to fall to 168 for eight courtesy of a two-wicket burst from pacer Scott Boland before Archer joined Stokes to push England past 200.

“Disappointing, I suppose,” England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said of the tourists’ day.

“We know we’re behind the game again, in the situation we currently stand. We’ve just got to keep digging in and keep scrapping away and seeing what we can do.”