Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBen Stokes troubled the Australians for much of the first session•Getty Images
On every day of this Test Australia have tightened their grip further and so it was again on day three, a day on which Alastair Cook fought hard for 96 and Ben Stokes lashed 87. They were innings that, viewed in isolation, would appear impressive enough, but seen against the backdrop of Steven Smith’s 215 and Chris Rogers’ 173 looked unequivocally inadequate. There are big scores, and then there are huge scores.And England will need a huge total to win this match. By the close of play, Rogers and David Warner had cruised to 108 for 0, with Rogers on 44 and Warner on 63, and Australia’s lead was already 362. Michael Clarke had declined to enforce the follow-on, not surprisingly given his history, and all that remained was to decide how long to give his bowlers and how many to set England.The one positive in the back of Cook’s mind, though, will be the knowledge that this pitch remains very good for batting and offers little sideways movement to bowlers either fast or slow. They should not view batting out a draw as an impossible task. It is worth noting that Cook himself survived for 351 minutes in the first innings. A little more support is what he will need.Cook frustrated Australia for much of the third day, first during a 145-run stand with Stokes and then as part of a 56-run association with Moeen Ali. He was patient and waited for the bad balls to score, and looked set for a 28th Test century. But with his 233rd delivery he drove at a Mitchell Marsh ball outside off stump and played on.Marsh has been responsible for more drag-ons than George R. R. Martin; he played on himself during Australia’s innings and then had both Cook and Stokes by that method on day three. Stokes had moved the score along briskly before lunch but on 87 he drove at a delivery that stayed a touch low and chopped on to give Marsh the first of his two wickets.Stokes had gone for his shots and struck 13 fours and one six during his 128-ball stay. He scored runs all around the wicket and brought up his half-century from just 67 deliveries with a four crunched through cover off Mitchell Johnson. Cook, meanwhile, was careful at the other end, anchoring the innings in the knowledge that eating up time was invaluable for England.His fifty came from his 142nd delivery with a flick through midwicket for three off Nathan Lyon and he struck 13 boundaries, including a classy drive through mid-off when he used his feet against Lyon and an on-drive off Mitchell Starc. Often he waited and played the ball late, finding the gaps square of the wicket on both sides.Cook was put down on 63 when he pulled Johnson to Steven Smith at square leg, and there were a few other nervy moments, but overall it was an excellent innings from England’s captain. He had support from Jos Buttler after Stokes departed, but Buttler managed only 13 before he edged behind when Lyon came around the wicket and drifted an arm ball on.Buttler walked without waiting for the umpire’s call; earlier he had stood his ground after edging Johnson behind. Peter Nevill took the ball low to his right and it seemed on first glance like a brilliant, athletic take, although an umpire review showed the ball had grazed the turf in the process and Buttler was reprieved to the chagrin of the Australians.Ali played his shots, as expected, and launched Lyon back over his head for six to go with five fours. But on 39 he was lbw to a lovely piece of bowling from Josh Hazlewood, who curled the new ball in and struck Ali dead in front. The batsman asked half-heartedly for a review but if it was any plumber it could have unclogged his drains.From there it was a quick finish. Mark Wood was bowled by Hazlewood for 4 and Stuart Broad was snapped up at slip off Johnson for 21 to end the innings on 312. England’s deficit was 254 but there was as much chance of Clarke enforcing the follow-on as there was of Kumar Dharmasena opening the bowling in the second innings. Clarke is a target-setting kind of guy.Australia’s second innings was fairly uneventful, although Adam Lyth was left to rue a missed chance at gully off James Anderson before Warner had scored. It was very catchable, and by the close of play Warner had brought up a 71-ball half-century and, perhaps most worryingly for England as the Investec Ashes wears on, found some decent form.Already the difference was such that England would need a record successful fourth-innings run chase at Lord’s – West Indies’ 344 for 1 in 1984 is the benchmark – and Australia seemed set to push their lead well into to the 400s. It will take some sort of effort from England to prevent Australia tightening their grip further on day four.