Woods bags four in spell of carnage

ENGLISH paceman Mark Wood took four wickets in the first session to give England some hope of victory in the fifth and final Ashes Test in Hobart on Sunday.

After the first session of the third day of the pink-ball Test, Australia were 8-141 in their second innings, a lead of 256 with two wickets in hand.

Wood (inset) has taken 5-32 from 13 overs of hostile pace.

For Australia, wicketkeeper Alex Carey rode some good fortune to be on 40 at the break, with skipper Pat Cummins alongside him on 12.

After resuming from their overnight score of 3-37, the Australians lost five wickets in the extended session as the English bowlers fought hard to keep them in the game.

However, England’s batting frailties in the series suggest that the lead may already be enough on a wicket that is still causing the batsmen plenty of trouble.

Wood’s searing pace has troubled several Australian batsmen throughout the series and

it proved a big factor during the session.

He had nightwatchman Scott Boland and first innings century-maker Travis Head both caught by wicketkeeper Sam Billings with only 22 runs added to the overnight score.

He then enticed a mistimed hook shot from the dangerous Steve Smith, who hit it straight to Dawid Malan at deep fine leg, leaving Australia 6-63.

Carey and all-rounder Cameron Green took the score to 92 before Carey played a terrible cross-bat shot to Chris Woakes and chopped the ball on to his stumps.

However, TV umpire Paul Reiffel adjudged that Woakes had overstepped the mark by millimetres, a no-ball was called and Carey kept batting.

Green and Carey put on another 20 runs before Stuart Broad was reintroduced into the attack with immediate effect, trapping Green lbw for 23.

Wood nailed his fifth wicket when Mitch Starc was caught at short leg by Ollie Pope.