Heroes triumph over villains on day of high drama

In the dubious tradition of the not-so-great British panto, and amid the unrelenting hissing and booing that erupted from Headingley's bleachers at the merest mention of a cad-like character, it was the triumph of good over evil that defined day one of the third Ashes Test.

Just as Oscar-nominated actor Sir Ian McKellen turned out as Mother Goose last year, and even Lord Ian Botham capped his stellar career with a stint in Jack and the Beanstalk, the panto circuit has been long renowned for hosting one-time greats on their comeback rounds.

But there's likely no more heartwarming return to the limelight than Mitchell Marsh's stunning 118 from as many balls in the face of some fastest, most ferocious bowling encountered in Ashes history as delivered by another comeback kid, Mark Wood.

If not for Marsh, Australia would be reading some scathing reviews after being sent in to bat on a WACA-like track where they yielded their first four wickets for 85 and their final six for 23, saved only by his fifth-wicket stand of 155 with Travis Head that was dominated by the West Australian.

And without Wood's 5-34, England seemed set to surrender the advantage seized upon opting to bowl first on the best pitch of this series to date, although comparing the lively Leeds deck to the moribund surfaces at Edgbaston and Lord's is akin to comparing Puss in Boots to Waiting for Godot.

However, above and beyond the extraordinary cameo roles played by the rival duo in their respective returns, it's the pair's back stories that lifted the day above tawdry cat-calling that began at the coin toss and grew increasingly unhinged as the cricket played out and the booze took hold.

Before Australia keeper Alex Carey took the title among England's mob, Marsh has admitted to carrying the tag of 'most hated man in Australia' for reasons that still defy logic given his nature as one of the current game's most affable, endearing figures.

The emergence of fellow WA-born all-rounder Cameron Green has meant the 31-year-old has been reduced to understudy in Australia's Test set-up.

But, upon learning of his call-up 48 hours before the current Test kicked off in an atmosphere part-febrile, part-farce, Marsh put into practice the off-field work he's been undertaking during a four-year absence from the Test arena to play perhaps his most celebrated part.

"Coming in before lunch today was probably some of the toughest conditions I've come into in my Test career so far," Marsh said of the day one situation with Australia on the brink and Wood having completed one of the fastest recorded spells by an England quick in which averaged around 145kph.

'I'm really proud of the work I've done mentally to be able to overcome nerves and get into the contest as quick as I possibly can.

"It comes with a bit of age, a bit of growth and probably a bit of time away from the game to work on certain things."

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Asked what had kept him going as his dream of making a return to Test cricket seemed to dwindle over preceding years, Marsh simply beamed and pointed to Baggy Green Cap number 438 perched atop his head.

He has also previously referenced the strong support of his family, particularly his father Geoff and older brother Shaun – both former Australia Test players – noting that neither was able to bear witness in person to his triumphant return because they're in Bali for Shaun's 40th birthday celebrations on Sunday.

"He (Geoff) was mid-air when I found out that I was playing," Marsh said, revealing his dad departed England earlier this week having led a supporters' tour group to the first couple of Ashes Tests.

"To be honest, I don't think he was missing the 40th, that's much more exciting.

"All my family and all of our close friends are celebrating there with Shaun, so whilst they weren't here the video (of them watching Mitchell reaching his century) is bloody great."

It was a similarly poignant, if decidedly different, occasion for Wood who – like Marsh – has endured a career strewn with setbacks and injuries and sensed the chance to produce the kind of virtuoso show he unveiled at Headingley might never come.

Long regarded as England's fastest bowler, and their most impressive during their 0-4 Ashes thrashing in Australia 18 months ago, Wood admits he's not been able to show his Test best on his home turf until today.

Prior to his scorching first spell on Thursday morning where he was clocked at almost 155kph, followed by his demolition of Australia's tail that earned him a fairytale 4-5 from 16 magic deliveries, Wood's record in England revealed 35 wickets at 40.71 from 13 matches with a best effort of 3-51.

"That first spell in particular, that's as good as I've felt at home in an England shirt," Wood said, adding his parents were also at Headingley to witness his first Test on home turf since August, 2021.

"To raise the ball to them, it was the first time they've seen me got five wickets so a pretty special moment.

"My record isn't great in England but the thing I was most pleased about today is I was able to move the ball."

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Regarded as one of English cricket's most quirky and likeable characters, Wood faces perennial struggles to stay on the park due to the gruelling physical nature of his craft and was overlooked for the series opener at Edgbaston despite being fit to play.

Then, in a bid to show he was right for last week's second Test at Lord's he aggravated an injury that produced swelling in his right elbow and – in what can be seen as a measure of his integrity – he advised his skipper Ben Stokes he might not be able to make it through the match, so sat out the Lord's game.

But the sight of the 33-year-old tearing in at Australia's top order from his very first ball of the series on the opening morning sent the already over-hyped crowd into paroxysms.

In particular, the well-oiled folks in the stalls of Headingley's western terrace warmed up their vaudevillian vocals the moment Australia skipper Pat Cummins was introduced at the coin toss.

The hail of booing that rained down from the bleachers would have done any pantomime performance proud, and was only topped when the Australia players were individually introduced by a ground announcer who paused dramatically as he read out 'wearing number four … Alex Carey'.

Of course, the numerical reference was to shirts worn by players rather than their place in the pecking order of villainy where Australia's wicketkeeper, dubbed 'Pariah Carey' by one British tabloid, is clearly numero uno.

At mention of the sinister stumper's name, one fan sporting a replica England training shirt circa 2013 and a pallour suggesting that was also the most recent year he'd seen the sun, screamed 'go home, prisoner'.

In doing so, the enraged barracker betrayed a lack of awareness regarding England's imperial history given Carey hails from South Australia, the sole Australia colony that remained free of convict settlers.

But the music hall feel was further heightened when local Yorkshire lad – and hapless victim in that theatre of the absurd' matinee at Lord's last Sunday – Jonny Bairstow's name was announced, at which point the mob 'hurrahed' as passionately and patriotically as any Last Night of the Proms.

It remains a shame the venerable folk at Lord's weren't similarly channelling their childhoods when Bairstow dozily wandered out of his crease because a plaintive chorus of 'he's behiiiind you' might well have saved him.

Wood claimed, at day's end, the ground-swill of support and increasingly rowdy revue of well-worn songs proved a great boost for anyone trying to bowl fast.

And even Marsh reckoned the crowd involvement, as predictably petty as it was every time an Australia player shaped to throw at the stumps or an England batter hammed-up leaving their crease, appealed to his own sense of high-spirited fun.

"I thought it was great, to be honest," he said, risking a reversal of his role in the pantomime pecking order come day two of the third Test.

"The Headingley crowd, and certainly the west stand, it gets pretty loose out there.

"I'd love to do a day out in the western stand, I'd fit right in.

"But the booing is the booing … it's part of Ashes cricket."

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 43 runs

Third Test: Thursday July 6-Monday July 10, Headingley

Fourth Test: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood