Australia v Pakistan: Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith assist hosts to 241-run lead on day three

Steve Smith fell for 50 to Shaheen Afridi from the last ball of the day, with Australia 241 ahead

Australia 318 (96.5 overs) & 187-6 (62.3 overs): Marsh 96, Smith 50; Hamza 3-27

Pakistan 264 (73.5 overs): Shafique 62; Cummins 5-48

Australia lead Pakistan by 241 runs

Scorecard

Australia took control of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne to end day three with a lead of 241 runs over Pakistan.

The hosts were in trouble when they slipped to 16-4, for a lead of just 70, before Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith’s crucial fifth-wicket stand of 153.

Marsh scored 96 from 130 balls and Smith fell to the last ball of the day for 50 as Australia finished on 187-6.

Smith’s dismissal gave Pakistan hope, but they were left to rue Abdullah Shafique’s drop of Marsh on 20.

Pakistan started the day on 194-6, still 124 runs behind Australia’s first-innings score, but Mohammad Rizwan’s 42, and contributions of 33 not out and 21 from Aamer Jamal and Shaheen Afridi respectively, reduced their deficit to just 54.

Australia…

The post Australia v Pakistan: Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith assist hosts to 241-run lead on day three appeared first on CaymanMama.com.

from CaymanMama.com https://ift.tt/lspQYk9