With Head’s measured ton and England’s usual sloppiness, Stokes and Co’s Ashes hopes seem well and truly over

Charles Reynolds in Adelaide: Yesterday in the sweltering 40-degree Adelaide heat Australia barbecued almost all of England’s Ashes hopes. Today, with the South Australian oven turned down to a more tolerable 29 degrees, they patiently slow-cooked the remaining scraps over the course of three sessions.

Fundamentally, England have been comprehensively outplayed in almost every facet of the game in this series. Their batting lineup has had little response to the threat posed by Australia’s bowlers – even shorn of several stars – while their bowlers have largely been inconsistent and really only put the opposition under any prolonged pressure in the first innings at Perth. Throw in a slew of costly dropped catches and it is not hard to see why England will soon be 3-0 down.

South Australians dominate Day 3 of Adelaide Test

So far in this Ashes English batsmen have hit one century. For the hosts, South Australians alone have managed three. The latest came courtesy of Travis Head who reigned in much of his traditional swashbuckling for something more measured and relentless and in the process ensured there would be no chance of a dramatic fightback from the tourists.

He finished the day 142 not out, a second century in the five innings since his unexpected promotion to opener, and an extraordinary fourth in his last six innings at the Adelaide Oval. It took Australia to 271/4 at the close, an almost certainly unassailable lead of 356.

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The only point Head ever looked in any sort of discomfort were the nine balls he spent stuck on 99, England bringing the field up and for the first time exerting some sort of pressure. In fact England should have got him out six balls into that nervy stretch, Harry Brook putting down a catch in the gully to give Head a reprieve. As a summation of England’s sloppiness and inability to seize the advantage, it could scarcely have been more perfect.

Stokes and Archer give English fans something to cheer

In truth England were largely much improved despite the hopelessness of their position when play began. Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer picked up in a more expansive vein than they had been in the night before, giving English fans something to cheer as they prolonged the innings far longer than many had imagined.

Eventually the new ball would do for both men, smothering any foolhardy hopes of an extraordinary English comeback. However not before Archer had recorded a maiden Test half century and he and Stokes had extended their partnership to 106 runs.

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It was England’s highest ninth-wicket partnership against Australia since 1926, but more depressingly and pertinently just their second century stand of the whole series. There were explanations for England’s Ashes struggles everywhere for those with eyes to see.

Their performance with the ball was not catastrophic either, but given the match situation they had needed something extraordinary and on a surface that still remained incredibly favourable to batting, that was always unlikely. If you throw in Stokes’ seeming inability to bowl – he did not appear with ball in hand – and Will Jacks’ inability to either really threaten or offer control, and England were always fighting a losing battle.

With plenty of time and Australian wickets remaining they will have to be on their guard against things going completely awry on Day Four – you would not bet against Alex Carey adding the 48 runs he requires for a second century of the game (and a fourth for a South Australian in the series). But whatever occurs England’s Ashes hopes have well and truly set sail, now all that remains is salvaging some pride.