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LIVE: Smith scores century to become "the best since Bradman"
By SEN
DAY RECAP
Steve Smith has added to his legacy as one of the greatest Australian batsmen with a sensational century.
With the SCG covered entirely in pink for Jane McGrath Day, the stand in skipper put on an amazing display as he raised the bat for the 37th time in his Test career in the space of 166 balls.
And this would lead Gerard Whateley to anoint him as "the best since Bradman" in the Test format.
The New South Welshman would continue his batting wizardry to find himself not out at the end of the day on 129 alongside Beau Webster on 42.
Smith wasn't the only one though to make the most of the SCG pitch.
Travis Head was equally impressive with a century of his own.
The South Australian, who began the day's play on 91 raced to his century in no time and would continue to go at a run a ball pace throughout his innings.
But it wasn't without risk.
When Head was on 121, he played a pull shot to deep square leg which looked to be a regulation catch for Will Jacks.
But that would end up on the ground with the 32-year-old adding another 42 runs to his total before departing on 163.
The action continues tomorrow with Day 4 shaping up to be a pivotal one for both side's chances of winning.
The first ball will be bowled from 10am AEDT with SEN coverage beginning from 8am with The New Ball.
Hear it live on SEN's radio network and on the SEN app!
6:01pm - STUMPS
Australia 7/518 - Smith 129, Webster 42
And with Will Jacks' finishing England's 124th over, that brings a conclusion to Day 3 of the Sydney Test.
The hosts finish Day 3 with a 134-run lead and look set on pushing that into the 200s, with the decision to play Beau Webster proving to be a masterstroke to help extend Australia's innings.
But it was Travis Head and Steve Smith who did the most damage for Australia, having both scored centuries.
5:48pm - Australia crosses over the 500 mark
Australia 7/500 - Smith 124, Webster 29
For the second time in this series, Australia has managed to make more than 500 runs in a single innings.
While the one in Brisbane was much more of a team effort, Sydney's one has largely come from the efforts of Steve Smith and Travis Head.
5:38pm - Crowd attendance
Australia 7/490 - Smith 124, Webster 21
The Sydney crowd has come out in force for Jane McGrath Day.
The final attendance for Day 3 is sitting at 46,161.
That brings the overall total to 142,301.
5:12pm - How long can Smith's career go on for?
Australia 7/459 - Smith 107, Webster 8
Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan have debated how long Steve Smith could continue his Test career.
Having publicly declared he wants to play for Australia in the 2028 Olympics, he might still be featuring on the Test circuit as well.
Collins: "They want their team as set as they can get on that long run."
"Where they go to South Africa, they have the World Test (Championship) Final in the following year, the sesquicentennial (against England), five (Tests) against England, five against India."
"They (the selectors) don't want to mucking around with the No. 4 spot, do they?"
"There might come a point to make a call for that entire stretch."
Sundaresan: "And with no Usman Khawaja now, they need Steve Smith in India (in 2027)."
4:58pm - Smith scores his century
Australia 7/449 - Smith 100, Webster 5
He waited until the 5th and final Ashes Test of this series, but Steve Smith is once again a centaurian.
That's now his 13th against England and his 37th of his career.
It's an extra special one, given he gets to do it in front of his family and friends on his home ground.
It's also the first time he has scored a century in a home Ashes series since 2017.
And Gerard Whateley would help put into context what this means for Smith's legacy.
Whateley: "It's a century that grows his immense Ashes legacy."
"The best since Bradman belongs to him in this form of the game."
4:44pm - WICKET - Green
Australia 7/437 - Smith 94, Webster 0
Green departs for 37.
He was showing some good signs throughout the innings.
But once again, he has tried to force a shot that wasn't really there, which has found Ben Duckett.
And Stuart Broad and Damien Fleming have been left pondering why he chose to do it.
Broad: "He was going along so nicely."
Fleming: "It was a bizarre shot."
Brydon Carse now has three wickets in the innings.
Beau Webster now comes to the crease.
4:26pm - Smith enters the 90s
Australia 6/429 - Smith 90, Green 33
With a brilliant boundary, Steve Smith now enters the 90s.
If he can ton up here, it would be the 5th time in his career that he has scored a Test century on his home deck.
4:13pm - Smith passes Hobbs
Australia 6/411 - Smith 84, Green 22
Steve Smith has taken another step to enhance his Ashes legacy.
With his latest run, he has now passed English great Jack Hobbs on all-time Ashes runs.
With a total of 3637 (and counting), only Sir Donald Bradman (on 5028) is ahead of him.
Australia is now 27 runs in front.
4:04pm - Smith brings up 400 with style
Australia 6/402 - Smith 80, Green 18
Steve Smith has sent the ball over Jacob Bethell's head with some interest to get Australia past the 400 mark.
That was also his first six for the match.
3:50pm - Bharat: England have failed to what Australia has done
Australia 6/390 - Smith 72, Green 14
It's been a solid performance by the hosts so far, who are now getting the benefit of batting against bowlers who are now up to their 20th overs each.
And Bharat Sundaresan noted that this was something England had not been able to do in this series.
Sundaresan: "Australia are doing what England have failed to do repeatedly this series."
"(They have) gotten into these English bowlers."
3:42pm - Australia takes the lead
Australia 6/388 - Smith 71, Green 14
With a four for Smith off Stokes, he has taken Australia past England's total of 384.
3:11pm - TEA
Australia 6/377 - Smith 65, Green 8
Australia are just seven runs away from overtaking England's total.
While Australia look set to produce a healthly lead, England has taken the wickets of Head, Khawaja and Carey which has slowed them down.
2:57pm - WICKET - Carey
Australia 6/366 - Smith 62, Green 0
In the space of 20 minutes, England have turned the game towards their favour with two quick wickets.
This time, it's Alex Carey who departs for 16 with Jacob Bethell taking the catch at leg slip to bring the end of Carey's innings.
Cameron Green now comes to the crease in what might be the most important innings in his Test career.
2:44pm - Australia brings up a 50 of a different kind
Australia 5/353 - Smith 53, Carey 12
With Alex Carey's second boundary of the day, it sees Australia bring up their 50 four of the match.
And that now reaches 51 with an even better shot out on the off side on the next ball.
2:33pm - WICKET - Khawaja
Australia 5/339 - Smith 51, Carey 0
Usman Khawaja has been given out on 17 after being struck on the pads right in front.
The 39-year-old reviewed straight away, but once there was no snicko, the out call appeared all but certain, with it hitting middle stump.
The crowd has made sure to give its applause just in case it is the last time we see him on the SCG turf.
Brydon Carse claims his second wicket for the innings.
2:27pm - Smudge brings up 50
Australia 4/336 - Smith 51, Khawaja 14
Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja are going shot-for-shot here.
After Khawaja played a beautiful on-drive, Smith took on the challenge and would suit with a divine drive of his own to bring up his 50.
And Gerard Whateley was certainly left impressed.
Whateley: "That's the way to bring up a 50."
2:22pm - The 4-fest continues for Australia
Australia 4/328 - Smith 43, Khawaja 14
Usman Khawaja plays a lovely drive down the ground, which brings up Australia's 46th four in the innings.
Those boundaries have brought the hosts 184 runs (56.9% of all runs this innings).
2:17pm - The new ball is taken
Australia 4/324 - Smith 43, Khawaja 10
Ben Stokes isn't wasting any time to bring about change here.
He's taken the new ball with immediate effect, with England looking to break up the partnership of Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja, which is now at 36 runs.
And with the new ball, Matthew Potts comes back into the attack.
2:13pm - Tracy Bevan on the importance of Jane McGrath Day
Tracy Bevan, the best friend of the late Jane McGrath, joined SEN Cricket to discuss the importance of Jane McGrath Day and how the services the charity provides provide genuine support for cancer sufferers.
The Jane McGrath Foundation has expanded to provide support for all forms of cancer, no longer just breast cancer.
"We still provide that free care and support to families experiencing breast cancer, but now we're taking the equity of care to all cancers," Bevan told SEN Cricket.
"Last year, we raised over $9 million in 2.5 days... but to see in the 12 months since that we've placed 82 McGrath cancer care nurses for all different types of cancers all over Australia, it's just so humbling.
"That's why we've set the lofty goal of, 480,000 virtual pink seats, because we want to also help an extra 8000 families."
Currently, approximately 288,000 seats have been sold this Test.
Support the Jane McGrath Foundation here: https://www.pinktest.com.au/
1:56pm - Khawaja and Smith building along nicely
Australia 4/316 - Smith 41, Khawaja 4
Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith are building along nicely here having brought down the run rate to just over four runs an over.
With five more overs before the new ball, they will want to make the most of it before Ben Stokes takes it.
1:24pm - Head OUT!
Travis Head reaches the 600-run mark for the series and falls to the part-time spin of Jacob Bethell for 163.
Head's biggest career score remains at 175 as he walks off to raucous applause from the SCG crowd, perhaps feeling dejected, however.
Usman Khawaja walks out for what could potentially be his final innings in Test cricket.
1:09pm - Katich: England put up the 'white flag' to Head
SEN's Simon Katich believes England put up the white flag to Travis Head too early in Australia's first innings, as the opener raced to 162* at Lunch on Day 3.
Head has scored consistently and quickly against England's limited bowling stocks, scoring at better than a run a ball.
Apart from being dropped on 120 by Will Jacks, Head has sparsely looked under pressure or in danger by England's attack.
Katich believes England's defensive approach was the wrong approach to Head as it still failed to limit his impact.
"As soon as you see that defensive field, it's almost the white flag's gone up saying, 'We don't think we can get you out, we're just going to limit the damage you do'... (it) doesn't matter if Travis Head only goes at two an over for the first half an hour, because he'll go at eight an over later on once he's set.
"That's what they're not learning, is that you have to attack Travis Head when he's most vulnerable, which is for most players, at the start of a day or start of a session and use your best options to get him out.
"I thought they used their best two options today in Stokes and Tongue, but that's the problem with this attack at the moment.
"It's not as well balanced as Australia's, and it doesn't have the experience or the skills to be able to knock the top players over and that's why there's a gulf in these two teams.
"Australia, even though they were 384 runs behind (at the start of their innings), they should get ahead in this Test, and they should go on to win this Test.
12:37pm - LUNCH
Australia 3/281 - Head 162, Smith 16
At lunch, Travis Head has motored to 162 off 160 balls, along with Steve Smith who's kicking along nicely on 16.
Two dropped catches and two blown reviews define the session for the English, with no answers on how to deal with Head.
Australia trail by 103.
12:16pm - Head 150!
Australia 3/264 - Head 153, Smith 8
Travis Head has brought up 153 runs with a four, in 152 balls no less.
It's been a rapid innings from Australia's opener, who has more than cemented himself at the top of the order.
He's going at better than a run a ball.
Bharat: "This is another level of domination!"
Australia trail now by 120.
12:03pm - England appeal for LBW... with no reviews
Australia 3/248 - Head 141, Smith 4
A BIG shout from the English for a Steve Smith LBW shout but with 'not out' given on field and no reviews left, they could do nothing but look on and the SCG crowd were fully aware of the situation.
It ultimately was missing the stumps so wouldn't have been a problem for Smith.
11:43am - Neser OUT!
Australia 3/234 - Head 131, Smith 0
Michael Neser is OUT, edging on a Brydon Carse delivery to Jamie Smith.
Dismissed for 24, Neser more than did his job for the Aussies, seeing out yesterday as nightwatchman and blowing two England reviews.
Steve Smith now enters the contest to more cheers than boos from the SCG crowd.
11:32am - England are out of reviews!
Australia 2/226 - Head 126, Neser 24
Michael Neser has survived ANOTHER review and England are not officially out of reviews!
Ben Stokes cannot believe it, as Brydon Carse's LBW review is found to be pitching outside off.
Whateley: "That's horrendous strategy!... I'm not sure a nightwatchman has done a more comprehensive job of draining the opposition."
England have wasted their final two reviews on Michael Neser.
11:00am - Head dropped on 120
You wouldn't believe it.
Travis Head has been dropped on 120 by Will Jacks right on the boundary.
Head swung for the fences and Jacks, standing right on the rope, has put down Australia's most in-form batter.
Broad: "That's as easy a chance as you're going to get... that's an absolute dolly!"
It's another chapter in England's fielding woes after Jake Weatherald was dropped on 14 yesterday.
10:47am - 14 off Potts' over
Australia 2/200 - Head 200, Neser 4
Travis Head brings up Australia's 200 with an expensive over for Matthew Potts.
Head belted Potts for three 4s and a double, leaving Potts ruing his 14 runs off the over.
Potts has conceded 72 runs off his 8 overs.
Broad: "Potts has to settle quickly here because it's not as if Stokes can take him off and not bowl him. He has to bowl so he has to figure out what his style is."
10:25am - Head 100!
Australia 2/180 - Head 103, Neser 1
Travis Head has brought up his third Ashes century this series!
Head hits Josh Tongue for four and brings up the 100 with a raucous celebration.
Whateley: "The indominable Travis Head... he raises the bat and says ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!"
Katich: "He's playing like a rockstar!"
10:10am - Neser survives review
Michael Neser has survived a review for caught behind.
Two noises were heard, but upon review, it was the ball hitting the ground and Neser's bat hitting the ground as he missed.
It leaves England with one review remaining.
10:00am - Play on Day 3 begins
Play on Day 3 has begun!
Ben Stokes opens the bowling, resuming his over from yesterday, with Michael Neser on strike.
9:40am - No action taken on Stokes-Labuschagne contact
SEN's Tom Morris has confirmed no action will be taken on the altercation between Ben Stokes and Marnus Labuschagne late on Day 2.
Stokes and Labuschagne shared words before Stokes put his arm around Labuschagne. The two shared more words before Stokes pushed Labuschagne away.
Match officials have reviewed the incident and decided no action is required on the interaction.
9:30am - Day 3 State of Play
Australia 2/166 - Head 91, Neser 1
The SCG is alive with pink on Jane McGrath Day as Australia look to take control of the fifth and final Test.
Travis Head raced to 91 in the final session of Day 2, while Jake Weatherald (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (48) will be ruing missed opportunities for series-defining big scores that would alleviate pressure on their spots.
Michael Neser came out as nightwatchmen and Australia will be relying on their depth to put up a giant score.
Ben Stokes will resume the bowling with five balls remaining in his over after teams were taken off during the final over thanks to rain.
