England take 2-1 lead

Ian Bell delighted a capacity crowd at his Warwickshire home ground with a sparkling unbeaten fifty as England beat Australia by eight wickets to win the third Test at Edgbaston on Friday.

Victory, achieved with more than two days to spare, saw England go 2-1 up in the five-match Ashes series. England, set a modest victory target of 121, finished on 124 for two after lunch on Friday's third day. Bell was 65 not out and Joe Root, who struck the winning boundary off Mitchell Marsh, 38 not out.

There was a moment of concern for England when captain Alastair Cook (seven) was bowled by a superb swinging delivery from left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc to leave the hosts seven for one.

But Bell, roared on by England fans in a sun-drenched crowd, then took charge with a flurry of four fours in seven balls off Starc, including one down the ground and a classic cover-drive.

Bell was, however, given a reprieve on 20 when, with England 35 for one, he edged Starc to second slip only for Australia captain Michael Clarke to drop the two-handed catch.

England opener Adam Lyth has also been struggling with the bat and when he was lbw to Josh Hazlewood's inswinger for 12, it meant the hosts were now 51 for two.

Root, Lyth's Yorkshire team-mate, showed few signs of nerves, however, in cutting his first ball, from Hazlewood, for four.

Bell's late-cut boundary off Starc saw him to his second fifty of the match, off 68 balls with seven fours.

It was a fine performance by the 33-year-old Bell, who came into this match -- his 113th Test -- with a question mark against his place after several meagre innings.

Australia resumed Friday on 168 for seven, 23 runs ahead and the two not out batsmen overnight, Peter Nevill and Starc, both went on to make fifties and shared an eighth-wicket stand of 64 that boosted Australia's second innings total to 265 all out.

England fast bowler Steven Finn, recalled for his first Test in two years following an injury to Mark Wood, led the attack with his best figures at this level of six for 79.

SCORES IN BRIEF

AUSTRALIA: First innings 136

ENGLAND: First innings 281

AUSTRALIA: Second innings 265 (Warner 77, Nevill 59, Starc 58; Finn 6-79)

ENGLAND: Second innings 124 for 2 (Lyth 12, Bell 65 not out, Root 38 not out; Starc 1-33, Hazlewood 1-21)

Result: England won by eight wickets and lead five-match series 2-1.

Player-of-the-match: Steven Finn.