Ben Stokes and Harry Brook will aim to help England into a first-innings lead on the third morning of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
England punched back on an absorbing day two, with Australia losing their last seven wickets for 100 runs as they collapsed from 339 for five overnight to 416 all out.
Steve Smith still brought up his 12th Ashes century, but the hosts quickly set about eating into the deficit and Ben Duckett led the charge with a fine 98.
Australia’s tactic of bowling short produced a gripping final session and accounted for Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root.
But Stokes calmed the storm with a mature unbeaten 17 from 57 balls and will hope to push England on from 278 for four alongside Brook (45no).
View from the dressing roomComparisons to 2005 you say?
Nathan Lyon’s calf injury may not just be match-defining, but could have a significant say on who wins the series.
In his 100th consecutive Test, Lyon raced in from the boundary rope to try and catch Duckett’s lofted pull shot in the 37th over of England’s innings, but halted his stride. He immediately felt the back of his right calf and had to be helped off by a member of Australia’s medical team.
Lyon limped back to the pavilion and there are fears about his future involvement in the rest of the Ashes.
It brought back memories of Glenn McGrath’s busted ankle on the eve of the second Test in the 2005 series.
Harry hanging high
Brook was one of several England batters to walk into the face of a barrage of short-pitch bowling during an entertaining evening session on day two.
Runs followed, but so did wickets with Duckett, Pope and Root all picking out fielders on the boundary rope.
It sparked debate over whether a more conservative approach should be taken, especially given the extra load now expected of the Aussie seamers in Lyon’s anticipated absence.
Brook kept up the aggressive ‘Bazball’ mantra and enjoyed one life when Marnus Labuschagne put down a sharp chance, but Stokes was surprisingly more measured.
It was the type of captain’s knock England needed to ensure they did not lose their momentum.
Smith loves Lord’s and England!
Smith produced another superb Ashes innings of 110 and reached three figures with a gorgeous cover drive. Records tumble when the idiosyncrasies of the Test great are on display at the crease.
This effort was not only his second century at Lord’s, after hitting 215 in the 2015 series, but also the eighth time he has scored a Test hundred in England. His tally of 12 in Ashes Tests has moved him up to joint-third on the list of most centuries against one team.
But Don Bradman’s mark of 19 hundreds against England remains a little out of reach though.
Creepy crunches another
Smith had a couple of contenders for shot of the day but Zak ‘Creepy’ Crawley deserves the honour for his sumptuous drive straight after lunch.
It was not punched away like his first ball at Edgbaston, but was played with the pleasing sight of a straight bat and helped the Kent batter make 48.
However, fellow opener Duckett stole the show with arguably his best Test innings for England.
There would be no crowning century, after he pulled Josh Hazlewood to David Warner at fine leg on 98, but his array of square drives and cuts backed up his desire to continuously get bat on ball.
Home of cricket turns red for Ruth
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It was another hugely successful ‘Red for Ruth’ Day with more than £400,000 raised for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Ex-England opener Strauss set up the charity in memory of his wife Ruth, who died in 2018 from a non-smoking lung cancer.
The foundation supports thousands of families that deal with the impact of a terminal cancer diagnosis. More funds will be raised with items to be donated, including the match-worn clothes of both England and Australia.
Strauss and his sons Sam and Luca rang the bell before day two and witnessed a Lord’s covered in red.
“A tough day, an emotional day and a beautiful day,” Strauss reflected. “It is great to have my boys with me to see everything Ruth stood for. It helps to know we are helping so many families.”
Manchester United’s Millie Turner buzzing after ‘quite unexpected’ England call
Millie Turner is relishing being in the England fold again after a call-up she says was “quite unexpected”.
Manchester United defender Turner, whose previous Lionesses involvement came as part of a training camp in 2020 under Phil Neville, was called up by Sarina Wiegman last week as a replacement for the injured Millie Bright.
While it came as quite a surprise to the 27-year-old, it is something she says her father had told her he had “had a feeling” about.
Regarding the phone call she received from Wiegman, Turner told a press conference: “It was very exciting, and quite unexpected, to be fair.
“I remember I was sat at home and she rang me and I just tried to play it quite cool when she told me that she was calling me up, but after the phone call ended I was so buzzing.
“I rang my family, rang my Dad, and he said he was just so proud of me. It was a big moment for me and my family.
“I think my neighbours at the start were hating me because I was jumping around my house! But my Dad, I just remember him saying ‘Mill, I’m so proud of you’, and he said he had a feeling to be honest that I’d get called into this camp, so I think he’s been talking it into reality.
“For me, it’s all I’ve ever dreamed of, all I’ve ever hoped of – it’s just been such a big ambition for me to play for my country.”
Turner now has the possibility of making her senior international debut at Wembley.
England face the Netherlands at the national stadium on Friday in the first of their final two Nations League group games, with a clash against Scotland at Hampden Park following four days later.
Wilmslow-born Turner, who said she has around six family members coming down for the game on Friday, added: “(To make England bow at Wembley) would be incredibly special.
“Just to be part of this team is such a great honour and to be able to put that shirt on and even to play at Wembley would be incredible.”
European champions and World Cup runners-up England, third in Nations League Group A1, must beat leaders the Netherlands to stay in contention for top spot, the final position they need to have a chance to secure Paris 2024 Olympics qualification for Great Britain.
Turner said: “I think it’s going to be a massive game. But the Lionesses, we’re incredible, the way we have performed and come over every single barrier and come out of it really strongly. I think it’ll be a very good game to watch.
“The mentality never changes. We all fight and want to give absolutely everything that we can for our country – and I think it’s quite a good position to be in, because we’re ready to fight and ready to put on a performance.”
John Turner aiming to push T20 World Cup hopes on England’s tour of Caribbean
John Turner is bidding to push his case for a spot in England’s T20 World Cup title defence during the upcoming tour of the Caribbean.
Turner made his T20 bow less than six months ago but flourished for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast with 21 wickets in 11 matches, leading to a maiden England call-up towards the end of the summer.
A side strain delayed his debut but England remain keen on the 22-year-old and named him in both white-ball squads to face the West Indies, who will co-host the 2024 T20 World Cup alongside the United States.
His selection next summer would be a surprise given those ahead of him in the pecking order, but a woeful 50-over World Cup means England’s established players cannot take their places for granted.
Having been fast-tracked into the England set-up, though, Turner – born and raised in Johannesburg – is trying to take everything in his stride ahead of a potentially pivotal next few weeks in his career.
“All I can do is give my best performances and make life hard for the selectors when it comes to the time for the World Cup – but it definitely does give me some focus,” Turner told the PA news agency.
“Naturally after a World Cup, there will be some form of change – some years more than others. There’s quite an exciting crop of players coming through. It’s quite an exciting time for English cricket.
“Obviously the World Cup was massively disappointing for everyone but, with disappointment, it opens the door for new opportunities and new ways for things to be done.”
Turner, who qualifies for England through a Zambian mother born to English parents, is looking to be a point of difference among fast bowlers with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood absent in the Caribbean.
He describes his pace as his biggest asset even though his action by one former coach was likened to Glenn McGrath, whose precision control of line and length made him one of all-time great fast bowlers.
“It’s obviously an unbelievable comparison to have,” Turner said. “If I was half the bowler he was, I think I’m doing very well.
“I’m not necessarily a traditional English bowler that’s going to try to swing it away and nick you off, I’m just going to try and hit a hard length, be consistent there and bowl as fast as I can.
“I’ve got some variations. During the season, I didn’t necessarily go to them as much as I would have thought, but I’ve got some things to go to when I’m under the pump.
“So far the ride for me has been really positive. It could go horribly wrong but having the backing of everyone and particularly England at the moment gives me massive confidence.”
Turner grew up idolising South Africa great Dale Steyn and sees a bit of the fiery former quick in himself.
“The way he bowled with the aggression, the pace, the ability and everything… he wore his heart on his sleeve and that’s something I probably do, to a certain degree,” Turner said.
Turner has spent the past couple of weeks on an England Lions winter training camp in Abu Dhabi but could make his international bow as part of a new-look ODI side in Antigua on Sunday.
“It would be really emotional and a massive day for me,” Turner added, when asked about the prospect of a first England appearance on this trip.
“Growing up, you’re always wanting to play international cricket and on the biggest stage in the world – that’s what this is. Hopefully just the start of quite a long journey.”
On this day in 2015: Great Britain end long wait for Davis Cup win
Andy Murray inspired Great Britain to Davis Cup victory for the first time in 79 years on this day in 2015 after success in the final against Belgium.
Britain had last got their hands on the trophy in 1936, when Fred Perry and Bunny Austin helped defeat Australia.
When Murray completed a straight-sets win against David Goffin in Ghent to clinch it, he completed one of the most impressive feats of his career.
The Scot’s 6-3 7-5 6-3 triumph against the Belgian number one at the Flanders Expo was his 11th win in the competition that season.
Murray spearheaded the victory and claimed 11 of the 12 points which Britain needed for the title, eight in singles and three in doubles with brother Jamie. The only player not a member of the Murray family to contribute was James Ward.
Three other players have won 11 rubbers in a season since the current Davis Cup format was introduced in 1981, but Murray became the first to do so all in live rubbers and remain unbeaten.
On their way to victory, Britain defeated the United States 3-2 in Glasgow, France 3-1 in London and Australia 3-2 in the semi-finals in Glasgow before Murray sealed a 3-1 success against Belgium.
Murray said: “I probably haven’t been as emotional as that after a match that I’ve won.
“I’ve been pretty upset having lost matches before. But I’d say that’s probably the most emotional I’ve been after a win.
“It’s incredible that we managed to win this competition. I didn’t know that would ever be possible.”
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