Smith, Labuschagne exits give England hope on second day

Key wickets late in the day helped put England in with a chance of staying in contention in the Ashes series in their must-win second Test, Australia finishing a thrilling day two on 116-4 with a second-innings lead of 142.
More heroics from captain Ben Stokes single-handedly got England within 26 runs of Australia’s first innings total after a big-hitting 80, the hosts skittled out for 237.
Despite losing the early wicket of David Warner for one, to Stuart Broad for the 17th time in the veteran bowler’s Test career, Australia looked to be in control and coasting towards generating a commanding lead.
But the cheap wickets of experienced duo Marnus Labuschagne (33) and Steve Smith (2) dragged England back into the match, before first innings centurion Mitchell Marsh steered Australia through to the close of another gripping day of Ashes action.
When Stokes came to the wicket, England were staring down the barrel of another defeat, languishing on 87-5, needing their captain to save them, just as he did at Headingley in 2019 to avoid Australia retaining the Ashes early then.
After lunch, despite visibly struggling with a variety of injuries, a wounded Stokes took the attack to Australia, hammering back-to-back sixes to pass 6,000 international Test runs in style.
He could not quite match his Lord’s heroics with another century but his efforts, backed up by some tail-end hitting from his team mates, got England back into the contest.
The sunny conditions were perfect for Australia to settle in and bat for a long period to stretch their lead, but after Warner’s wicket went Labuschagne’s Ashes struggles continued as he again failed to reach a half century, falling to a poor shot.
Playing in his 100th Test, Smith would have been eyeing up another hundred but ended up clashing with England wicket keeper Jonny Bairstow, who was controversially stumped in the last Test, as he left the field.
Both Australia batsmen fell to Moeen Ali, wickets that took the spinner to 200 in Test cricket.
England sensed a flurry of wickets to come as Chris Woakes found Usman Khawaja’s edge for 43 but Marsh (17 not out), who hit a century is his first Test appearance for Australia since the 2019 Ashes in the first innings, again looked in fine touch.
Travis Head (18 not out) was alongside him at the close but dismissing Marsh today will be key to England building on their evening’s work at Headingley.

SCOREBOARD
Australia 1st Innings 263
England 1st Innings (overnight: 68-3)
Z. Crawley c Warner b Marsh 33
B. Duckett c Carey b Cummins 2
H. Brook c Smith b Cummins 3
J. Root c Warner b Cummins 19
J. Bairstow c Smith b Starc 12
B. Stokes c Smith b Murphy 80
M. Ali c Smith b Cummins 21
C. Woakes c Carey b Starc 10
M. Wood c Marsh b Cummins 24
S. Broad c Smith b Cummins 7
O. Robinson not out 5
Extras (b4, lb3, nb9, w5) 21
Total (all out, 52.3 overs, 268 mins) 237
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Duckett), 2-22 (Brook), 3-65 (Crawley), 4-68 (Root), 5-87 (Bairstow), 6-131 (Ali), 7-142 (Woakes), 8-167 (Wood), 9-199 (Broad), 10-237 (Stokes)
Bowling: Starc 14-3-59-2 (1nb); Cummins 18-1-91-6 (3nb, 1w); Boland 10-0-35-0 (3nb); Marsh 3-1-9-1 (2nb); Murphy 7.3-0-36-1

Australia 2nd Innings
U. Khawaja c Bairstow b Woakes 43
D. Warner c Crawley b Broad 1
M. Labuschagne c Brook b Ali 33
S. Smith c Duckett b Ali 2
T. Head not out 18
M. Marsh not out 17
Extras (b1, lb1) 2
Total (4 wkts, 47 overs) 116
To bat: A Carey, M Starc, P Cummins, S Boland, T Murphy
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Warner), 2-68 (Labuschagne), 3-72 (Smith), 4-90 (Khawaja)
Bowling: Broad 10-1-36-1; Woakes 9-0-28-1; Wood 10-2-12-0; Root 1-0-4-0; Ali 17-3-34-2
Match position: Australia lead by 142 runs with six second-innings wickets standing