Steve Smith led the way with an unbeaten 85 to help Australia take control against England on day one of the second men’s Ashes Test at Lord’s.
Made to bat first, the tourists got off to a strong start in testing conditions as David Warner and Usman Khawaja put on 73 for the first wicket before the Edgbaston centurion was bowled by Josh Tongue with the final ball of the morning session.
Warner departed to the same bowler for 66 in the afternoon, but Smith and Marnus Labuschagne put on a third-wicket stand of 102 before the latter fell to Ollie Robinson three runs short of his half-century after tea.
Travis Head plundered 77 off just 73 in a fourth-wicket partnership of 118 before becoming one of Joe Root’s two victims, while Smith saw Australia through to the close of play on 339-5. England, meanwhile, were left to rue early missed chances and conceding 36 extras on the day – 12 of which were from no-balls alone.
Protest and rain can’t stop Warner’s march
Australia openers Warner and Khawaja could have been forgiven for thinking they were up against it after England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bowl on a morning with plenty of cloud cover and a green tinge to the wicket.
The duo had to contend with play being interrupted just one over in when protesters wearing ‘Just Stop Oil’ t-shirts invaded the pitch and threw orange powder, with England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow removing one of them from the field himself.
What proved to be a brief stoppage was followed by play being halted again for around a quarter of an hour due to a rain shower, while England’s four-pronged seam attack found plenty of assistance to move the ball and probe away at the Australian batters.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Play was delayed at Lord’s due to protesters invading the pitch, with Jonny Bairstow removing one of them from the field.
When the hosts did find the edge of the bat though, they were unable to take advantage. Khawaja was put down by Joe Root in the slips off James Anderson with just one run on the board in the fifth over, while Ollie Pope dropped Warner on 20 off Broad seven overs later.
The duo’s steadily paced opening partnership subsequently moved past the half-century mark leading up to lunch, with Warner then bringing up his 35th Test 50 in style as he hooked Ashes debutant Tongue for six.
However, Tongue, who took match figures of 5-106 in the 10-wicket win over Ireland at the start of June, responded by making the breakthrough for the hosts on the stroke of lunch as Khawaja misjudged a delivery from the Worcestershire player and ended up being bowled for 17.
Smith, Labuschagne and Head press on after lunch
Right-armer Tongue was among the wickets again following another brief rain delay early in the afternoon, this time accounting for Warner as he was clean-bowled for 66 six overs after play resumed.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch Josh Tongue’s excellent delivery to David Warner from every angle.
However, that brought together Smith and Labuschagne, and they soon stepped on the accelerator by putting together a 50 partnership which came off just 47 balls, with Smith having successfully overturned a decision to give him caught behind off Broad on 24.
Labuschagne benefitted from two DRS decisions in his favour too – the first an overturned lbw call which went against him and the second a failed attempt by Broad to overturn a not out lbw decision.
By tea, the third-wicket stand had reached 94, and the pair passed the century milestone within three overs of play resuming in the evening. Yet they were only able to add two more runs before world No 3 Test batter Labuschagne edged Robinson to Bairstow to depart for 47.
Former Australia captain Smith reached his half-century for the 38th time in Test cricket when he eased one through the covers for two in the 61st over, followed by next batter in Head racing to his 50 from just 48 balls and bringing it up with the ninth four of his innings.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch Travis Head bring up his 48 ball half-century with this superb four
Root, England’s main spin option for this Test, checked the tourists’ progress with two quick wickets in the 75th over though, first having Head stumped after he missed one which spun wildly away from the batter and then three balls later getting new batter Cameron Green for a duck after he popped one up to James Anderson at mid-off.
That wobble did not become a collapse, though, and even with England skipper Stokes taking the new ball with two overs of the day remaining, Smith and Alex Carey (11 not out) were able to see out the rest of the session comfortably.
Matters were compounded for England by Pope being forced off the field in the afternoon after landing awkwardly on his shoulder, with the middle-order batter icing the injury and not returning for the rest of the first day.
Watch day two of the second men’s Ashes Test at Lord’s live on Sky Sports Cricket. Coverage starts from 10.15am with the first ball at 11am. Also stream on NOW TV.
