Day 2: England’s strong opening stand fades as Australia resurges in Ashes test

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett delivered England’s highest opening partnership in the Ashes since 2011, but their momentum was short-lived.

On the second day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, England reached 278-4 (with Duckett scoring 98, Crawley 48, and Brook 45*), trailing Australia‘s first-innings score of 416 (led by Smith’s 110 and Head’s 77, while Tongue took 3-98) by 138 runs with six wickets remaining.

The atmosphere at Lord’s was electric as England’s aggressive playing style won them a new fan base, although most of them were likely Australian supporters. It was a thrilling day of Test cricket, filled with drama and plot twists that provided a welcome break from the monotony of everyday life.

Just when England seemed to have a firm grip on the match and the chance to dominate Australia, they let the opportunity slip away once again. This mirrored their performance in the first Test at Edgbaston, where they unsettled the Australians but failed to deliver the final blow.

Similarly, after recovering from a challenging first day, England found themselves in a commanding position during the evening session. With Australia struggling from the loss of spinner Nathan Lyon due to a potentially series-ending calf injury, England had their opponents right where they wanted them.

However, a sudden lapse in judgment resulted in Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, and Joe Root all succumbing to short-pitched deliveries, leading to a collapse of three wickets for just 34 runs. This allowed Australia to regain control of the match.

Fortunately, Ben Stokes provided stability when he came to the crease, managing to guide himself and a fired-up Harry Brook through the remaining overs without further damage. England still held a favorable position, but there was a sense of frustration that it could have been even better.

Before the collapse, Australia captain Pat Cummins resorted to a short-ball strategy due to Lyon’s absence and the high run rates of the other bowlers. It was the epitome of the entertaining and aggressive cricket that had captivated fans since the partnership of Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum last summer. England’s dominance was reflected in the WinViz algorithm, which gave them a 56% chance of victory before Pope’s dismissal.

Pope and Duckett had built a solid partnership of 97 runs for the second wicket before Pope’s dismissal triggered the downfall. His poor shot resulted in a catch on the boundary off Cameron Green, who had been bowling erratically. Duckett, on the other hand, missed out on a chance for his maiden Ashes century when he was caught in the deep while attempting an aerial shot against Josh Hazlewood. Root, known for his level-headedness, surprisingly fell victim to Mitchell Starc’s inconsistent bowling, leaving England at 222-4. The situation was puzzling.

After a big century in his first Test of the summer against Ireland at Lord's, Ben Duckett brings up another fifty at the Home of Cricket 💪#ENGvAUS | #Ashes

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 29, 2023

At this point, Harry Brook began his innings with a mindset reminiscent of his time at the St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training camp in Florida, which he attended after England’s tour of New Zealand in March. Rather than maintaining composure, he adopted a baseball-inspired approach, seeking to put pressure on the Australians when a more measured approach was needed.

Stokes, however, recognized the need to absorb pressure and played a calm innings. Brook had a scare when Marnus Labuschagne dropped a chance while he was on 25.

The match provided gripping drama, and perhaps the Bazballers (referring to England’s aggressive style) should be given some leniency when their approach doesn’t always succeed. Nevertheless, with the Ashes hanging in the balance, it was crucial for England to maintain a composed mindset.

England started the day with clear intent, as Lord’s turned red in support of the Ruth Strauss Foundation cancer charity. Former captain Sir Andrew Strauss and his old teammate Kevin Pietersen had criticized England’s lackluster performance on the dominant first day by Australia.

However, it took just over 90 minutes for England to wrap up the Australian innings, claiming the final five wickets for 65 runs. Considering Australia was 316-3 at one stage on the opening day, restricting them to 416 was a commendable effort.

Now, it is essential for one of Stokes, Brook, or the incoming Jonny Bairstow to emulate Smith’s ruthless batting display and allow England to seize control of the Test match decisively.

England have now taking over as the +102 favourites with the top cricket betting sites while Australia trails as the +162 outsiders.
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