Duckett slams 98 as England strike back on Day 2

England roared their way back into the Test match on day two at Lord’s with another entertaining batting display. Steve Smith laced his 32^nd career Test ton in the morning to take the visitors to 416, but Ben Stokes’ side managed to cut that deficit down to just 138 by stumps. Ben Duckett laced an impressive 98, while Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook added important contributions to take England to 278 for 4, leaving the game in the balance at the close of play.

English openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett got off to another assertive start after Lunch, with the pair adding a swift 91-run stand to give the hosts the perfect platform. Crawley struck a series of picturesque boundaries against the pacers but became the fourth England batter to be stumped by Lyon in this series, falling two runs short of his fifty.

The off-spinner bowled with great control throughout his afternoon spell but pulled up with a calf injury in the field in the 37^th over and limped off the ground, unlikely to return to action in the Test. A bowler short, the Australian pacers reverted to their short-ball ploy to counter the progress made by Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett after Tea.

The pair added a further 97 to put England in a great position at 188 for 1 but were both caught taking on the bouncer. Pope mistimed his pull shot to Steve Smith at deep square leg on 42, while Ben Duckett hooked Hazlewood straight to Warner at long leg to depart for 98.

Joe Root was given a life after edging behind to Carey off a Cameron Green no ball but fell to the same short ball tactic a few overs later, mis-controlling his pull against Starc to a diving Steve Smith behind square. Harry Brook could have become England’s fourth victim to the bouncer, only for Marnus Labuschagne to drop the number five at square leg on 25. Brook didn’t relent his attacking instincts after the reprieve, scurrying his way to 45 and adding a half-century stand with Stokes to take the hosts to 278 for 4 at stumps.

Earlier in the day, England picked up the final five Australian wickets with just 77 runs added to the overnight score. Steve Smith continued his heroics from day 1 to become the fastest to 32 Test centuries, but England produced a much-improved bowling performance in overcast conditions to reign in Australia’s advantage. Stuart Broad struck first via DRS with an in-swinger that caught Alex Carey on the pads, while Anderson nicked off Starc to Bairstow to pick up his first wicket of the game.

Building on from his vital breakthroughs of Khawaja and Warner on day 1, Tongue got the big fish of Steve Smith on 110, with the number four edging a drive to gully before Ollie Robinson wrapped up the final two wickets to end Australia’s innings on 416.