LONDON: Steven Smith celebrates the double century in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Friday.—AP

LONDON: Steven Smith’s maiden Test double century ensured Australia maintained their grip on the second Test against England at Lord’s here on Friday.

Smith’s 215, the seventh highest individual Test score at Lord’s, was the cornerstone of Australia’s 562 for seven at tea on the second day.

Yet Stuart Broad (3-79 in 26 overs) led something of an England fightback with the ball before part-time spinner Joe Root took two cheap wickets, including that of Smith.

The problem for England was that Australia resumed on Friday on a commanding 337 for one.

Opener Chris Rogers was then a Test-best 158 not out and Smith, dropped in the slips on 50 by Ian Bell on Thursday, unbeaten on 129.

It was to England’s credit that Australia, looking to win their first Ashes series in Britain in 14 years, had not gone past 600 at tea.

Fast bowler Broad took three wickets for 19 runs in 36 balls, including dismissing Rogers for 173.

Friday’s first ball produced drama and concern in equal measure when Rogers was struck flush on the side of the helmet as he turned his head away from a James Anderson delivery.

Rogers, who missed Australia’s preceding Test series win in the Caribbean after suffering concussion while batting in the nets, needed several minutes’ on-field treatment.

Two balls later, however, the 37-year-old left-hander square-drove Anderson for four.

Broad, Anderson’s new-ball partner, eventually pierced Rogers’s defence with a nip-back ball that took the inside edge and pad before crashing into the stumps to leave Australia 362 for two.

Rogers, who has said he will retire at the end of this series, batted for over six and a half hours, faced 300 balls and struck 28 fours on his adopted ‘home ground’, having spent several seasons playing for Lord’s-based Middlesex.

His stand with Smith topped the previous Australia record Test partnership at Lord’s of 260 shared by openers Mark Taylor and Michael Slater in 1993.

Smith, who until twice making 33 in England’s 169-run win in the first Test in Cardiff last week was ranked as the world’s number one Test batsman, had gone to his 10th century in 30 Tests and sixth in his last eight matches at this level by the time play resumed on Friday.

Australia captain Michael Clarke -- as often happens to a batsman who has had a lengthy wait -- fell cheaply when, on seven, he pulled fast bowler Mark Wood to Gary Ballance at square leg.

Broad dismissed Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh but Smith kept going.

Smith, who only two Tests ago was out for 199 against the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica last month, went to 200 when he whipped off-spinner Moeen Ali off his pads for a 24th four in 336 balls faced, with his more than eight-hour innings also featuring one six.

He then posted Australia’s second highest individual Test score at Lord’s behind cricket great Don Bradman’s 254 in 1930.

But his hopes of breaking that 85-year-old Australia record ended in very modern fashion when he was lbw trying to reverse-sweep Root.

Australia were now 533 for six.

Peter Nevill made a breezy 45 on his Test debut, after being called into the side after first-choice wicket-keeper Brad Haddin withdrew for family reasons, before he holed out off Root.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight: 337-1)

C. Rogers b Broad173

D. Warner c Anderson b Ali38

S. Smith lbw b Root215

M. Clarke c Ballance b Wood7

A. Voges c Buttler b Broad25

M. Marsh b Broad12

P. Nevill c Ali b Root45

M. Johnson not out12

M. Starc not out11

EXTRAS (B-8, LB-14, W-1, NB-1)24

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 148 overs)562

TO BAT: J Hazlewood, N Lyon

FALL OF WKTS: 1-78, 2-362, 3-383, 4-426, 5-442, 6-533, 7-536.

BOWLING: Anderson 26-4-99-0 (1w); Broad 26-5-79-3 (1nb); Wood 28-7-92-1; Ali 36-4-138-1; Stokes 19-2-77-0; Root 12-0-55-2; Lyth 1-1-0-0.

ENGLAND: Alastair Cook (captain), Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2015

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