LONDON: Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith put Australia in charge after recalled England fast bowler Josh Tongue struck twice on the first day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Wednesday.

Australia were 96-2 when Tongue bowled David Warner for 66 with a superb delivery that cut back sharply between the left-handed opener’s bat and pad.

But Ashes-holders Australia, 1-0 up in the five-match series after a thrilling two-wicket win at Edgba­ston last week, had recovered to 190-2 at tea.

Labuschagne was 45 not out and Smith unbeaten on 38 in an undefeated third-wicket stand of 94.

Until recently the top two in the Test batting rankings, the Australian pair’s combined tally was way in excess of the 35 they had managed between them across four innings at Edgbaston.

Tongue, who repeatedly beat the bat, had encouraging interval figures of 2-48 in 12 overs.

But England captain Ben Stokes would have wanted more than two wickets by tea after winning the toss on a green-tinged pitch and under overcast skies that promised to aid his five-strong pace attack.

The match was briefly halted before the second over when two Just Stop Oil protesters ran out of the Grandstand and onto the outfield, sprinkling the environmental pressure group’s trademark orange powder on the square but not on the pitch.

England wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow grabbed one of the demonstrators and carried them off the playing surface, with the other apprehended by stewards.

A third demonstrator was tackled before making it onto the outfield, with the police making three arrests.

England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach had come under scrutiny in Birmingham, but missing several chances was a bigger factor in their defeat.

On Wednesday, Stuart Broad, who has long troubled Warner in Ashes contests, had the opener edging a drive on 20, only for fourth slip Ollie Pope to drop a two-handed catch to his left.

Warner chanced his arm when hitting across the line but he completed a 66-ball fifty when he pulled Tongue, in just his second Test, for six.

Australia almost got through the first session without losing a wicket, but off what became the last ball before lunch Tongue bowled Usman Khawaja, playing no shot, for 17.

Warner fell early in the second session to Tongue, in for off-spinner Moeen Ali in the only change to England’s XI.

Smith stuck Broad through the covers for two fours off successive balls to reach 24, then successfully overturned a caught-behind decision off the next ball.

Broad also had Labuschagne lbw, playing no shot, for 33 before another successful Australian review indicated the ball would have cleared the top of the stumps.

Stokes brought himself on in the hope of a breakthrough.

But it was not long before Smith, with the sun starting to shine, confidently flicked him through midwicket for four to go to 9,000 runs in Test cricket.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings):

D. Warner b Tongue 66

U. Khawaja b Tongue 17

M. Labuschagne not out 45

S. Smith not out 38

EXTRAS (B-13, LB-3, NB-8) 24

TOTAL (for two wickets, 50 overs) 190

STILL TO BAT: T. Head, C. Green, A. Carey, M. Starc, P. Cummins, N. Lyon,

J. Hazlewood

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-73 (Khawaja), 2-96 (Warner)

BOWLING: Anderson 10-2-24-0, Broad 13-3-48-0 (1nb), Robinson 10-2-31-0 (3nb), Tongue 12-3-48-2 (1nb), Stokes 3-1-21-0 (3nb), Root 2-1-2-0

ENGLAND: Z. Crawley, B. Duckett, O. Pope, J. Root, H. Brook, B. Stokes, J. Bairstow, S. Broad, O. Robinson, J. Tongue, J. Anderson

UMPIRES: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan), Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand)

TV UMPIRE: Marais Erasmus (South Africa)

MATCH REFEREE: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023