England responded strongly to balance the ongoing second Test match on Day 2 at Lord’s on Thursday, June 29. Steve Smith’s record 32nd Test hundred and Ben Duckett’s quick 98 runs were talking points at the end of Day 2 as England trail by 138 runs in the first innings.
Resuming the game from Day 1, Smith quickly brought his century with two back-to-back fours off James Anderson. With this latest ton, Smith became the quickest cricketer in the world to record 32 Test centuries in terms of innings and also surpassed Rohit Sharma to score his 44th international hundred.
But English bowlers picked five wickets in the first session to stumble the visitor’s first innings on 416. Ashes debutant Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson picked three wickets each while Joe Root took two wickets for the hosts.
England started with a careful approach in their chase to avoid early wickets but once settled, both Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett adopted an aggressive approach. The duo pulled off a 91-run stand for the first wicket in just the first 18 overs. Crawley seemed in great rhythm to end his inconsistent form at the top but Nathan Lyon, playing in his 100th Test match, ended his run.
Crawley scored 48 off just 48 with five fours but Ben Duckett managed to produce his sixth Test fifty to keep the runs flowing. He and Ollie Pope added quick 97 runs for the second wicket with the latter scoring 42 runs.
Meanwhile, David Warner picked a stunning catch to end Duckett’s impressive innings on 98 runs. Steve Smith also produced brilliance in the field to stun England with Joe Root’s wicket who scored just 10 runs.
But England recovered quickly with captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook avoiding further wickets by adding unbeaten 56 runs for the fifth wicket. Brook is batting at 45* off 51 while Stokes scored 17* off 57 at the end of Day 2. In a big blow to Australia, Lyon left the pitch early as he suffered a calf injury and didn’t return to bowl or field for the rest of the day.
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