Englishmen grab honours on second day of first Ashes test

Cardiff: England started and finished Day Two of the Ashes series opener admirably on Thursday, with Australia still trying to find an edge at sun-bathed Sophia Gardens. In the morning, the last three England wickets netted an invaluable 87 runs to lift the total to 430 all out. England then dug out Australia’s top order in less than two sessions on the passive pitch, and slowed down the visitors to 264-5 at stumps, trailing by 166 runs.

It was still anybody’s Test. At the crease were Shane Watson on 29, and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon on 6. Earlier, Australian opener Chris Rogers joined a select group of players with a seventh successive Test fifty. He was unfortunate to fall five runs short of a century.

Rogers missed Australia’s 2-0 series win in the Caribbean with Caribbean and the 37-year-old left-hander has said the Ashes will be his final Test campaign before retirement. Ashes-holders Australia are looking for a first series win in Britain in 14 years.   

Rogers scored 20 off 17 balls to rush from 75 to 95 after tea, and a fifth test century was imminent. But he edged behind, glanced at the catch, and walked off, leaving fast bowler Mark Wood to celebrate his first Ashes wicket. It was the second time in three innings he was out for 95. He used up only 133 balls, hit 11 boundaries, and his first six in a test. Rogers dominated the opening stand of 52 with David Warner, who overturned a leg-before decision off James Anderson on 13, but perished on 17, trying to drive the fast bowler but nicking it.

Rogers and the equally prolific Steve Smith upped the ante with 77 together in 19 overs through the middle session. Smith, the third highest run-scorer in test cricket over the last 13 months at an average of 97, went after Moeen Ali, and was successful at first. But the third time in the same over that he charged at Ali, the spinner bowled down his legside. Smith muddled trying to adjust his feet and spooned the ball to Alastair Cook at mid-on. He departed for 33, just before tea.

Captain Michael Clarke joined Rogers and they clicked immediately, sharing 51 off 58 balls. Then Rogers was out at 180-3, and when Clarke was caught and bowled by Ali for 38, the momentum shifted slightly to England with more than an hour left under blue skies. Adam Voges confirmed the shift when he miscued Ben Stokes on 31 and gave James Anderson an easy catch 10 minutes before stumps.

By claiming Smith and Clarke, Ali earned his keep, for now, after many English observers believed he should have been dropped for the uncapped Adil Rashid, who was a wicket-taking legspin sensation in the one-day international series with New Zealand. By stumps, Ali had 2-67, and played his part in putting the brakes on the Australians, whose run rate came down from 4-plus to 3.7. Ali also began the day well, as he marshalled the tail to help exceed expectations of a quick end to England's first innings. England resumed on 343-7, with Australia favored with a still-shiny second new ball to rake up the last three wickets. But England added 87 runs, enduring for more than 14 overs and 70 minutes. Ali, the bowler who bats to England's mind, moved from 26 overnight to 77, his second highest test score in his Ashes debut.

Stuart Broad was out for 18 attempting a sweep, and Ali also went to an attacking stroke three overs later, swishing at Mitchell Starc for a catch in the slips. His 77, England's second highest score after Joe Root's 134, included 11 boundaries and a six off Lyon. Starc snapped up the last two wickets for his maiden Ashes 5-for. Mitchell Johnson bowled well without fortune, for figures of 25-3-111-0. The only other time he conceded 100 runs without a wicket in an Ashes innings was in 2010, the 1st test in Brisbane, after which he was dropped for one test.

Scorecard

England (1st Innings): A. Lyth c Warner b Hazlewood 6, A. Cook c Haddin b Lyon 20, G. Ballance lbw b Hazlewood 61, I. Bell lbw b Starc 1, J. Root c Watson b Starc 134, B. Stokes b Starc 52, J. Buttler c Johnson b Hazlewood 27, M. Ali c Watson b Starc 77, S. Broad c Haddin b Lyon 18, M. Wood (not out) 7, J. Anderson b Starc 1. Extras (b-17, lb-3, w-5, nb-1) 26. Total (in 102.1 overs) 430.
FoW: 1-7, 2-42, 3-43, 4-196, 5-280, 6-293, 7-343, 8-395, 9-419.
Bowling: Starc 24.1-4-114-5, Hazlewood 23-8-83-3, Johnson 25-3-111-0, Lyon 20-4-69-2, Watson 8-0-24-0, Warner 2-0-9-0.
Australia (1st Innings): C. Rogers c Buttler b Wood 95, D. Warner c Cook b Anderson 17, S. Smith c Cook b Ali 33, M. Clarke c and b Ali 38, A. Voges c Anderson b Stokes 31, S. Watson batting 29, N. Lyon batting 6. Extras (b-2, lb-10, w-3) 15. Total (5 wkts in 70 overs) 264
Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-129, 3-180, 4-207, 5-258.
Bowling: Anderson 16-6-36-1, Broad 12-1-55-0, Wood 16-3-59-1, Ali 14-1-67-2, Stokes 12-5-35-1