By Martyn Herman
LONDON (Reuters) – England fought back in thrilling fashion against Australia with three wickets before lunch on day four to keep alive their slim hopes of turning around the second Ashes test at Lord’s on Saturday.
Stuart Broad struck twice for the hosts while Josh Tongue removed England’s bogeyman Steve Smith to reduce Australia to 222 for five at the interval, having begun day four on 130-2.
While Australia stretched their lead to 313, a daunting advantage throughout the history of test cricket, England will feel they are back in the hunt to level the series after losing a thrilling opener at Edgbaston by two wickets.
Usman Khawaja and Smith were resisting a barrage of short-pitched bowling by Tongue and Ollie Robinson with relative ease and looked ominously set as Australia moved towards a 300 lead.
Smith creamed three boundaries off James Anderson in one over and while the scoring slowed as England’s bouncer barrage began in earnest, neither he nor Khawaja looked unduly troubled as they put on 64 for the third wicket.
But after refusing to indulge in any of the rash strokes that saw England sink from 188-1 to 325 all out in their first innings, Australia then suddenly lost their heads.
As so often is the case, Broad proved the catalyst for England, removing Khawaja in his first over of the day.
Having made a typically gritty 77 from 188 balls, Khawaja attempted to pull a rising Broad delivery but only top-edged to substitute fielder Matthew Potts at deep fine leg.
In the next over Anderson dropped Travis Head at gully off the bowling of Tongue but that was forgotten one ball later as Smith inexplicably picked out Zak Crawley at deep backward square for 34 from yet another steepling delivery.
With England eyeing Australia’s tail it got even better for the hosts as Head fended a well-directed Broad delivery off his chest and Joe Root took a superb diving catch at short leg.
Cameron Green (15) and Alex Carey (10) restored some order with a flurry of boundaries to take Australia to lunch with no further damage but a game that was sliding away from England is back in the mix.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
