- News
- Sports News
- Cricket News
- AUS vs ENG Highlights, 2nd Ashes Test Day 2: Australia finish on 378/6, take 44-run lead at stumps
AUS vs ENG Highlights, 2nd Ashes Test Day 2: Australia finish on 378/6, take 44-run lead at stumps
Weatherald, playing only his second Test, impressed with 12 fours and a six before falling lbw to Jofra Archer. Labuschagne continued his rich vein of form with a confident 65, though he fell just short of a century thanks to a sharp nick to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Ben Stokes. Steve Smith, who had looked solid at the crease, was dismissed by Brydon Carse after attempting a hook shot, highlighting England’s brief resurgence under the lights. Carse had earlier removed Cameron Green (45) and Smith (61) in quick succession, sparking hope for the visitors.
Despite the breakthroughs, England’s bowlers struggled with consistency, gifting Australia scoring opportunities with loose deliveries and four dropped catches. Travis Head, retained as opener in place of the injured Usman Khawaja, managed 33 before tea, while Alex Carey remained unbeaten on 46 alongside Michael Neser at 15.
England had resumed on 325-9, with Joe Root carrying the team with a gritty 138. Root added nine more runs before being dismissed in a spectacular catch by Labuschagne, ending a 10th-wicket partnership of 70. Mitchell Starc led the bowling effort with 6-75 in the first innings.
Both Weatherald and Labuschagne praised the atmosphere and the crowd at the Gabba, with Weatherald remarking, “It’s really enjoyable.” Labuschagne added, “Obviously the boys played well… it’s a nice day.” As Australia heads into Day 3, the hosts are well-placed to assert control in this pivotal Ashes clash, but England will hope to exploit the pitch under lights and fight back.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Full and on off, Zak Crawley blocks this off his front foot.
- Ollie Pope 15 (23)
- Zak Crawley 40 (43)
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Good length around off, Ollie Pope looks rock solid in striding out in front and blocking it.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, FOUR! AWESOME! Overpitched by Boland and punished. Outside off, Ollie Pope comes forward and drives it right back to where it came from. Down the ground, to the right of mid off.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, The cracks are opening up a bit more with each passing moment. Good length wide of off, Ollie Pope leaves it but even this keeps rising from a good length.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Good length around off, Ollie Pope solidly blocks this one.
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, Good length around off, Zak Crawley pushes this gently in front of Michael Neser at mid on and sets off for a quick single. Neser charges on the ball and throws it underarm on the dive but misses at the non-striker's end. Zak makes his ground by then.
Got to feel for Brendan Doggett. He set the tone after Dinner and got the ball moving. He was just getting into some rhythm but unfortunately for him, his skipper felt that with the movement that he was getting, Starc could do some damage to the opposition. Might do more damage to Doggett instead.
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, Good length on middle and off, Zak Crawley defends this off his front foot.
- Ollie Pope 11 (19)
- Zak Crawley 39 (41)
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, Starc is searching for the toes, goes for a yorker and almost outfoxes Pope here. Ollie Pope was equally up for it as he blocks this around mid-wicket. Good cricket all around.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, That must have hit a crack or something. Good length around off, shoots a lot at the batter. Ollie Pope had already decided to leave it and that turns out to be a really good decision with what the ball did after landing.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, On a length around the pads, Zak Crawley flicks this towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Good length around middle and off, Zak Crawley pumps this straight back to the bowler.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, EDGED, FOUR! The runs have started to flow again as Zak Crawley decides to counterpunch. A short ball, outside off, Crawley throws his bat at it and gets a thick outside edge. The ball goes towards gully where Cameron Green is stationed and he leaps too - but the ball just goes over his leap to the deep third fence. The deficit is now 107.
Mitchell Starc to Ollie Pope, That's well struck by Pope. On a length around off, Ollie Pope strides closer to the pitch of the delivery and he drives this through the extra cover region for three. Travis Head does well to chase this from mid off and flick this back inside the playing area inches from the fence.
- Zak Crawley 34 (38)
- Ollie Pope 8 (16)
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, Full and wide of off, Zak Crawley swings and misses.
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, FOUR! Zak seems to be batting on a different deck altogether from his partner on the other end. Good length around middle and off, Zak Crawley gets right on top of the bounce and drives this past a diving mid on fielder to his left for four runs.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Good length around off, Ollie Pope looks to block this around mid-wicket but the ball shoots a wee bit on him and he gets it edged towards cover for one.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, FOUR! This will make him breathe easy. A bit more confidence is reflected in this stroke. On a length around middle and off, Ollie Pope shuffles across and glances this towards the fine leg region for a boundary.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Pitched up, wide of off, Ollie Pope offers a drive but mistimes this off the cue end of the bat. Gets is through extra cover though for a couple.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, It continues to be scratchy from Pope. Back of a length around off, Ollie Pope goes for the flick but misses out again and is hit around his abdomen.
There is a bit of hammering going around the bowler's landing area.
- Zak Crawley 30 (36)
- Ollie Pope 1 (12)
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Full and wide outside off, Zak Crawley leaves it all alone.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Good length around off, Zak Crawley defends this not convincingly but he does enough to keep it out.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Cross-seam this time, around off again, a bit fuller. Zak Crawley flashes at it, gets an inside edge that rolls to fine leg for two.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Wobbled-seam from Starc, on a good length, around off. Zak Crawley gets onto his back foot and blocks it around cover.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Starc hits the deck hard, angling across the batter. Zak Crawley strides closer to the pitch of the delivery and blocks.
Mitchell Starc to Zak Crawley, Good length wide of off, Zak Crawley does well by not chasing it and leaving it all alone.
5/1 in 4 overs post Dinner. Australia have focussed on landing the ball in the right areas and try to minimize the run flow. A bit of a surprise. He was looking a bit tired before Dinner, but Mitchell Starc has been denied some more rest. Here he comes back on. 3-0-25-0 so far.
- Ollie Pope 1 (12)
- Zak Crawley 28 (30)
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Another one, banged short, wide of off. Ollie Pope shoulders his arms at it.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, On a length around middle and off, Ollie Pope rolls this down to mid on.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Short and wide of off, Ollie Pope leaves it all alone.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, The Aussies are right on top at the moment. Beating the bat and finding edges but the final product is around the corner, one feels. On a length around off, Ollie Pope strides across the stumps and goes for a front foot defensive punch. Gets beaten and the ball deflects off his pads to the keeper. Loud appeal of LBW but the umpire once again turns it down. Boland looks at his captain again and this time, he really seems interested. But Smith straightaway indicates that the impact was outside off and that is it as far as a review is concerned.
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, Good length on the pads, Zak Crawley tucks this through square leg and hustles for a single. 50 UP FOR ENGLAND. Trail by 127.
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, Another situation where the Aussies appeal for a caught behind but the umpire doesn't entertain it. Good length around off, Zak Crawley presses in front, gets outside the line of off and looks to punch this to mid off. The ball shapes back in and it misses the inside edge of Zak's bat. The ball then deflects off his pads and back to the keeper. Boland has a look at his captain but Smith and Labuschagne straightaway shake their heads, denying any inside edge.
- Ollie Pope 1 (8)
- Zak Crawley 27 (28)
Brendan Doggett to Ollie Pope, On a length around off, Ollie Pope pushes this back towards the bowler's right for no run.
Brendan Doggett to Ollie Pope, Pope is not feeling very confident out in the middle. Back of a length around off, Ollie Pope looks to nudge this around mid-wicket but gets late on closing his bat face this time. The ball catches the outside edge and lands short of cover. Pope is not reading the length as well, it seems, because this hit him high around the sticker of his bat, which means he was not in a position to flick it either.
Brendan Doggett to Ollie Pope, Brendan Doggett comes in the line of the stumps and bowls it on a hard length around off. Ollie Pope gets right behind the line of it and blocks.
Brendan Doggett to Ollie Pope, Good length around off, Ollie Pope lets it go back to the keper.
Brendan Doggett to Ollie Pope, On a length around middle and leg, Ollie Pope flicks this towards Mitchell Starc at mid on.
Brendan Doggett to Ollie Pope, On a length just wide of off, Ollie Pope shoulders his arms at it.
- Ollie Pope 1 (2)
- Zak Crawley 27 (28)
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Good length on middle and leg, Ollie Pope works this to long leg and gets off the mark with a single.
Scott Boland to Ollie Pope, Almost the second for Big Scott. On a length around middle and off, Ollie Pope steps across and goes for a flick. Closes the bat face early and gets it edged in front of the bowler.
Ollie Pope walks in next, at number 3, replacing Ben Duckett. He too, is on a pair.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, OUT! PLAYED ON! That's just so unlucky for Ben Duckett and he has a hard look at the pitch and then at Crawley, before trudging off. Scott Boland strikes in his first over. Comes around the stumps and bowls it on that nagging length around middle and off, angling it back into the batter. Duckett doesn't lean low and just looks to punch this standing upright. However, unfortunately for him, the ball doesn't bounce much and it strikes the toe end of his bat. It then bounces right back past him and hits the stumps! Boland and Australia will not mind. Duckett departs for 15 and the quickfire opening stand of 48 is broken. ENGLAND TRAIL BY 129.
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, On a length around middle and off, Zak Crawley gets it away off the inside of his bat to deep square leg for one.
Scott Boland to Zak Crawley, Good length, down the leg. Zak Crawley goes for the flick but misses out. Alex Carey glides to his left and gathers this behind the stumps.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Good length around off, Ben Duckett flicks this through mid-wicket for a single.
Good start from Doggett. There was some movement on display, more than what we saw in the entire phase before Dinner. Should be Scott Boland from this end. Indeed. 1/87 in 19 overs in the first innings. So another box ticked by England. No wickets against the new ball.
- Zak Crawley 26 (26)
- Ben Duckett 14 (16)
Brendan Doggett to Zak Crawley, Loud appeal for LBW from the Aussies but the umpire shrugs it away. Good length around middle and leg, shaping back into the batter. Zak Crawley gets beaten on the inside and the ball hits Zak high on the front pad. Doggett has a look at Steve Smith who straightaway indicates that it was a bit too high.
Brendan Doggett to Zak Crawley, Beauty from Brendan Doggett. In the channel around the fourth stump line. Zak Crawley prods in front to block but the ball shapes away and Zak Crawley is beaten on the outside.
Weatherald impressed in only his second Test, hitting 12 fours and a six before falling to Jofra Archer, while Labuschagne’s composed 65 ended with a nick to Ben Stokes. Steve Smith looked set for a big score but was caught by Will Jacks off Brydon Carse, who also dismissed Cameron Green in the same over. Alex Carey remained unbeaten on 46, providing a steady finish alongside Michael Neser.
England’s bowlers struggled with discipline, conceding 51 boundaries and dropping four catches, though Carse’s short-ball tactics sparked a brief revival. Travis Head managed 33 before tea, showing restraint after his explosive century in Perth.
England resumed on 325-9, with Joe Root guiding them to 138, adding nine more before a diving Labuschagne catch ended a 70-run last-wicket stand. Mitchell Starc led the earlier bowling effort with 6-75.
Weatherald and Labuschagne praised the Gabba’s atmosphere, highlighting the enjoyable conditions. With Australia in control, Day 3 promises a tense contest as England looks to exploit the lights and shift momentum in this pivotal Ashes clash.
Match Statistics
Venue
The Gabba, Brisbane
