England vs Australia LIVE: Cricket scorecard and Ashes updates ...
Stuart Broad struck twice early on day two, including removing David Warner, as England look to skittle Australia at Edgbaston
Hazlewood on Day 1 of Ashes: 'We'll stick to our guns and not get dragged into England's different brand of cricket'
Stuart Broad sent Edgbaston into raptures by continuing his stranglehold over David Warner then snaring Marnus Labuschagne first ball as England made a dream start to day two of the first Ashes Test.
Warner endured a torrid time against Broad in the 2019 series, dismissed seven times in 10 innings, and the Australia opener was sent on his way again by his bete-noire after dragging on to his stumps. The noise went up another level when Broad found Labuschagne’s outside edge and Jonny Bairstow produced an excellent catch diving to his right as Australia slid to 29-2 on Saturday morning.
England captain Ben Stokes, whose fitness issues meant he was considered a doubt to bowl at all in this series, then trapped the prize man of Steve Smith lbw as Australia fell to 78-3 at lunch, in response to the hosts’ 393-8 declared that had been set up by Joe Root’s masterful century on Friday.
Follow the score and latest updates from Edgbaston below:
Usman Khawaja and Jonny Bairstow share a chuckle as the wicket-keeper spies the Australia batter eyeing up a heave at a floated tempted from Moeen, Khawaja eventually thinking better of it and dead-batting the full ball down. I fancy Bairstow’s eyes briefly lit up, too.
Moeen cleverly changes his length as Khawaja charges but the batter adjusts equally well to shuffle outside off and cover the line.
Large! Travis Head is on the offensive as Moeen gives it some air, skipping down and bothering the beverages of the fans in the fourth row beyond the long-off boundary.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:30
A wave of a lonely Australian flag is about all the fanfare received as an Usman Khawaja jab through midwicket brings up the 50 partnership. The ship has been steadied though, with these two now looking for a period of smoother sailing.
Hang on - Travis Head fends at an Ollie Robinson short ball and England fancy there might be glove involved, challenging Marais Erasmus’s not out decision. It appeared to be right off the arm guard to me, but Ben Stokes sends it upstairs for a look...
Not out! Yep, flush off the protective material on Travis Head’s right forearm. Not England’s best review, but it wasn’t the most convincing shot.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:26
Head and Khawaja are just starting to put a bit of pressure back on Moeen Ali, who had been twirling away quite comfortably before lunch. Another of those aesthetically pleasing lofted straight drives earns the former four as the partnership ticks up to 47.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:21
Ollie Robinson is never short of accuracy, and is now such a smart bowler, but he’s probably been the least threatening of England’s seam quartet today, with this pitch perhaps not suiting his preferred MO of nip off the seam. He’s asked to pick up where Broad left off, banging away back of a length and shorter, and Travis Head is through his stroke much too soon with Robinson’s lack of gas evident.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:18
Ollie Pope is in tight at silly mid-off as Moeen begins his next, buzzing away like an insect on the end of Travis Head’s nose. Head lets his bat do the talking, first launching Moeen back over his head with elan as Australia bring up their 100, and then rocking back to punch four through cover to make it eight from the over.
Time for a change - Stuart Broad is given a breather, with Ollie Robinson recalled.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:14
England are going to try and go after Travis’s Head, Stuart Broad again putting plenty of energy into his bouncer barrage. He has to, of course, with the pitch still docile. Ben Stokes is probably England’s best bouncer bowler in this side but I’m not sure his knee could quite take the sort of battering that would be required to deliver an extended spell of short stuff.
The Broad of 15 years ago might have been just the man for a challenge but his doorman days are long behind him, and he oversteps trying to force a bouncer through. Head has plenty of time to set himself and tug it to fine leg for one.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:10
After 15 balls trapped on eight, Travis Head takes the proactive route, twice departing his crease in Moeen’s over. He slightly cramps himself but has the quick hands to still whip up over mid-on for a one-bounce four, and two more are taken between the two boundary riders out in the leg side.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:06
And there’s the half century for Australia’s opener, with six fours and that maximum in Moeen Ali’s last over. He’s averaging more than 66 since coming back into the side during the last Ashes, and this has been the best he’s looked in England that I can recall, despite some uncertain footwork early on.
He’ll know he needs to kick on, but Khawaja looks so comfortable in this side now, which is really heartening after some pretty rough treatment earlier in his career.
(Getty Images)
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:04
Usman Khawaja is unhurried as he waits within sight of 50, content to play conservatively as Stuart Broad probes. A shorter one does fluster him, but Khawaja’s wave lands some distance short of the fine leg fielder.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 14:02
Travis Head is content to negotiate Moeen from the crease. Seven from the over.
Harry Latham-Coyle17 June 2023 13:57
