Ashes 3rd Test Day 3 AUS 136, 265, ENG 281, 124/2

End of test report: England have beaten Australia by eight wickets to win the third Ashes Test with two days to spare at Edgbaston.


The hosts now have a 2-1 lead in the five-match series going into the fourth Test at Trent Bridge.





England were set a target of 121 to win the match on day three after bowling Australia out for 265, and they reached their target before tea.

The home side did not get off to the best of starts at the crease when captain Alastair Cook was dismissed for just seven by Mitchell Starc with five overs bowled.


They were two wickets down seven overs later as Adam Lyth was sent packing lbw for 12 by Josh Hazlewood. The out-of-form batsman opted to review the decision, but replays left no doubt.


Ian Bell and Joe Root then struck up a winning partnership for England, with some dynamic shots from both men putting the Aussies on the back foot and keeping them there.


Bell raced to his 50, while Root kept him company with some similarly aggressive batting before the win was sealed.


Bell finished the second innings with an unbeaten knock of 65, with Root ending on 38 not out as England won the third Test in an Ashes series for the first time since 1981.



Lunch report: England have been set a target of 121 to win the third Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston.


The tourists, who started the day on 168-7, were bowled out for 265 during the morning session before the hosts reached 4-0 at lunch.


With Australia looking to build a competitive lead, Peter Nevill's resistance at the crease was ended early on when he was caught by Jos Buttler off the bowling of Steven Finn for 59.

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc both dug their heels in as they tried to boost Australia's advantage, but they were eventually dismissed for 11 and 58 respectively as England cleared up the Aussie tail.


Starc was the first to go when he was sent back to the pavilion by Moeen Ali, while Hazlewood followed seven overs later as Ben Stokes struck.


Alastair Cook and Adam Lyth then negotiated two overs before the break to keep England in a commanding position.

Ashes 3rd Test Day 2 AUS 136 & 168/7, ENG 281

Stumps report: A devastating bowling display from Steven Finn has swung the third Ashes Test in England's favour following the second day at Edgbaston.


The seamer ended with figures of 5-45 after tearing through Australia's batting lineup during the final session of the day.


Starting the evening session on 73-2, Australia lost five more wickets by the close of play to leave them on 168-7 - a second-innings lead of 23 runs.

Michael Clarke's slump with the bat continued in the 17th over when he was caught by Adam Lyth off the bowling of Finn for 10.


Finn then struck again with his very next ball, this time dismissing the helpless Adam Voges for a golden duck when Ian Bell claimed the catch.


The seamer's day got even better six overs later as Mitchell Marsh was sent packing for six to leave the Aussies floundering on 92-5.


David Warner dug his heels in at the crease as Australia's main source of resistance during the final session, but England eventually got him out for 77 when James Anderson and Lyth combined.


With everything going the home side's way, their mood was soured soon after Warner's dismissal as Anderson was forced off the pitch with a side injury. The England and Wales Cricket Board later confirmed that the bowler would be assessed overnight.


England's spirits were lifted again not long after, though, with Finn claiming his fifth wicket when Mitchell Johnson was caught by Ben Stokes for 14. Peter Nevill (37 not out) and Mitchell Starc (seven not out) will resume out in the middle for Australia on Friday.



Tea report: Australia lost the wickets of Chris Rogers and Steve Smith as they started their second innings of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston this afternoon.


However, opener David Warner did provide some resistance towards the England bowling attack ahead of the tea interval on what is only day two.


Earlier in the session hosting England had been bowled out for 281 in their first innings, which meant that when Rogers and Warner returned to the crease, their side trailed by 145 runs.

Rogers did not last long, though, as he was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad for six, leaving his side on 17-1.


But, the loss of his partner appeared to spur Warner into form and the 28-year-old went on to equal the Australian record for quickest ever half-century in an Ashes Test when he reached that figure in 35 deliveries.


During that time the world's number one batsmen Smith (8) was caught by Jos Buttler after he had wildly lashed Steven Finn's bouncer into the air.


That brought Michael Clarke (2) to the crease and he remained unbeaten alongside Warner (56) when the interval was called with the Aussies 73-2, trailing by 72 runs.





Innings report: England have been bowled out for 281 runs on day two of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston this afternoon.


As a result, touring Australia will begin their second innings with a deficit of 145 runs after they had been bowled out for just 136 inside 37 overs yesterday afternoon.


By lunch today, the hosts had opened up an 82-run lead with Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad at the crease, although both batsmen had been tied down by the spin of Nathan Lyon.


However, after the restart, the England pair started to put runs on the board at a rapid rate and they shared a partnership of 87 runs before a miscued shot from Broad found the hands of Mitch Marsh for 31.


He was soon followed back to the pavilion by Ali when he was caught by David Warner off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood on 51, with tail-ender James Anderson the last wicket to fall at the hands of Mitchell Starc.



Lunch report: England have moved 85 runs ahead of Australia at lunch on day two of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.


However, the hosts have lost four more wickets to leave them on 221-7 heading into the afternoon session.


Australia landed an early blow as the pace of Mitchell Johnson saw Jonny Bairstow caught behind by Peter Nevill for five, giving Johnson his 300th wicket at Test level.

Johnson struck again just two balls later, this time sending Ben Stokes back to the pavilion for a duck.


With England reeling, Joe Root was helped out by Jos Buttler in trying to steady things up for the home side at the crease. However, having passed the 50-run mark, Root was eventually caught by Adam Voges of the bowling of Mitchell Starc for 63.


Buttler was then sent packing five overs later when the spin of Nathan Lyon got him out for nine.


Moeen Ali (23 not out) and Stuart Broad (10 not out) will resume out in the middle when play continues after lunch.

Ashes 3rd Test Day 1 AUS 136, ENG 133/3

Stumps report: Australia have fought back at stumps on a rain-affected opening day of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.


The tourists were bowled out for 136 inside 37 overs, but they responded to reduce England to 133-3 before play was halted due to the weather.


England began the final session of the day on 7-0 after tearing through the Aussies earlier in the day, though they were soon a wicket down when Adam Lyth was caught by Adam Voges off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood for 10.

With Alastair Cook and Ian Bell looking like they were ready to build a solid partnership at the crease, Michael Clarke turned to Nathan Lyon for inspiration with the ball and he was swiftly rewarded as Lyon and Voges combined to dismiss the England skipper for 34.


Bell managed to reach his half-century, much to the delight of his home fans, but the veteran was sent back to the pavilion just three runs later as Lyon struck again in the 28th over of England's innings.


Joe Root (30 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (one not out) then steered the home side towards the close of play before rain forced an early halt to proceedings.



Tea Report: James Anderson recorded the 18th five-for of his Test career as England bowled out Australia inside 37 overs on day one of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston this afternoon.


The morning session had belonged to the recalled Steven Finn, who claimed two Australian wickets as the tourists were reduced to 72-3 at lunch.





Yet, after the resumption it was all about Anderson, who struck in the second over when a misjudged leave from Adam Voges saw the ball strike the face of his bat, which left Jos Buttler behind the stumps with a routine catch.

That brought Mitchell Marsh to the crease, but the all-rounder lasted just three deliveries as he too fell to the combination of Anderson and Buttler.


The next wicket - Anderson's fourth of the day - came with Australia on just 86. Peter Nevill, who had been selected to keep wicket ahead of the experienced Brad Haddin, appeared to be expecting an outswinging delivery, but the ball kept straight and cleared out his stumps.





Wickets then continued to tumble as Mitchell Johnson played a loose drive from a tempting Anderson delivery straight into the hands of Ben Stokes with just three runs to his name, before opener Chris Rogers's resistance was broken on 52 when he was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad.


Having claimed his wicket of the innings, a second quickly followed for Nottinghamshire bowler Broad. Mitchell Starc had contributed 11 runs when he feathered one through for Buttler to grasp.


The final say would go to Anderson, though, who finished off the Aussies when he claimed his sixth wicket courtesy of Nathan Lyon, who played on to his own stumps, meaning that the tourists had been bowled all out for 136. As for Anderson, his figures of 6-47 are the best that he has recorded in any Ashes Test.




Lunch report: England have taken three key Australian wickets to leave the tourists on 72-3 at lunch on day one of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.


David Warner, Steve Smith and Michael Clarke have all been dismissed for Australia, with James Anderson and the recalled Steven Finn doing the damage with the ball.





The Aussies were almost a man down inside the opening over, but Warner survived a run-out following some deliberation by the third umpire.

However, the batsman was sent back to the pavilion soon after when he was bowled lbw by Anderson for two. Warner decided to review the decision, though replays proved that the ball had hit his back pad.


It got better for England five overs later as Smith was caught in the slips by Alastair Cook for seven off a Finn delivery in what was the bowler's first over of the morning.


Finn then struck again to put the hosts in a commanding position when he dismissed the helpless Clarke for 10.


Australia were given some respite when both teams were forced off the field of play due to rain, but they were soon back on before Chris Rogers (35 not out) and Adam Voges (12 not out) steered them to lunch.

Women's Ashes 3rd ODI

AUS 241/7 beat ENG 152 by 89 runs - Points AUS 4-2 ENG

A superb performance from Ellyse Perry helped Australia claim an 89-run victory over England as they took a 4-2 lead in the seven-match Ashes series.

The all-rounder made 67 as the hosts posted a daunting 241-7 on a sluggish pitch at Worcester.

Perry then took 2-16, claiming the early wickets of Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor as England fell to 30-3.

The hosts lost their last six wickets for just 29 as they were bowled out for 152, with Kristen Beams taking 3-13.

With a Test and three T20s to follow over the next month, England will need to rectify their batting issues if they are to compete with an increasingly threatening Australian side.

If all those matches are completed, England must win the Test and one T20, draw the Test and win two T20s, or win all three T20s to retain the Ashes.

The ODIs also saw points for both sides given towards the ICC Women's Championship with Australia further extending their lead at the top of the table, while England sit fourth.

Meg Lanning picked up from where she left off in Bristol as the Australia captain once again provided an injection of pace to her side's innings.

Following days of rain, the visitors struggled to 83-1 from their first 25 overs on the slow New Road pitch.

Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy was promoted up the batting order after the fall of Australia's second wicket, Nicole Bolton (40), making a quick-fire 17 off 18 balls before being caught-and-bowled by Heather Knight.

Lydia Greenway top-scored for England with 45

It brought Perry out and her 85-run fifth-wicket partnership with Lanning changed the course of the match.

England vice-captain Knight had spoken of the importance of the hosts taking their chances to get the Australia captain out after the second ODI in Bristol.

However, they failed to learn from their mistakes as a run-out chance with Lanning on five was missed, before Lydia Greenway dropped the 23-year-old on 46.

Jenny Gunn, picked in place of Kate Cross, finally had the right-handed batsman dismissed as she was caught at long-on for an impressive 85.

Perry (67), who had been happy to rotate the strike, attacked the ball more aggressively and reached her seventh 50 in eight innings as Australia posted a daunting 241-7.

And when Edwards was sent back to the pavilion after just two minutes when she was bowled out by Perry, the signs looked ominous for England.

All-rounder Perry picked up her second wicket in as many overs, removing Taylor before the recalled Lauren Winfield was run-out to reduce the home side to 30-3.

Knight (38) dug in before being bowled by Jess Jonassen, having walked across her stumps when attempting to sweep.

Requiring boundaries, Katherine Brunt (31) came out ahead of Natalie Sciver and hit the first maximum in the series, swiping across the line and clearing square-leg off Jonassen.

But, having shared a 51-run fifth-wicket partnership with Greenway (45), the pair perished in consecutive overs as Australia took complete control and finished the match in style.

Women's Ashes 3rd ODI abandoned

The third and final one-day international of the Women's Ashes series between England and Australia at Worcester will now take place on Monday after rain washed out Sunday's play.

The game was scheduled to start at 10:30 BST but persistent rain meant the umpires had to call off play at 13:50.



With ICC Women's Championship points as well as Women's Ashes points at stake, the match now goes into a reserve day.



Weather permitting, a full 50-over game will start at 10:30 BST on Monday.


No toss had been made or teams announced.



The series stands level at 2-2 on points, with a Test and three Twenty20 internationals to follow this game.

Friday's T20 Blast

Quarter-final line-up


Birmingham Bears v Essex
Worcestershire v Hampshire
Kent v Lancashire
Sussex v Northants

Those matches to be played between 12 and 15 August, with the winners progressing to Finals Day at Edgabston on 29 August.




Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire - Match abandoned
Somerset v Middlesex - Match abandoned
Worcestershire v Lancashire - Match abandoned
Essex v Kent - Match abandoned
Glamorgan v Gloucestershire (Glos won by 8 wkts)
Northants v Durham - Match abandoned
Surrey v Sussex - Match abandoned
Yorkshire v Birmingham (Yorkshire won by 8 wkts)

Thursday's T20 Blast

Middlesex v Surrey


Middlesex Panthers have defeated Surrey by 43 runs at Lord's to claim just their fourth victory of the T20 campaign.


Steven Finn starred for the hosts by taking three wickets, as they restricted their opponents to 142-9 in their run chase.


Things got off to a shaky start for Middlesex, as Nick Gubbins fell in the first over on the evening for just six runs at the Home of Cricket.

John Simpson top-scored for his side by reaching 53 before being caught by Zafar Ansari, while Dawid Malan was sent packing in superb style by Jade Dernbach for 23.


James Franklin (41) was the last man to fall, leaving Surrey with a target of 185 to close down.


The visiting side's reply was rather tame at times, with Finn claiming the wickets of Jason Roy (5), Ben Foakes (6) and Ansari (17)


Kumar Sangakkara piled on 32 runs for Surrey, but defeat was inevitable after the middle order struggled to make an impact, ensuring that their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals came to an end.




Hampshire v Somerset


Yasir Arafat took four wickets as Hampshire beat Somerset by six runs to book their place in the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast at The Ageas Bowl tonight.


The hosts set a target of 143 as opener Michael Carberry proved the stand-out performer at the crease with a knock of 57.


James Vince (24) and an unbeaten 21 from Gareth Berg helped contribute to Hampshire's innings, which saw them lose seven wickets, with Max Waller taking three of them.

Arafat came to the fore early on in the visitors' innings, limiting them to 35 runs in the opening half-hour by dismissing Adam Hose (20) and Jim Allenby (35).


Will Smith helped restrict Somerset's fluency by removing Peter Trego (10) and Tom Cooper (27).


Arafat then sent Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton packing with a combined 29 between them as Somerset finished on 137-8.

Women's Ashes 2nd ODI

Meg Lanning hit a stunning century as Australia beat England to level the Women's Ashes series at Bristol.

Lanning's 104 came in 98 balls and included 13 fours as she laid the platform for Australia's 259-6.



England's openers put on 92, but once Heather Knight (38) and Charlotte Edwards (58) were parted the hosts collapsed.



They lost their last seven wickets for 40 runs, being bowled out for 196 - Megan Schutt taking 4-47.

Ex-England spinner Holly Colvin on BBC Test Match Special:
"England will look at this one in depth. They've got a couple of days before Sunday, they'll look to train hard and come back with real intent at Worcester. Amy Jones was an odd choice for me at four, Lauren Winfield has been doing brilliantly in the Championship and averaging 200, although she's been opening the batting there."

Having lost the first of the seven-match Ashes series in Taunton on Tuesday, the Southern Stars fought back impressively to claim the two points and draw themselves level.


With the final ODI in Worcester on Sunday, England will look to claim a slender lead before the Test and three T20s.


After Australia's top order failed in Taunton, Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton made slow but steady work of the first powerplay, reaching 38-0 after 10 overs.


Lanning, who fell for a duck in the first ODI, came to the crease with her side well set on 103-2, and looked every bit the batting talent that earned her the accolade of women's cricketer of the year in May.


Driving and sweeping the ball to the ropes to perfection, the 23-year-old reached her 50 off 58 balls, before accelerating.


A drop behind the stumps by Sarah Taylor earned Lanning a reprieve on 72 as she went on to complete her sixth ODI century - just three behind counterpart Edwards, who has played 149 more matches.


At the other end, Ellyse Perry (48), searching for a record seventh consecutive half-century, was able to milk easy singles.


And, despite the Southern Stars losing 4-22 from 3.2 overs at the end of their innings, Lanning's brilliance helped them post 259-6.


Victory for England would have required a record chase and although they started well, an exceptional piece of fielding from Lanning saw Knight run out for 38.


Edwards, who made her 45th ODI half-century, looked primed for a ton of her own but with the hosts having reached 122-1 off the first 25 overs then suffered a dramatic collapse.


The accusation that England's middle order struggle when their top order have failed to fire certainly looked accurate.


Megan Schutt's selection, having been brought in as an extra pace option at the expense of spinner Kristen Beams, proved to be the difference as she took 4-47, including the vital wicket of Edwards.

Women's Ashes schedule
Date	Game	Venue	Winner	Pts available
21 Jul	1st ODI	Taunton	Eng (4 wkts)	2 (Eng 2-0)
23 Jul	2nd ODI	Bristol	Aus (63 runs)	2 (2-2)
26 Jul	3rd ODI	Worcester	-	2
11-14 Aug	Test	Canterbury	-	4
26 Aug	1st T20	Chelmsford	-	2
28 Aug	2nd T20	Hove	-	2
31 Aug	3rd T20	Cardiff	-	2

Wednesday's T20 Blast

Birmingham v Northamptonshire


Birmingham Bears have moved back to the top of the T20 Blast North Group courtesy of a thrilling one-run victory over Northants Steelbacks at Edgbaston this evening.


The visitors, who would have qualified for the quarter-finals with a victory, won the toss but elected to field first, which appeared to be a bad decision when the Bears raced to an opening partnership of 57.


Brendon McCullum finally fell having made 26, while Tom Lewis added 16 more to the total before also being sent back to the pavilion by Steven Crook.

The Northants bowler then got his third wicket of the night when he removed Varun Chopra for 52, and Laurie Evans followed not long after to leave Birmingham 128-4.


Rikki Clarke (14), Ateeq Javid (7*) and Jeetan Patel (11*) then added some valuable runs late in the innings to set a target of 155 for the Steelbacks.


Their chase got off to a poor start when David Willey fell for just two off four balls, while Richard Levi (15) and Ben Duckett (4) followed quickly to leave the visitors in trouble on 30-3.


Josh Cobb (21) and Alex Wakeley steadied the innings, however, with the latter finishing not out on 51 off just 42 deliveries.


However, the likes of Crook (9) and Adam Rossington (12) were unable to give him adequate support and, while Rory Kleinveldt weighed in with a late 29 off 11 balls, it wasn't enough as the Steelbacks missed out by a solitary run.


The result means that Birmingham will play their quarter-final clash at Edgbaston.

Women's Ashes 1st ODI

Australia 238-9 (50 overs): Perry 78, Blackwell 58; Brunt 3-48

England 240-6 (45.4 overs): Sciver 66, Greenway 53; Osborne 3-39

England won by four wickets (England 2pts; lead series 2-0)

Natalie Sciver's 66 helped England to a four-wicket win over Australia in the first game of the seven-match Women's Ashes.

Sciver, 22, shared a 122-run fifth-wicket partnership with Lydia Greenway (53) as England chased down 239 in the one-day international at Taunton.



An impressive 78 off 96 balls from Ellyse Perry helped the visitors to 238-9 after Katherine Brunt took 3-48.



England fell to 80-4 in response, before Sciver's highest ODI score handed the hosts victory.



Victory earned England two points, with a further 14 available from the remaining six games in the multi-format series.



The second of three ODIs takes place at Bristol on Thursday, after which the teams play one Test - worth four points to the winner - and three Twenty20s.


Australia replaced Nicole Bolton with Jess Cameron after the opener was ruled out with concussion having been hit on the back of the head by Rene Farrel in the nets on Monday.



The visitors chose to bat first after winning the toss but England's three-pronged seam attack soon made inroads despite a batting-friendly pitch.


Brunt bowled consecutive wicket maidens to dismiss both of Australia's openers as Elyse Velani (18) chipped the ball off her legs straight to Edwards at square-leg before Jess Jonassen bottom-edged the ball into her stumps in the right-arm bowler's next over.



It took just four balls for Kate Cross to claim her first home Ashes wicket as she trapped Meg Lanning lbw to reduce the Southern Stars to 35-3.



However, a 121-run fourth-wicket partnership between Perry and Alex Blackwell helped rebuild their innings with both players earning reprieves through dropped chances.



Heather Knight's excellent run-out of Blackwell for 58 was the first of four in the match as superb fielding from England slowed Australia's push towards a score of 250.



Perry, who passed 1,000 ODI runs when she reached 27 in this innings, finally holed out to Sciver - who took a brilliant catch above her head - for 78 before Alyssa Healy hit a quick 29.



The Australia all-rounder ensure England's response got off to a poor start as she bowled Edwards via a bottom edge for 15.



Knight and Amy Jones fell cheaply, while Sarah Taylor made an entertaining 30 before Osborne (3-35) had her caught behind.



With the pressure on, Sciver and Greenway's relatively chanceless century partnership tested Lanning's captaincy as the 23-year-old regularly rotated her seamers and spinners - to no avail.



After both players fell having passed their half-centuries it was left to Georgia Elwiss (25 not out) to take England home.

Women's Ashes schedule
Date	Game	Venue	Result & points
21 July	1st ODI	Taunton	England won by four wickets
23 Jul	2nd ODI	Bristol	2 points available
26 Jul	3rd ODI	Worcester	2
11-14 Aug	Test	Canterbury	4
26 Aug	1st T20	Chelmsford	2
28 Aug	2nd T20	Hove	2
31 Aug	3rd T20	Cardiff	2

2nd Ashes Test Day 4 AUS 566/8d & 254/2d, ENG 312 & 103

England slumped to a catastrophic defeat by 405 runs at Lord's as Australia levelled the Ashes series at 1-1.

The hosts collapsed after lunch on the fourth day and were bundled out for 103 in just 37 overs, with Mitchell Johnson taking 3-27.



None of England's recognised batsmen made more than 17 runs as Stuart Broad top-scored with 25.



Australia had earlier reached 254-2 declared in their second innings, leaving England to bat 155 overs to save the game.



That they fell so woefully short raises serious questions about the calibre and make-up of a team that only a week ago stunned Australia by winning the first Test in Cardiff by 169 runs.

England's heaviest defeats v Australia (runs)
562: The Oval, 1934 (701 & 327 v 312 & 145)
409: Lord's, 1948 (350 & 460-7 v 215 & 186)
405: Lord's, 2015 (566-8 & 254-2 v 312 & 103)
384: Brisbane, 2002 (492 & 296-5 v 325 & 79)
382: Adelaide, 1895 (238 & 411 v 124 & 143)

And after England's top order once again crumbled, the selectors will surely ponder changes before the series resumes at Edgbaston on 29 July.



For Australia, such a swift and categorical riposte to the defeat in south Wales will bolster their belief that they can pull off their first Ashes win in England since 2001.

Mother of all collapses

The relative calm with which Alastair Cook and Adam Lyth negotiated three overs before lunch offered no indication of the pandemonium that was to follow the interval.



Lyth, Cook and Gary Ballance were all caught behind, the captain to a particularly frivolous swing away from his body.



Ian Bell led a charmed life as he ground out 50 balls for 11 runs before poking forward at Nathan Lyon and popping a catch to short leg.

Daftest dismissal?

The real nadir arrived when the in-form Ben Stokes threw his wicket away in diabolical circumstances.

Stokes was run out for nought after failing to ground any part of his equipment

Running through for a comfortable single, he had made up his ground by the time Johnson's throw shattered the stumps.



Crucially, however, Stokes neglected to slide his bat into the crease and was in mid-air when the ball hit, meaning he had to go.

More turmoil after tea

The tea interval ostensibly gave England a chance to gather their thoughts and steel themselves for a plucky fight to the close.



In theory, but not in practice.



In the space of five balls from Johnson, five wickets had become seven as Jos Buttler nicked behind before Moeen Ali flinched at a bouncer and looped a catch off the splice to short leg.



Broad briefly flung the bat to collect five boundaries but when he chipped Lyon to cover, England were 101-8.



Only two further runs were added before Josh Hazlewood bowled Joe Root and James Anderson in successive overs to send Australia into raptures.

Rogers concern

England's frenzied showing on a placid pitch contrasted with the serenity of Australia's performance in the morning session as they added 146 runs to set England a notional 509 to win.



David Warner made 83 and Steve Smith 58 after Chris Rogers had been forced to retire on 49.

Rogers left the field after feeling unwell when batting

The left-handed opener, 37, suffered a sudden dizzy spell and was escorted to the dressing room, where he rested for the remainder of the match.



Rogers missed two Tests in West Indies in June and was struck on the head by Anderson on the morning of the second day.

What they said

England captain Alastair Cook: "When you get bowled out for 100, it isn't good enough. Australia put us under pressure and we weren't able to deal with it.



"We came up short this week. We have to take this on the chin. Now it's about the character we need to show to bounce back."



Australia captain Michael Clarke: "I couldn't have asked for a better performance.

"We didn't play our best at Cardiff, but now we can look in the mirror and say we played some good cricket here."

Former Middlesex and Durham cricketer turned journalist Simon Hughes had his say

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "Australia couldn't have dominated any more from the moment they won the toss."



Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "Brutal...The changes have worked for Australia...They have looked an energised, ruthless unit."



Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott: "Some of the batting was pretty poor and the attitude to saving the game was poor. We helped Australia blow us away.



"If it was a boxing match we would have got knocked out in the first round. We got knocked down and we stayed down. We never made a fight of it."



Ex-England batsman Ed Smith: "I can scarcely remember an innings where a wicket looked less likely to fall than Australia's innings. I can scarcely remember an innings where wickets looked more likely to fall than this England innings."



Former Australia seamer Glenn McGrath: "Mitchell Johnson looked lethal and England just capitulated. They'll take a lot of scars into the next game."



Actor, writer and presenter Stephen Fry: "The worst thing about England's batting today is that it allows teachery people to use words like "disgrace" and "shameful".

2nd Ashes Test Day 3 AUS 566/8d & 108/0, ENG 312

England face a mammoth task to avoid defeat in the second Ashes Test after Australia turned the screw on the third day at Lord's.

Alastair Cook scored 96 and Ben Stokes 87 as the hosts made an admirable recovery from 30-4, but they were eventually dismissed for 312, still 254 runs behind.



Australia opted not to enforce the follow-on, advancing to 108-0 at stumps to lead by 362.



David Warner, dropped on nought by Adam Lyth in the gully, has 60, while first-innings centurion Chris Rogers is on 44.

The verdict after day three
Pint-sized Ashes: Boycott does Bond

With two days remaining, Australia are strong favourites to seal the victory that would level the series at 1-1 with three Tests to play.



England need to win the series outright to regain the Ashes urn.

Cook the 90s man

Cook anchored England's innings with a typically measured knock, sharing partnerships of 145 with the free-scoring Stokes and 55 with Moeen Ali (39) as the hosts made a significant recovery after Friday evening's collapse.



He was reprieved on 63 when Steve Smith put down a chest-high catch at square leg and appeared comfortably on course for his 28th Test century before engineering his own downfall.

Number of Test dismissals in the 90s
10: S Tendulkar (Ind) (329 innings)
9: R Dravid (Ind) (286 inns); M Slater (Aus) (131 inns)
8: AB de Villiers (SA) (162 inns); S Waugh (Aus) (260 inns)
7: M Hayden (Aus) (184 inns); A Kallicharran (WI) (109 inns); A Cook (Eng) (207 inns)

Chasing the boundary off Mitchell Marsh that would take him to three figures, he overstretched and got a thick inside edge on to his stumps.



It was the seventh time Cook has been dismissed in the nineties, the most by an England player, and only three shy of the least desirable of Sachin Tendulkar's many records.

Marsh takes his chance

In taking two key wickets with his medium-fast seamers, all-rounder Marsh went a long way to vindicating his inclusion at the expense of veteran Shane Watson, who went wicketless in Cardiff.


Marsh, the 23-year-old son of former Aussie batsman Geoff, pulled off an old Watson trick in breaking a crucial partnership when Stokes chopped a ball that moved in off the seam onto his stumps.



When he followed up with the prized wicket of Cook, Australia were into the England tail.

Decisions, decisions

Jos Buttler's innings only lasted 26 balls but still provided two of the day's biggest talking points.

Australia wicketkeeper Nevill claimed the catch but replays showed the ball touched the ground

Australia were convinced they had dismissed him for nine when Peter Nevill claimed a low one-handed catch.



But the umpires called for a TV replay and eventually ruled that Nevill had grassed the ball in the course of taking the catch, leaving Michael Clarke and his team-mates incensed.



Buttler only added four more when he got a faint edge off a ball from Nathan Lyon and chose to walk even before umpire Kumar Dharmasena had raised his finger.

Warner reprieved

England missed the chance to put early pressure on Australia with the ball when Lyth reacted late to a thick edge from Warner off Stuart Broad and only managed to parry the ball to the boundary.



It is the third catch England have put down in that area after Chris Rogers and Steve Smith were both let off on their way to big hundreds in Australia's first innings.



Warner resisted the temptation to reprise his ultimately costly assault on Moeen Ali as he calmly progressed to his fifty off 71 balls, assisting the in-form Rogers in improving Australia's lead.

Stats of the day

• Alastair Cook is the only man to be dismissed three times in the 90s in Lord's Tests
• Cook has been out seven times when between 94-96, more than any other Test player
• Ben Stokes became the 87th Test batsman to be out for 87
• Michael Clarke has had four opportunities to enforce the follow-on and declined each one
• Only five teams in history have batted for 150 overs - the equivalent of five sessions - to save a Test

State of play

Not much rain during playing hours predicted by BBC weather for London on Sunday

With Sunday's forecast fairly settled, expect Australia to bat until lunch or just beyond before putting England in.



Much will then depend on England's brittle top order and whether they can withstand another onslaught from Mitchells Johnson and Starc allied to the relentless accuracy of Josh Hazlewood.



Off-spinner Nathan Lyon will also be gainfully employed, but on a wicket still resistant to turn, he may struggle to make an impact.



England are down, but not out.

What they said

England all-rounder Ben Stokes: "At the moment, we've got to get our head around the fact that we are probably going to have to bat 150 overs to try and save the game. If there's ever a wicket to do it on it's this one. There are no real demons in it, there's not too much pace and there's not too much turn."



Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh: "We've got ourselves in a great position to really drive the game. I'm sure Michael Clarke has a total in mind, but I'm not sure. I imagine it will be around the 450 to 500 mark."



Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott on TMS: "I think it will be tough for England, but I don't think you could get a better pitch than this to try and save a match on. The pitch isn't doing anything, it's straight and true with no great pace or spin. But history shows that it's not easy to do. They key is the top batsmen, if they get knocked over early with the new ball then it's bye-bye England."

Friday's T20 Blast

The Kent Spitfires's push to claim victory in the South Group of the T20 Blast hit a minor snag this evening as they lost by one run to mid-table Glamorgan in Tunbridge Wells.


Glamorgan won the toss and choose to bat, allowing Graham Wagg to shine with 56 off 28 balls as his side posted a competitive score of 179-7 off their 20 overs.


It appeared as though Kent might chase down the runs as Joe Denly went on to produce a standout 70 off 36 balls, before he was dismissed by David Lloyd, leaving the Kent lower order to fall just one short off the final ball of the game.

Elsewhere in the South table, Hampshire secured a well-fought four-run victory over Sussex, while the Essex Eagles dispatched bottom-placed Middlesex with a four-wicket win.


The final game from the league saw Surrey complete a 38-run home win over Somerset, as Jason Roy finished unbeaten with a memorable 122 off 65 balls at The Oval.


In the North Group, the Northamptonshire Steelbacks cruised past the Yorkshire Vikings with a commanding six-wicket victory, as elsewhere the Lancashire Lightning boosted their quarter-final hopes by beating table-toppers the Birmingham Bears by eight runs.


Notts Outlaws also had Riki Wessels to thank on Friday night, as his 97 inspired Nottingham to a dominant 42-run victory away from home against the Durham Jets.


In the final game of the evening, North leaders the Worcestershire Rapids ensured that they kept top spot in the division with a comfortable four-wicket victory against hosts the Derbyshire Falcons.

2nd Ashes Test Day 2 AUS 566/8d, ENG 85/4

England face a fight to avoid defeat in the second Ashes Test after collapsing on the second evening at Lord's.

Replying to Australia's daunting 566-8 declared, they lost Adam Lyth to the second ball as they slipped to 30-4, with Mitchell Johnson striking twice.



Ben Stokes and captain Alastair Cook carried them to 85-4 by the close, 282 short of avoiding the follow-on.



Steve Smith hit 215 and Chris Rogers 173, while Stuart Broad took 4-83, as Australia declared an over after tea.



England lead 1-0 in the five-match series following their 169-run win at Cardiff.

The Ashes 2nd Test Day 1 AUS 337/1

England's bowlers suffered a gruelling first day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's as Australia fought back from their heavy defeat at Cardiff with an imperious batting display.


Chris Rogers and Steve Smith both scored hundreds as the hosts reached 337-1 by the close.


Their partnership of 259 broke an 85-year record for Australia's second-wicket at Lord's, as Rogers made 158 not out for his highest Test score and Smith an unbeaten 129 after David Warner had squandered a promising 38 with a reckless shot.

On a day of few chances - Ian Bell dropped a low Smith edge at second slip - England's bowlers rarely lost their discipline but struggled to pose any consistent threat on a slow pitch offering almost no movement off the surface.

With the tourists now in a position from which to dictate the match, Alastair Cook's men face a major challenge to keep their series lead intact.

An Australia victory would tie the series and put Michael Clarke's side back on track to retain the Ashes.

Australia, who selected Mitchell Marsh and Peter Nevill in place of Shane Watson and Brad Haddin, have not won an Ashes series in England since 2001.

Painful statistics for England

• The last time England only took one wicket in a full day of an Ashes Test was the second day at Headingley in 1993, when Australia went from 307-3 to 613-4
• This is only the second time only one wicket has fallen on the opening day of a Lord's Test, after England made 334-1 against India in 1974
• The partnership between Rogers and Smith broke the previous Australia second-wicket record at Lord's of 231 set by Bill Woodfull and Don Bradman in 1930
• Rogers became the fifth Australian to make 150 at Lord's

Hail the centurions

Steve Smith hit the day's only six off the bowling of Joe Root

Rogers put aside the frustration of scoring seven consecutive fifties without converting a single one into a hundred by batting the entire day.

After surviving an early scare when he edged James Anderson's third ball past Joe Root in the slips, the left-hander used all the experience gained from four seasons at Lord's with Middlesex to punch, nudge and steer his way to three figures.

Opening his shoulders in the dying stages of the day, he peppered the boundaries at the famous arena to add 77 runs in the session between tea and the close, going past his previous Test best of 119.

The verdict after day one
Jonathan Agnew: Lord's Test not a draw yet
5 live's pint-sized Ashes: A summary of the day in two minutes
We expected to take England down - Rogers

Smith justified his status as the world's second-ranked Test batsman with a confident century of his own.

After labouring 111 deliveries for his first half-century, he needed only 50 balls for his second, steaming into the nineties with a straight six off Moeen Ali and bringing up three figures by pulling a tiring Anderson dismissively through mid-wicket for four.

His only false stroke, an edge off Stokes, flew low to Bell at slip. It was a difficult chance, but one which England desperately needed to be taken.

Good batting or bad bowling?

James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowled 34 wicketless overs between them

England's bowlers were always likely to struggle to match the near-flawless display they produced in Cardiff.

But they managed to avoid falling into the trap that caught Australia out in the first Test and remained disciplined throughout the majority of an increasingly frustrating day.

Stuart Broad picked up where he left off in south Wales as he probed on a full length and regularly beat the bat without reward.

Mark Wood took some time to adapt to the Lord's slope but also produced some unplayable deliveries.

James Anderson and Ben Stokes were slightly less consistent and were invariably punished on the occasions they dropped short.

The pitch - be careful what you wish for

At Cardiff, the slowness of the pitch played into England's hands at it nullified Australia's fast bowlers, and provided uneven bounce and movement for the home seamers later in the game.

If, as some suspected, England requested a similar surface at Lord's, the tactic backfired the moment Australia won the toss.

The pitch was equally slow but far truer than the one in Cardiff, allowing the ball to sit up and seemingly beg to be thrashed across the lightning-fast outfield.

"I'm not sure what England can do. They don't have a great spin bowler or a genuine quick bowler, although I'm not sure what impact that would have here," said Geoffrey Boycott on Test Match Special.

"They have got what they wanted, a flat pitch to negate Australia's quicks. They have probably done that but it's not easy to bowl out decent batsmen. That's the other side of the coin."

Wild Warner and the pork pies

Before this Test, David Warner's average in England was 25 compared to a career average of 46

Warner's innings featured a sudden acceleration from first gear to fifth and a humiliating crash landing.

Having taken 25 balls to reach the boundary, he then struck six more fours in his next 16 deliveries, including two off the first two balls of Moeen's opening spell.

Four balls later, the assault continued as Warner aimed another heave into the covers where a grateful Anderson took the catch.

Off trudged Warner, cursing himself, while Boycott quipped that pork pies had more brains than the Australia opener. Sadly for England, Australia's generosity ended there.

What they said

Former England football captain Gary Lineker opts for golf over England misery in the cricket

Australia's Chris Rogers: "It's one of the proudest moments of my career. To get a hundred here is so special. I have a lot of support here, lots of friends."

Team-mate Steve Smith: "That was very important after Cardiff. The pitch was a little bit slow and if you got in you needed to go big.

"I wanted to make it count today and get up on that board. It was about keeping England out there for as long as possible."

England bowler James Anderson: "Hats off to the two guys who made hundreds - they played brilliantly throughout the day.

"They stayed patient, they attacked us when they could and made it really difficult for us to bowl at them for long periods of time and create that pressure."

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott: "I haven't seen anything yet that tells me this won't be good for batting when it's England's turn.

"But there's scoreboard pressure and we don't know if the ball will keep low and turn appreciably as it goes on."

What happens next?

As ever, the first hour on Friday will be crucial. England have a relatively new ball to use and must make early in-roads into the Australian batting line-up.

If they don't, it could be another long day in the field with no respite from the weather, which looks set fair.

If Rogers and Smith get set again, the tourists will be eyeing 600 and putting real pressure on England's batting.

Quick wickets could at least keep England in the game with two debutants to follow Australian captain Michael Clarke and Adam Voges.

Friday's forecast for Lord's from BBC Weather