Starc strikes and lightning strikes as England toil again – second Test day two
The tourists are up against it.
England Ashes prospects took another hammer blow in Adelaide as Australia outmatched them with bat and ball on day two of the day/night second Test.
The home side piled on 473 for nine as they kept England’s weary bowlers in the field for more than 150 overs, then declared just in time to make use of the prime bowling conditions under the floodlights.
Out-of-form opener Rory Burns lasted just three balls as he nicked a beauty from Mitchell Starc and Haseeb Hameed followed with a tame dismissal off Michael Neser’s second delivery in Test cricket to leave the tourists 17 for two when rain and lightning rendered conditions unplayable.
Labuschagne in the pink
Marnus Labuschagne reeled off his third century in five day/night Tests, with a knock of 103 stretching his average to a vertiginous 84.57 in the youthful format. Nobody else comes close. His career batting mark after 20 caps also ticked upwards again to 62.48, enough to regain second place on the all-time list. The man who sits to top? The great Donald Bradman and his remarkable average of 99.94.
Bolts from the blue
Magic number
The Woakes conundrum
View from the dressing room
Cummins and goings
