Ashes 2023: Smith and Labuschagne exits gives England hope of staying in contention

Key wickets late within the day helped put England in with an opportunity of staying in rivalry within the Ashes sequence of their must-win second check, Australia ending day two on 116-4 with a second-innings lead of 142.

More heroics from captain Ben Stokes single-handedly acquired England inside 26 runs of Australia’s first innings whole after a big-hitting 80, the hosts skittled out for 237.

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With England struggling on 142-7 at lunch, Mark Wood got here in after the restart and acquired a quick-fire 24 off eight balls to take the hosts slightly nearer to Australia’s whole, with Stokes wanting on in disbelief down the opposite finish.

The quick bowler was then caught after one slog too many to provide Australia skipper Pat Cummins his first five-wicket haul in England, earlier than Stokes took on the big-hitting mantle, passing 50 with an enormous hit.

While England’s scoring fee within the morning session was uncharacteristically gradual, Stokes ensured the runs continued to move, regardless of fighting the knee harm that plagued his pre-Ashes build-up.

Earlier, on his house floor, Joe Root edged via to the slips off the second ball of the day with out including to his in a single day rating of 19, earlier than one other Yorkshireman, Jonny Bairstow (12), was out moments later.

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Back-to-back sixes took Stokes previous 6,000 check runs earlier than he lastly fell for 80 to convey an finish to England’s first innings, trailing Australia by solely 26 runs, due to their captain.

Despite dropping the early wicket of David Warner for one, to Stuart Broad for the seventeenth time within the veteran bowler’s check profession, Australia in management and coasting in direction of producing a commanding lead.

But a budget wickets of skilled duo Marnus Labuschagne (33) and Steve Smith (2) dragged England again into the match, earlier than first innings centurion Mitchell Marsh steered Australia via to the shut of one other thrilling day of Ashes motion.