July 21, 2023

Ashes 2023 LIVE updates: England recover after early stumble, Australia on the back foot

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3.44am

Good night

That’s all from me for the night. Thanks for joining me for another entertaining, though one-sided, day of Ashes cricket.

I’ll be back tonight at 7.30 (AEST) for the day three. Let’s hope the rain stays away and we get some play – or not.

Have a great Friday!

3.43am

Stumps

A disastrous day for Australia, who were hammered by a dominant England and may have lost Mitchell Starc to injury.

England are in a commanding position at stumps on the second day, reaching 4/384 off only 72 overs in reply to Australia’s 317. The lead is already 67 with plenty of batting to come for England.

The day started with Pat Cummins falling first ball, and got spectacularly worse for the captain and his team.

This was Cummins worst day as captain. He had no answer for England’s powerful hitting and aggressive strokeplay. He dropped two catches, appeared rattled with his decision-making. It would not be a stretch to say the situation overwhelmed him.

The move to drop Todd Murphy and play Cameron Green looks a shocker at this stage, though Green can still vindicate selectors if he can make a big score in the second innings to save the game.

A bad day somehow got worse for the visitors in the final session when Mitchell Starc left the field with a shoulder injury after landing awkwardly in the field. Starc had earlier clutched his left hamstring though managed to bowl afterwards.

The star of the day was Zak Crawley, who put behind him a modest Test and first-class record to crunch a career-defining 189 off only 182 balls. His knock turned the game, and perhaps the series as well.

Crawley and Joe Root shared a series-high 206-run partnership in rapid time, which left Australia reeling.

Rain appears Australia’s only saviour – and the good news for the visitors is the forecast is bleak for tomorrow and Saturday. I won’t go as far as saying we will get two washouts, but I’m not expecting much play either.

3.30am

Last over for Marnus

Marnus Labuschagne gets the honour of bowling the final over on a wretched day for Australia.

Who can forget his wicket late on the final day of the Old Trafford Test in 2019 when they retained the urn for the first time in England since 2001.

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3.25am

Weather forecast

To better news for Australia – here’s the forecast for the remaining three days of the game.

Friday: Cloudy changing to heavy rain by late morning – 18 degrees.Saturday: Light rain – 17 degrees.Sunday: Light rain changing to partly cloudy by night time – 19 degrees.

3.18am

England playing for stumps

The fireworks appear to have stopped. Ben Stokes and Harry Brook have put the shots away. They want to get to stumps still only four down, so they can launch another blitz tomorrow with two frontline batters.

3.11am

Starc leaves again

Mitchell Starc’s coming off again. He collected a ball in the deep but could not throw it. There wasn’t much point in him being on the field if he couldn’t throw.

This is a disastrous day for Australia

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3.08am

Starc back on the field

Mitchell Starc is back out there. He’s rolling the arm over in the field, but looks in clear discomfort, grimacing with every revolution.

Full credit to Starc for being out there with such a grim scoreline. He’s still up for the fight.

3.01am

Another injury scare for Starc

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. Mitchell Starc has hurt his left shoulder diving in the field. He’s leaving the field for treatment. It’s insult to injury on a wretched day for Australia.

There were already injury concerns over Starc, who was holding his left hamstring – though it did not prevent him from bowling afterwards.

2.44am

WICKET – Root bowled by grubber

Joe Root misses out on a century. He’s been bowled by a near grubber from Josh Hazlewood for 84 off 95 balls.

The joy for Australia in ending Root’s damaging knock will be tempered by the prospect of more misbehaving deliveries when they bat in the second innings, probably with a three-figured deficit.

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2.40am

Crawley and Root top series partnership list

The 206-run stand between Zak Crawley and Joe Root is the highest partnership of this series – and by a considerable margin.

The next best is the 155 runs Travis Head and Mitch Marsh put on in the first innings at Headingley. At that point, Australia were in a strong position to wrap up the series – but it’s been all downhill since then.

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