LONDON (AP) — The table was set perfectly for England.
Toss won and Australia sent in on a grassy strip at Lord’s. Light drizzle just before play started in the second Ashes test made the air even more humid. The skies were leaden enough for the floodlights to stay on all day Wednesday.
The two highest wicket-takers at Lord’s could fire the first shots.
This was as good as it gets for England. A dream.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad produced swing and nicks off the bats of Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja but they were dropped.
The waterfall of wickets expected by England — and Australia — didn’t materialize and the Australians, after enduring the tough morning and Just Stop Oil protesters, posted a remarkable 339-5 by stumps.
Steve Smith, booed when he walked in and politely clapped when he walked off at stumps, led Australia’s charge with an unbeaten 85. Alex Carey was on 11.
Smith anchored century stands with Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head after Warner and Khawaja frustrated England in the morning.
“An amazing day for us,” Labuschagne said. “Could’ve been three down (by lunch). You’re going to take that (339-5) when you get sent in on a wicket that we thought had a fair bit in it.”
Josh Tongue, making his Ashes debut, became the first England bowler to bowl out Australia’s opening batsmen since 1968, and the first at Lord’s since 1884.
But the bowling decayed on a slow pitch. Anderson conceded only 29 runs from 15 overs without luck but England conceded 36 extras, including 12 no balls.
Another concern was No. 3 batter Ollie Pope, who injured his right shoulder making a stop after lunch and didn’t return to the field. England said he was receiving ice treatment.
England dropped Moeen Ali to be without a specialist spinner or spin-bowling allrounder for only the second time in 20 years, and needed part-timer Joe Root’s two late wickets in one over to revive some hope.
But Root contributed to England’s woes in the morning when he dropped a laces-high catch of Khawaja off Anderson.
Pope at fourth slip had made an even bigger mess by dropping Warner on 20 off Broad, who missed claiming Warner a 16th time.
Warner’s mood was already lightened just five minutes after the match began when two climate activists ran onto the field to try and spread orange powder on the pitch. Neither got close.
One was tackled by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, who carried the man on his hip 50 meters back to the boundary, and the other was corralled away from the pitch by Stokes and Warner and captured by stewards.
What little orange powder fell in the outfield was quickly vacuumed. Bairstow changed clothes and play resumed within five minutes.
But the tension was gone and Warner was playful. He had his eighth fifty in England by lunch.
Khawaja’s bat was frequently beaten and he’d made 17 in the stand of 73 when Tongue, on the stroke of lunch, hit Khawaja’s off stump while the Australian shouldered arms.
Khawaja was stunned, as was Warner when his leg stump was bowled by Tongue after lunch on 66. Warner slashed eight boundaries. On 1,999 runs in Ashes history, Warner will have to wait until the second innings to become the 18th Australian to reach 2,000.
Despite being the fourth seamer, Tongue was 5-10 mph (8-16 kph) quicker than his fellow pacers. He beat the openers by pace and swing.
“I was trying to wobble it away from the bat and (Robinson) said, ‘Why don’t you try and get the ball coming back into (Khawaja)?’” Tongue said. “I was trying to do the same to David. Listening to the lads, it was a very good ball.”
Labuschagne and Smith combined for a stand of 102 in stark response to sharing a total of 35 runs at Edgbaston last week in Australia’s two-wicket win. Australia captain Pat Cummins expected a big comeback from his two best batters and they delivered at almost 5 an over.
Both batters overturned leg before decisions against them. After their ninth century stand in tests, Labuschagne was out to a good ball by Ollie Robinson for 47.
In the last 10 tests at Lord’s, the side which batted first was bowled out for under 200. Australia reached 200 only three down.
Head took just 64 balls and 14 boundaries to overhaul Smith on 72. Head is vulnerable to the short ball at the start of his innings but England didn’t challenge him, and his fifty off 48 balls was the third fastest by an Australian at Lord’s.
He had 67 runs of the 100 partnership with Smith and was out shortly after on 77 from 73 balls when he swished at Root and was stumped.
Cameron Green was the only Australian to give away his wicket when he sliced Root in the same over and was out for a duck.
Carey joined Smith, who passed 9,000 runs, the fourth Australian after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. By stumps, Smith was grinding towards his 32nd century.
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