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Day 2 of the second Ashes cricket Test held a lot of promise for Australia, with Smith and Rogers resuming play in a dominant position.
Chris Rogers fell early however, an inside edge chopping onto his pads, then stumps, making his new highest Test score 173.
Michael Clarke was unable to get started, a few scratchy shots getting his score to seven, before a pull shot off Wood went straight to Gary Ballance at square leg.
>> Ashes: Australia’s pace the difference
Adam Voges and Steve Smith finished out the end of the first session, grinding their way to 3/424 at the lunch break.
Moeen Ali opened the bowling for the middle session, with Cook looking to try and mix it up in an attempt to make a breakthrough.
Alastair Cook’s tactic succeeded, with Voges nicking an outside edge to Buttler, sending him back to the sheds for 25.
This brought Shane Watson’s replacement, Mitch Marsh, to the wicket. He was looking fairly promising, but that was short-lived, Marsh chopping on after only making seven.
This brought on Peter Nevill’s Test debut, looking to keep putting on runs with Smith. They kept the runs ticking over, and Steve Smith was getting closer and closer to his double ton, finally making the milestone with a boundary off Ali, and becoming the first Australian since 1938 to make 200 at Lord’s.
Smith and Nevill really put the foot down after making his double ton, looking to make quick runs before the inevitable declaration.
A somewhat anticlimactic wicket ended Smith’s innings at 215, being caught LBW by Root, attempting a reverse slog sweep.
Smith was sent off with a standing ovation, making the second highest score by an Australian at Lord’s, only being pipped by Bradman’s 254.
Nevill departed shortly afterwards, spooning a ball from Joe Root to Ali at long-off, ending what was a very impressive debut innings of 45.
It took a little while for them to get set, but Mitchells Starc and Johnson kept pushing the total past 550, going to tea at 7/562.
Stuart Broad opened the final session of the day and struck on the last ball of the first over, with Johnson mis-timing a shot to long-off, and being caught by Anderson.
This was the catalyst for Australia’s declaration, leaving Starc not out on 12, and finishing the Australian innings at 8/566.
Starc opened the Australian attack, and struck almost instantly, with Lyth edging the second ball to Nevill, giving him his first catch in his international Test career.
Balance and Cook started to stabilise, until Johnson was brought on in the ninth over, a yorker crashing into the bottom of Balance’s off-stump, sending him packing for 23.
Josh Hazlewood struck the very next over, clean bowled by a late, out-swinging half volley which punched into the off-stump.
England was in serious trouble, and it was looking like Root would again have to save their innings, but he only lasted four balls, a faint outside edge carrying to Nevill off Johnson, compounding England’s woes, having lost four wickets for only 30 runs.
Johnson’s bowling this innings was reminiscent of the 2013-14 this Test, taking 2/5 off his first two overs.
Hazlewood was looking just as dangerous, utilising the late swing he was generating to strike uncertainty into the English batsmen, who had made a number of inside edges across the stumps a number of occasions already.
It came to Stokes and Cook to try to salvage a respectable chase, putting on a partnership of 55 runs at the end of Day 2.
In a session dominated by superb Australian bowling, Stokes and Cook played admirably to try and resurrect their chances for a second win.
However, they’ve got a massive task ahead of them, and one of them will more than likely need to bat through the innings to give England a chance at posting a decent total.
England will resume at 4/85 on Day 3.
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