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2nd Ashes Test, PHOTOS: England finally fire but Australia in charge

Last updated on: December 04, 2017 17:18 IST

Images from Day 3 of the 2nd Ashes Test played between Australia and England in Adelaide on Monday

Scorecard

Steven Smith

IMAGE: Craig Overton appeals for Steven Smith’s wicket. Photograph: CA/Twitter

England finally got the pink ball to swing on the third night of the second Ashes Test on Monday but it still looked too little, too late and Australia will go into day four on 53 for four with a lead of 268 runs.

 

Australia skipper Steve Smith elected not to enforce the follow-on after the tourists had been dismissed for 227, a first-innings deficit of 215, and probably rued his decision as England attacked under the Adelaide Oval lights.

Australia's Nathan Lyon dives full length as he completes a catch to dismiss England's Moeen Ali during the third day of the second Ashes cricket Test match at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on Monday

IMAGE: Australia's Nathan Lyon dives full length as he completes a catch to dismiss England's Moeen Ali during the third day of the second Ashes cricket Test match at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on Monday. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

James Anderson led the way with the wickets of Cameron Bancroft (four) and Usman Khawaja (20) while Chris Woakes removed David Warner with a delivery that moved off the seam and got an edge to fly to Joe Root in the slips.

England's Jonny Bairstow avoids a short delivery from Australia's Pat Cummins 

IMAGE: England's Jonny Bairstow avoids a short delivery from Australia's Pat Cummins. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

That the usually free-scoring Warner took 60 balls to eke out 14 runs was an indication of the tough conditions and captain could have followed vice-captain in the following over when Smith was given out lbw for a three-ball duck.

For the third time in two days, though, Anderson was denied an lbw decision by the DRS system with tracking suggesting the ball had pitched fractionally outside leg.

Smith only survived to make six runs before he was given out lbw to Woakes and this time there was to be no reprieve from the technology.

Australian players celebrate as England's captain Joe Root walks off the ground after being dismissed on the third day of the second Ashes cricket Test match at the Adelaide Oval

IMAGE: Australian players celebrate as England's captain Joe Root walks off the ground after being dismissed on the third day of the second Ashes cricket Test match at the Adelaide Oval. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon survived to the end of the day and will resume with Peter Handscomb. Both were three not out.

Lyon had earlier taken 4-60 as he and Australia's pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood combined to humble England's top order and build on the 442-8 declared the hosts had accumulated in their first innings.

England, 1-0 down in the five-match series after a 10-wicket defeat in Brisbane, had resumed on 29-1 only to lose James Vince for two in the second over.

Desperate for a decent partnership to bolster the top order, expectations were high when Root came out to join Alastair Cook in the middle.

Australia's Steve Smith (right) takes a catch to dismiss England's Alastair Cook off the bowling of Nathan Lyon

IMAGE: Australia's Steve Smith (right) takes a catch to dismiss England's Alastair Cook off the bowling of Nathan Lyon. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Root made just nine before he got a thick edge to a Cummins delivery, however, and Cook departed for 37 prodding at a Lyon tweaker with Smith gobbling up the catch at first slip.

Dawid Malan got a life when he successfully referred an lbw decision but made his exit for 19 when he got a bit of glove on another snorter from Cummins soon after England had reached the hundred mark.

Woakes and debutant seamer Craig Overton (41 not out) put on 66 for the eighth wicket but once the former departed for 36, the writing was on the wall.

Off-spinner Lyon had removed Moeen Ali for 25 with a brilliant leaping catch off his own bowling and Starc followed suit to remove Jonny Bairstow (21) and Woakes, making it three caught and bowleds in a row.

Source: REUTERS
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