Second Ashes Test – Lord's – Day 2 Roundup

Ashes Test 2009 Day Two Lords

After an inauspicious start to the day, the England Cricket team now find themselves firmly in charge over the Australian visitors at the end of the second day’s play at Lord’s.

England’s hero from the first captain Andrew Strauss, was out the second ball of the day to a delivery from Ben Hilfenhaus hitting his off-stump. Strauss had amassed a total 161.Wickets fell in each of the next two overs with Graeme Swann (4) and Stuart Broad falling for 16 to Peter Siddle and Hilfenhaus respectively. Then Anderson returned with another cameo batting performance in which he contributed 29 runs to a last wicket stand of 47 ,England having had somewhat of a mini collapse  losing wickets in each of the three opening overs. England were eventually dismissed for 425 all out in the morning session.

England  fast bowler James Anderson then took centre stage when he struck with the third ball of his second over. Phillip Hughes gloved an attempt to  hook  to Matt Prior behind the stumps. He then captured the important wicket of  the innings when Australia captain Ricky Ponting was controversially caught at first slip by Andrew Strauss for two. Anderson's original shout for lbw looked a good, however  umpire Rudi Koertzen, after consulting his colleague Billy Doctrove, ruled that Ponting had been caught. By now Anderson was bowling from the Nursery end with pace, aggression and late movement he then took four for 36 from 17 overs, supported most ably by the born again Andrew Flintoff.

For the first time ever at a Lord’s test match ,the floodlights were switched on  and for once with the rain coming to the Aussies aid  with the help of two rain they eventually reached 87 for two at tea with Simon Katich on 40 and Michael Hussey on 37.The left-handers continued after the break in an unaccustomed cautious manner, Hussey being the more adventurous, playing with fluent drives and deft flicks of the bat. The pair made a steady if unspectacular progress  to advance the Australian total to 103, when Stuart Broad took a hugely impressive  diving catch at fine-leg off Graham Onions to dismiss Katich for 48. Flintoff took a piece of the action by bowling Hussey for 51 and Michael Clarke (1) caught by Alastair Cook at short mid-wicket off Anderson.

Cook took two further leg-side catches off mistimed hooks from Mitchell Johnson (4) and Brad Haddin (28) and Australia were in deep trouble at the close. Pace bowler James Anderson had produced probably  his best bowling for England to date against Australia to help restrict the visitors to 156 for eight. and when play was called off for bad light, Australia still needed 70 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Australia have not lost a Test at the headquarters of world cricket since 1934, but a revitalised England bowling attack had humbled the cream of the Australian batting order to put them in a dominant position on the second day of the 2009 Ashes test at Lords. However you can never write off the Aussies and there are still three days to go and the hosts will have to keep their wits about them. The 2009 Ashes, is proving to be every muchh as enthralling as the  2005 Ashes, promising many more twists and turns before the famous Urn is presented to the winning team .