It was an absorbing second session with England doing well to remove both Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne after both reached their 50s as the bowlers toiled hard. Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes picked up the wickets as Australia made steady progress as well. With the score reading 228/3 and trailing by 106 runs, the match is set up nicely and the night session will give us an indication as to where this match is likely to go.
Jake Weatherald falls to Jofra Archer but Australia make steady progress in the first hour after Tea
Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne resumed proceedings for Australia while Jofra Archer had ball in hand for England. Archer started things off nicely. Gus Atkinson took the ball from the other end. He too bowled a tight over. Archer continued and bowled a tight over. Atkinson continued as Weatherald stood tall on top of the bounce and cut it past backward point for a boundary.
Archer continued as Weatherald hung back and cut it past backward point for a boundary. But Archer hit back and broke the budding stand as he removed Weatherald for 72 off 78 balls with 12 fours and one six to his name. Archer delivered a scorching toe crusher that swung back in and got hit on the front boot. It was plumb and the finger went up. The DRS was not even considered. Captain Steve Smith came out to bat next.
Atkinson continued and kept things tight. Archer continued as Smith got off the mark with the 150 coming up for Australia in 27.2 overs. Labuschagne managed to get a triple. Atkinson bowled another maiden over. Archer continued and bowled a tight over. Atkinson bowled another maiden over. Archer continued as Labuschagne broke the shackles by taking on Archer as he went for the pull shot to get a top edge over deep fine leg for the maximum.
Carse continued and overstepped as well as the Aussies were milking him for fun. Smith got his first boundary in the innings as he got across and flicked it away right of mid-on for a boundary. Archer continued as Labuschagne got onto the back foot and lifted his front leg to swivel it away with a pull to fine leg for a boundary as he became the first batter to score 1000 runs in Day-Night Test matches. Australia reached 175/2 in 34 overs with Labuschagne on 46* off 65 balls alongside captain Smith on 12* off 21 balls as we paused for the Drinks Break.
Ben Stokes removed Marnus Labuschagne while Australia makes steady progress to Dinner Break
Brydon Carse continued after the break as Labuschagne tried to drag a pull shot and got a top edge over the keeper for a boundary and reached his fifty off 67 balls his 25th Test fifty. Ben Stokes came back into the attack as Labuschagne punished him with a pull past deep fine leg for a boundary. Carse continued as Labuschagne pressed back swivelled and pulled it to deep fine leg for a boundary. Marnus got a triple as the 50-run stand came up between the duo.
Ben Stokes struck for England as the captain removed Marnus Labuschagne for 65 off 78 balls with 9 fours and one six to his name as the ball that came back in got the outside edge when Labuschagne went to cut as the keeper took a regulation catch. Cameron Green came out to bat next. He got off the mark with a boundary as the ball sliding down the leg side was helped on its way for a boundary as the 200 came up for Australia in 38 overs. Carse continued as Smith got hit on the elbow and was in pain as the physio came out and treated him.
Smith managed to get a triple to get off strike upon resumption of play. Stokes continued as Green prod forward and drove it to beat diving extra cover for a boundary. Carse continued and bowled a maiden. Stokes continued as Green played it with soft hands to get the outside edge past second slip and away to the deep third man fence. Carse continued as Green managed to get a triple.
Ben Stokes had ball in hand for the final over before Dinner Break. Smith managed to get a triple to get off strike while Green got a full toss wide outside off-stump as he sliced Stokes off the outer half of the bat to deep third man for a boundary to end the over and the session. Steve Smith is batting on 24* off 43 balls with one four to his name while Cameron Green is on 22* off 25 balls with 4 fours to his name. 12 extras given by England as Australia go into Tea at 228/3 in 44 overs.
England bowlers toiled hard with Jofra Archer picking up a wicket as he has 1/38 in 12 overs. Ben Stokes picked up Labuschagne as he has figures of 1/64 in 11 overs. Brydon Carse has figures of 1/78 in 11 overs. Gus Atkinson has figures of 0/30 in 9 overs while Will Jacks bowled an over for 9 runs.
What Lies Ahead in Night Session
England have pegged things back a little bit as Australia made decent progress as well getting to 228/3 in 44 overs meaning they now trail by 106 runs with 7 wickets in hand. The next session will be 2.5 hours under the lights and will be a testing phase for the Aussies. England will fancy their chances of making inroads. No one has a definite advantage at this stage and the night session will give us an idea as to where we are at.
An absorbing extended session comes our way soon.
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