Ashes, 5th Test: Smith, Cummins hand Australia a slender lead
Australia scraped their way through to 295 on Day 2 of the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Kennington Oval in London. Steve Smith was the star as he scored a valiant 71, while Pat Cummins and Todd Murphy added some valuable runs which handed Australia a lead of 12 runs in the first innings. Notably, England were bowled out for 283.
Khawaja's touch of resilience in his 47-run knock
Khawaja played a very timid brand of cricket after he resumed on day two. He has been brilliant in this Ashes series for the visitors but his blockathon of 157 deliveries came to an end when Stuart Broad dismissed him. Khawaja fell three short of his 24th Test fifty. Currently, he is the highest run-getter of this Ashes with 424 runs at 47.11.
A valiant knock from Smith
Smith, once again was the lone warrior for Australia as wickets kept tumbling around him. He finally got support from Cummins and they added 54 runs together. Overall, this was his 38th Test fifty and his 12th fifty against England. His 123-ball 71 showcased grit, character and tenacity to bat against the odds. Playing his 102 Test, he has amassed 9,266 runs at 58.64.
First Englishman to scalp 150 wickets in the Ashes
Before this match, Stuart Broad needed one wicket to reach the milestone of 150 scalps in The Ashes. He reached there when he dismissed Usman Khawaja and became the first English cricketer to do so. He remains behind Shane Warne (195) and Glenn McGrath (157) in terms of Ashes wickets tally. Broad finished with 2/49 as he also removed Travis Head right after Khawaja.
Marsh completes 1,500 runs in Test cricket
Mitchell Marsh required 12 runs to reach the milestone before this match and he scored 16. After making his debut in 2014, Marsh has never managed to cement his place in the team. However, his comeback was crucial in this Ashes. Overall, he has compiled 1,504 runs in 35 Tests at an average of 27.85. He was dismissed by veteran pacer James Anderson.
Woakes finishes with a crucial three-fer
Woakes struck on day one as he claimed David Warner's wicket. He returned on day two and toiled hard and ultimately finished with figures of 3/61. It was only when Smith tried to attack him, that he got a leading edge which was safely collected by Jonny Bairstow. Lastly, he trapped Murphy right in front of the stumps to break the 49-run partnership.
Summary of Day 2
Australia resumed their quest on day two at 61/1 with Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne playing a very defensive cricket. With both players gone, followed by Head, Marsh and Alex Carey, England gained momentum after lunch and were eyeing a lead. But Smith, Cummins and Murphy's indomitable spirit pushed Australia ahead. Eventually, they folded for 293, securing a 12-run lead at stumps on day two.
