The Ashes: Australia extend unbeaten run at Lord's (since 2013)
Australia beat England in the 2nd Ashes 2023 Test at Lord's, London, on July 2. The visitors successfully defended 370, bowling England out for 327. A scintillating century from England captain Ben Stokes (155) went in vain as the match went down to the wire. Steven Smith's century in the first innings followed by a 77-run knock by Usman Khawaja powered Australia's win.
How did the match pan out?
Australia compiled 416 after England elected to field. Smith slammed 110(184), while David Warner and Travis Head recorded half-centuries. England responded strongly (325), with Ben Duckett (98) and Harry Brook (50) contributing to their batting. Khawaja was the only half-centurion in Australia's second innings (279). Stuart Broad took four wickets. Duckett and Stokes kept England alive in the chase, but they fell short.
Australia's run at Lord's
Australia continue their unbeaten run at Lord's, the Mecca of Cricket. They are yet to lose a Test on this ground in nearly a decade. The 2019 Ashes Test at Lord's resulted in a draw. Australia defeated England by 405 runs during the 2015 edition. Notably, Smith recorded scores of 215 and 58 in that match. England last defeated Australia at Lord's in 2013.
Another century for Smith
Smith extended his purple patch in whites as he scored a century on Day 2. He tackled the red cherry with precision and ended up scoring 110 off 184 balls (15 fours). Meanwhile, this was Smith's 12 Ashes ton and 32nd overall in the format. He shared a 102-run stand alongside Marnus Labuschagne. He then added 118 runs for the fourth wicket with Head.
Smith equals Steve Waugh
This was Smith's 32nd Test century as he equaled his compatriot Steve Waugh in this regard. Ricky Ponting (41) is now the only Aussie with more Test tons. Meanwhile, no other active cricketer has more Test tons than Smith. Joe Root trails the Australian in this regard with 30 hundreds. Notably, Smith also has 37 fifties in the format.
Second-fastest to 9,000 Test runs; 15,000 international runs
Earlier in his innings, Smith became the second-fastest to 9,000 Test runs, having taken 174 innings. He is only behind Kumar Sangakkara, who took 172 innings. Smith also crossed the 15,000-run mark in international cricket, becoming the 41st batter to get the feat. He became the ninth Aussie batter to get the feat. Only Warner owns more international runs among active Australian players.
Another achievement unlocked!
Smith has become the fourth batter to score four consecutive fifty-plus scores at Lord's in Test cricket. Smith, who went past 50 on Day 1, continued his fine run at this venue. As per Cricbuzz, Smith has equaled the likes of Frank Woolley (1921-1926), Warren Bardsley (1912-1926), and Nasser Hussain (2001-2002) for four successive 50-plus scores at this venue.
Second-most Test wickets on a ground
England pacer James Anderson took two wickets during the match. By taking his 118th wicket at Lord's, he broke Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan's record of taking the second-most Test wickets on a single ground. Anderson achieved this feat by dismissing Australian pacer Mitchell Starc on Day 2. Muralitharan took 166 Test wickets came in Colombo and 117 wickets in Kandy.
Broad takes a four-fer
Anderson's compatriot Broad starred for England in the second innings. The latter was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as he finished with 4/65. The Aussies were bundled out for 279 but they had set a massive target of 371 for England. Notably, Broad scalped a solitary wicket in the first innings. He has raced to 593 wickets in 164 Tests.
Fifties from Warner, Head
Australian opener Warner punched his way with a defining 66-run knock on Day 1. It was his 35th half-century in Test cricket. In the second innings, Warner completed 2,000 Test runs against England. Head played a similar knock, having scored a fiery 73-ball 77 on Day 1. He clocked his 15th Test fifty and surpassed 500 Test runs in England.
Another 50+ score from Khawaja
Opener Khawaja set the tone for Australia's second innings. He held his end despite losing partners. After a brilliant performance at Edgbaston, he impressed with a patient 77-run knock from 187 deliveries Khawaja slammed his 23rd Test fifty and his fifth against England. His last seven scores in Test cricket read 77, 17, 65, 141, 13, 0, and 180.
A quickfire century from Stokes
Skipper Stokes joined opener Duckett in the middle after England were reduced to 45/4 on Day 4. The duo added a century stand to take England past 170 in the first session today. However, England lost both Duckett and Jonny Bairstow in quick succession. Stokes didn't slow down and brought up his 13th Test century off 142 balls.
Three maximums to reach three figures
Stokes was batting at 62*(126) when Bairstow departed. He smoked 46 runs off just 21 balls thereafter to get to his century. Stokes struck three successive maximums against Cameron Green to complete his ton. Stokes after losing Bairstow: 1, 1, 0, 4, 4, 0, 0, 4, 1, 0, 0, 1, 4, 6, 6, 6, 1, 4, 2, 0, and 1.
Twin fifties for Duckett
Duckett saved England from a batting collapse. While chasing 371, the hosts were reduced to 45/4 on Day 4. However, Duckett was solid amid the chaos at the other end. He played some solid strokes for fours. Duckett smashed 83(112) before falling prey to Australia's bouncer barrage on Day 5. The England opener missed his century by two runs in the first innings (98).
Duckett's exploits at Lord's
Duckett is yet to be dismissed for a score below 50 at Lord's. In four innings at this venue, the dashing batter has three 50+ scores. In the second innings against Ireland, Duckett returned unbeaten (0*) as the target was just 11.
