Ashes 2015: Australia reach tea with David Warner leading the charge as joint-fastest Ashes half-century reduces England lead to 82
Tea: Both Chris Rogers and Steve Smith falls with few runs on the board
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Your support makes all the difference.England's lead against Australia had been reduced to 82 runs by tea on the second day of the Third Investec Test. But the match continued to move on apace as the tourists took their second innings to 73 for two.
The crucial wicket of Steve Smith ten minutes before the break was perhaps the key moment of the afternoon session. In no apparent danger, Smith pulled an innocuous short ball from Steve Finn off the top edge and was caught by the wicketkeeper, Jos Buttler.
David Warner played in a typically rumbustious fashion and was on 56 from 37 balls with nine boundaries. The ball continued to move around, though somewhat less alarmingly than it had on the first day. Warner’s brief seemed to be close the gap between the sides as quickly as possible and he was assertive against all bowling.
Chris Rogers was the first Australian to depart, stuck on the crease to a fast straight ball from Stuart Broad and given out lbw.
England stretched their first innings lead to 145 thanks almost entirely to an improbable eighth wicket stand of 87 between Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad. Moeen made his second half century of the series with a series of flowing drives, most of them played against Mitchell Johnson who had produced two searing bouncers earlier in the day to dismiss Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes.
His innings of 59 came from 78 balls and contained 11 fours. But England then lost their last three wickets for four runs.
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