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Australia's captain Ricky Ponting, left, stands despondently ahead of his dismissal. Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images
Australia's captain Ricky Ponting, left, stands despondently ahead of his dismissal. Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images

England find their fire and fury against Australia

This article is more than 14 years old
England 425; Australia 156-8, need 70 more to avoid the follow-on

Australia are on the back foot, fighting for survival in the second Test as the England pace bowlers tore their way through their batting order. All day a blanket of cloud lay over Lord's, bringing rain showers with it – sufficient to drive the players from the field for around an hour – but also the climatic conditions through which the ball can carve its curved path. It swung, not prodigiously, but enough to make those who can manipulate the ball lick their lips and know that, at last, there could be some payback due for all the flat decks endured.

These are the conditions in which the attack leader Jimmy Anderson stands tall. The Nursery End is his territory now, the better to set a swing bowling action and use the slope and prevailing wind to his advantage, and in two spells, he removed first Phillip Hughes, then, not without controversy (but with justice served nevertheless) Ricky Ponting. With the third delivery of his second spell, he claimed Michael Clarke too, who clipped straight to short mid-wicket just as England hoped he would.

Graham Onions claimed the adhesive Simon Katich with the aid of Stuart Broad's stunning tumbling boundary catch at long leg, and Andrew Flintoff bowled Mike Hussey, who had no stroke to offer a straight ball shortly after completing a half century. That left Australia reeling at 111 for five, and facing an uphill struggle to avoid the ignominious possibility of following on.

Further inroads came when Marcus North dragged a wild pull on to his middle stump in attempting to get off the mark, Mitchell Johnson hooked straight to the man set on the boundary for him and Brad Haddin mistimed a pull to mid-wicket. Six wickets fell for 49 in a shade over 15 overs in the final session before bad light, or rather the shadows from the new Lord's floodlights, suspended play with Australia 156 for eight, still 70 short of avoiding the follow-on. More rain arrived directly and with leaden skies away to the west, further play never looked possible.

Earlier, the England innings, precarious overnight at 364 for six, reached more adequate heights of 425, thanks largely to a last-wicket romp between Anderson and Onions that produced 47 unlikely runs, before Mitchell Johnson had Anderson caught, small consolation for his dismal bowling. His terse epithet to the departing batsman could be readily answered by pointing him in the direction of bowling figures that read three for 132 from just short of 23 overs.

Andrew Strauss, who had batted all the previous day for 161, faced only two deliveries, from Ben Hilfenhaus, the second of which swung sharply into him and pegged back his off stump as he too offered no stroke. If it was unfortunate for Strauss, then it was a portent for batting travails throughout the day.

Curiously, England might have done better, though. Flintoff stampeded in from the Pavilion End and hit the bat like a piledriver, but generally bowled a yard too short. The ball flying past the bat looks spectacular but does not produce the wickets he should be taking. Broad too might benefit from being more attritional, while Onions strays too readily from the fuller length that his bowling demands.

Broad and Onions claimed wickets with bouncers but in both their cases the short ball should be used sparingly and as a surprise. Batsmen will not always be as obliging as the Australians were. With the ball for once doing the master's bidding, patience and persistence, rather than variety, were the requirements.

For the second time in the series, but without quite roughing him up as Flintoff had in Cardiff, England got rid of Hughes cheaply, first by starving him of his productive square slash, and then, through good fortune as he followed Anderson's long hop and gloved faintly to Matt Prior.

It brought Ponting in to face the new ball, and Anderson, moving it sharply in to him from a full length, got his man. In real time, the ball appeared to hit him almost full on the boot, and Anderson screamed his lbw appeal. Meanwhile the ball had deflected to Strauss at first slip who caught it on the full.

The umpire Rudi Koertzen had decided that Ponting had edged on to his pad, his only concern whether the ball had carried. This was confirmed by the third umpire, and, to his obvious disgust Ponting had to go. Replays showed that his concern about the mode of dismissal was justified in that his bat had hit his boot but not the ball. Hawk-Eye, on the other hand, whose reliability on marginal lbws is questionable, had the ball hitting halfway up the centre of leg-stump which is less debatable. Either way Ponting was out.

For much of the final session, England were without Kevin Pietersen, who appears to be hampered once more by the achilles tendon condition that has caused concern. Although he reappeared shortly before the teams left the field, his survival throughout the series must be questionable. All the cortisone allowed him has gone now.

More on this story

More on this story

  • Jimmy Anderson arrives with a cloudburst to stun Australia

  • In the stands veterans of Ashes series past relive old battles

  • Ashes: England v Australia - day two as it happened

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