Ashes 2013: England dominate Australia in second Test at Lord's

Graeme Swann

England took a major stride towards retaining the Ashes as Australia's batsmen self-destructed on day two of the second Test at Lord's.

Australia were largely to blame for their own demise as they crashed to 128 all out in reply to England's 361, with Graeme Swann taking 5-44.

On an extraordinary day when 16 wickets fell, England stuttered badly at the start of their second innings, losing Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen cheaply to close on 31-3.

However, with a lead of 264 and seven wickets in hand, England will remain confident of batting a demoralised Australia out of the match and all but guaranteeing a 2-0 lead in a five-match series which the tourists must win to reclaim the Ashes.

Australia's paltry total was their lowest at Lord's since 1968, thanks to a batting display littered with errors.

Chris Rogers, Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes fell to reckless shots, while Ashton Agar - their hero in the first Test at Trent Bridge - was needlessly run out.

Just as they had in their 14-run defeat last week, Australia also made woeful use of the decision review system: Shane Watson and Hughes failed with referrals that were not even close to being overturned and Rogers opted not to review when the umpire's lbw call would have been overturned.

Amid the mayhem, Swann collected the first five-wicket haul by an England spinner in an Ashes Test at Lord's since Hedley Verity in 1934.

Australia's implosion began on the stroke of lunch after a last-wicket partnership of 48 between Swann and Stuart Broad helped England add 72 to their overnight 289-7.

Watson, who had found the boundary six times to reach 30, planted his front foot, missed the ball and was lbw to Tim Bresnan.

After the interval Rogers fell for 15 in extraordinary fashion when, in attempting to lash a high Swann full toss into the stands, he was struck on the box. Swann appealed sheepishly and umpire Marais Erasmus raised the finger.

Wary of using up Australia's last review, Rogers did not deploy the television umpire but was probably regretting his decision by the time he reached the dressing-room and saw replays showing the ball missing leg stump by some distance.

Hughes took a wild swipe at Bresnan and was pouched by Matt Prior, and Khawaja tried to smash Swann over the top but spooned to Pietersen, who had time to back-pedal from mid-off and take a simple catch.

Swann followed up with the wicket of Steve Smith, who was surprised by a ball that spat out of the rough and fended a catch to Ian Bell at short leg.

The prize wicket of Michael Clarke went the way of Stuart Broad, who pinned back the Australia captain with a full delivery that struck him on the pad in front of leg stump.

Australia's comedy of errors delivered a whole new chapter just before tea when Brad Haddin fended off a short one from James Anderson and Agar set off for a single.

Haddin did not move and wicketkeeper Matt Prior raced to short fine-leg and threw to the non-striker's end, where Anderson took off the bails to comfortably run Agar out.

There was no let-up after tea as Haddin thrashed at Swann and edged to slip before Peter Siddle opened the face to steer Anderson to Swann.

Australia's last-wicket pair added a plucky 24 before Swann completed the rout and his five-wicket haul when Pietersen held on to a skier from Ryan Harris.

The tourists' misery was compounded when England - 233 in front - began their second innings, Joe Root edging Harris between wicketkeeper Haddin and Clarke at first slip.

But there was still time for a twist in a hitherto one-sided narrative as Cook and Trott played on to Siddle in successive overs.

Pietersen fell to an awful shot, failing to move his feet towards a wide, full delivery from Siddle and slapping it straight to point.

Bresnan, who was dismissed off the first ball of the day by Harris - the seamer finished with 5-72 - was pressed into nightwatchman duties as he and Joe Root survived until the close.

Match scorecard

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