Summary

  • England close on 278-4, 138 runs behind Australia

  • England lose three wickets playing shots against short balls - falling from 188-1 to 222-4

  • Duckett falls for 98, hooking bouncer to fine leg

  • Root, who was reprieved by Green no-ball on 1, lobs up catch to square leg

  • Pope caught on boundary playing rash shot on 42

  • Brook dropped by Labuschagne after pulling a Cummins bouncer

  • Australia spinner Lyon goes off limping with apparent calf injury

  • Duckett & Crawley put on 91 for first wicket - England's best Ashes opening stand since 2013

  • Australia bowled out for 416 - losing last seven wickets for 100 runs

  • Smith brings up 32nd Test hundred, off 169 balls, before being dismissed by Tongue

  1. Eng 251-4published at 51 overs

    The 250 comes up for England as Pat Cummins loses his line with a bumper, it sails down leg, pas Alex Carey and away for four byes.

    Ben Stokes gets a couple with a punch through the covers and then keeps strike with a single through point.

    And what's this? I think the bouncer barrage is over! Travis Head is coming on to bowl some spin!

  2. Postpublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Matthew Henry
    BBC Sport at Lord's

    BrookImage source, Reuters

    I’m not sure what the crowd makes of England’s tactics. The occasional leave gets applause and there are groans when Harry Brook has a swipe. They’re happy when he smacks one for four though.

  3. Postpublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    England are playing with fire.

  4. Postpublished at 17:53 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    You would back a fielder of the quality of Marnus Labuschagne to catch that.

  5. dropped catch

    Brook dropped on 25published at 50.1 overs

    Eng 244-4

    Harry Brook takes on the latest Pat Cummins bouncer, thumps it to square leg... but Marnus Labuschagne drops the catch!

    He really did middle it, it went very quickly and I'm not even sure if Labuschagne got a hand to it - the ball just bounced off his wrist/ forearm!

    Let off for Brook and England.

  6. Eng 243-4published at 50 overs

    Harry Brook gives himself room and thumps Cam Green into the gap on the off side for three.

    After that it is a fairly standard - what even is that anymore? - over of Test cricket as Ben Stokes blocks and leaves for the rest of the over.

  7. Postpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Given all the runs Joe Root has scored for England over the years - even already in this series - you feel you have to allow him the odd error in judgement.

    But this did feel like a particularly needless dismissal...

    Media caption,

    Smith's catch removes Root for 10

  8. Postpublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    This is getting pretty graphic for England...

    Graphic showing England dismissals
  9. Postpublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    That's the most orthodox shot we have seen for about an hour and a half.

  10. Eng 240-4published at 49 overs

    The over ends with Ben Stokes being hit by a bumper from Pat Cummins. It hits him on the right bicep but the England skipper just shrugs it off.

    Despite that, it feels like there is finally some semblance of calm returning to the match.

    Stokes nailed the ball through mid-wicket for four the previous delivery and there was even a fuller delivery bowled to Harry Brook earlier in the over.

    It may just be a brief period of calm before the madness returns but it's something!

  11. Postpublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    With Harry Brook on strike anything could happen.

  12. Eng 233-4published at 48 overs

    With Ben Stokes looking to wait out the short stuff, the field changes ever so slightly.

    Cam Green still ends the over with a bouncer but it didn't take long for Australia to change their approach - with the field, at least - when an England batter finally decided against taking on the bumpers.

  13. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    HazlewoodImage source, Reuters

    Astie Bolton: Relentless short balls and waiting for England to lose a wicket isn't entertaining (if you're English). BazBall or not.

  14. Eng 232-4published at 47.2 overs

    The next one is a legal delivery but Harry Brook shuffles leg side to give himself room and heaves it over mid-wicket for four!

    Similar approach next up from Brook, Cameron Green goes full and the ball is a whisker away from leg stump.

    There is something happening every ball!

  15. Eng 228-4published at 47 overs

    Cameron Green - who started this whole bouncer ploy - is back on and starts with a no-ball.

  16. Postpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Jim Maxwell
    BBC Test Match Special

    England have got Australia back into this game by throwing away some wickets in this last hour.

    It seems sacrilegious at the Home of Cricket to see this sort of baseball tactic being deployed. And it is not a successful one at the moment.

  17. Eng 227-4published at 47 overs

    Another leave from Ben Stokes to another Pat Cummins bouncer.

    It was very high once more but we may just be seeing a different approach from Stokes.

    Harry Brook has shown little sign of wanting to back down, though...

  18. Eng 227-4published at 46.3 overs

    Is the captain going to be the one to decide enough is enough and just try to see off the short stuff?

    Possibly. He leaves the latest bumper from Pat Cummins. But it was very high so reaching it would have taken some doing.

  19. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 17:34 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Absolutely pathetic cricket from England to constantly fall for these Aussie tactics that are so obvious on a pitch that isn’t doing much after they’ve just lost their main spinner. Baffling.

    Alex, Bromsgrove

    Muppets. Australia are there for the taking. Lyon is possibly out of the game, if not the series. Why give them a chance?

    Chris in South Croydon

    There's an old saying in sport, that you should always do what your opponent does not want you to do. Australia want England to keep hooking these short balls.

    Mark, Manchester.

  20. Postpublished at 17:33 British Summer Time 29 June 2023

    Pat Cummins brings himself into the attack and joins in with the bouncer barrage. Well, the field suggests he will anyway.