England went so close to recreating their Ashes heroics of Headingley four years, led by Ben Stokes’ scintillating 155 runs off 214 balls on the final day, but fell agonisingly short.
Australia clinched victory in the second Test at Lord’s, winning by 43 runs and establishing a 2-0 lead in the series, meaning England must win the final three matches to take the urn.
Steve Smith dusted off his Edgbaston cobwebs to star with the bat on his way to 110 runs that set the Aussies on their way on day one, while the visitors also punished England with the ball in hand.
There was furore on the final day as Usman Khawaja and David Warner clashed with members in the Long Room after Alex Carey’s dismissal of Jonny Bairstow that forced the MCC to apologise.
Below, Mail Sport‘s Lawrence Booth examines how each player performed at Lord’s.
Australia have won the second Ashes Test at Lord’s after beating England by 43 runs
England players enjoyed a mixed Test embedded with a variety of high and low points
England
Zak Crawley 6
Batted beautifully in the first innings for 48 until he went walkabout against Nathan Lyon. Undone by a casual leg-side flick in the second.
Ben Duckett 8.5
Ended concerns that he couldn’t hack it against Australia’s quicks with highly assured knocks of 98 and 83. Twice fell down the leg side to the short ball, but generally judged that delivery well.
Ollie Pope 5.5
Had Australia at his mercy on the second evening, before setting the tone for England’s kamikaze approach to the short ball, but got a beauty from Starc 48 hours later. Dropped Warner in the slips on the first morning.
Joe Root 5
Got sucked into the short-ball madness, when he had the chance to calm England down, and was brilliantly worked over by Cummins in the second innings. Removed Head and Green in the same over, and later pulled off a blinder at short leg to see off Head.
England skipper Ben Stokes gets a well-deserved 9 rating after his super batting performance
Ben Duckett was solid as England opener and fell just two runs short of his first Ashes century
Harry Brook 5
Looked worryingly frenetic against the short stuff, and it was galling for England that he persisted with high-risk strokeplay on the third morning. Cleaned up by Cummins second time round.
Ben Stokes 9
Scored one of the great fourth-innings centuries to conjure up memories of Headingley 2019 – but was left with too much to do. Also bowled a heroic 12-over spell of bouncers on the fourth afternoon, virtually on one leg.
Jonny Bairstow 5
Began the Test by carrying a Just Stop Oil protestor off the field, then chipped to mid-on in the first innings, before wandering out of his crease in the second – a dismissal that went down as a stumping off Green. Also conceded 27 byes.
Stuart Broad 6.5
Not at his best on the opening day, when conditions were in his favour, but drew on his competitive instinct to snaffle four second-innings wickets. May still be chuntering about Stokes’s refusal to review his lbw shout against Labuschagne, but got stuck in with the bat to add 108 with his captain.
Ollie Robinson 7
His pace was a fraction down, but he still finished with five wickets and at times bowled superbly with little luck. His spell of 9-6-7-2, bowling bouncers on the fourth afternoon, showed his versatility.
Josh Tongue starred with the ball on his Ashes debut as he clinched vital Australia wickets
England batsman Ollie Pope had Australia at his mercy on the second evening at Lord’s
Josh Tongue 7.5
A seriously promising Ashes debut. His five wickets were Warner and Smith twice each, plus Khawaja. Two Lord’s Tests this summer have brought him 10 at 25.
Jimmy Anderson 4
Match figures of two for 117 added to the suspicion that all is not well for England’s leading wicket-taker. Dropped two catches as well, and generally looked off the pace. Hard to imagine he’ll play at Headingley.
Australia
Usman Khawaja 7.5
Underlined his status as the batsman of the series so far by top-scoring in Australia’s second innings with 77 in often tricky conditions. England, though, will have noted his slight discomfort against the short ball.
David Warner 7
Two important contributions from a player who faces constant scrutiny. His first-innings 66 even contained a couple of Bazball-style heaves, and his second-innings 25 protected the middle order under grey skies for 107 minutes.
Australia’s Cameron Green (right) started England’s first-innings collapse by removing Pope
Marnus Labuschagne 6
Not at his best, and fortunate that England decided not to review Broad’s lbw shout, but still made 47 and 30. Played arguably the worst shot of the game, amid stiff competition, when he flat-batted Anderson to point.
Steve Smith 9
Was back to his inevitable best during his first-innings century, which set the game up for Australia. His second-innings dismissal to the short ball was at witless as any of England’s. Relieved that his drop of Stokes did not cost Australia the Test.
Steve Smith was back to his best with the bat as he scored 110 runs in Australia’s first innings
Travis Head 8
Punished a lethargic England on the first day with a 73-ball 77 before charging at Root, but looked less at ease against the bouncers second time round. Picked up a couple of tailend wickets in Lyon’s absence.
Cameron Green 5
Still looks a place too high at No 6, but kickstarted England’s first-innings collapse by removing Pope, and allowed Australia to persist with their short-ball tactics.
Alex Carey 6
Made a couple of unfulfilled 20s, and was easily bounced out by Broad in the second innings. But his keeping, after nine dismissals at Edgbaston, remained immaculate – even if most of Lord’s felt he diddled Bairstow.
Mitchell Starc 7.5
Went for runs, but took big wickets, including five different members of England’s top six. The ball which bowled Ollie Pope in their second innings was one of the champagne moments of the Test.
Australia’s Alex Carey was the villain on the final day at Lord’s after dismissing Jonny Bairstow
Josh Hazlewood (pictured) was expensive with the ball but took the crucial scalp of Stokes
Pat Cummins 7
Broke open England’s second innings during a magical over in which he removed Root and Brook. Just one win away from becoming the first Australian captain to win a series in England since Steve Waugh in 2001.
Nathan Lyon 6.5
Ended Crawley’s fun on the first day, then suffered a heartbreaking calf injury that may have ended his Ashes. His decision to hobble out to bat was either brave or foolish – but he did pull Broad for four.
Josh Hazlewood 7
Went for nearly five an over, making this the most expensive Test of his 61-match career. But he kept popping up with big wickets: Duckett twice, Bairstow in the first innings, then Stokes in the end, all but clinching the match for Australia.
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