England almost reclaimed the Ashes after
reducing Australia to 7 for 241 before bad light stopped play on day two of the
fourth Test at Trent Bridge.
Adam Voges was 48 not out and Mitchell Starc was yet to score when play
was halted on day two, with Australia still trailing England by 90 runs.
England is eyeing a win that would give the hosts an unassailable 3-1
lead in the five-match series and see them regain the Ashes.
All-rounder Ben Stokes had the impressive figures of 5 for 35 from 16
overs, his second five-wicket haul in his short Test career after he took 6 for
99 against Australia in Sydney in January last year.
"We're in an unbelievable position," Stokes said in an
interview.
"The crucial thing is that we go out tomorrow and make sure we
don't have to get the pads on. Their tail wagged at bit at Edgbaston so,
hopefully, we can just get the job done."
Stokes admitted he was helped by the conditions at Trent Bridge, which
saw Australia again troubled by swing bowling.
"The ball was swinging so much that I didn't want to be too
predictable," he said.
"I bowled the odd cross-seamer which didn't swing, hopefully making
them think it was going to swing."
Australia had been 113 without loss in its second innings
until Stokes took three wickets for four runs in 13 deliveries shortly before
tea.
With the floodlights on in the final
session, Stokes returned to have wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, leaving a ball that
cut back into him, plumb LBW for 17.
But Voges, on a ground where he
played for Nottinghamshire, held firm with his highest score of the series so
far.
Starc joined Voges late in the session
to help Australia avoid the defeat on day 2.
Australia's openers Chris Rogers and
David Warner had frustrated England with a century stand that was in stunning
contrast to their side's first innings 60 all out in 111 balls - the
shortest-ever completed first innings of a Test match - where they both made
ducks.
Stuart Broad had taken a Test-best 8
for 15, as England caught everything that came its way on the opening day.
But on day two England captain Alastair
Cook dropped Warner at 10.
Ian Bell then dropped a difficult chance
slip chance when Warner had scored 42 but Joe Root held a brilliant catch in
the slip cordon when Rogers was on 47, only for the batsman to be reprieved
when replays confirmed Mark Wood had bowled a no ball.
Rogers and Warner added 113 in 24 overs which was in
contrast to their dismal opening day performance
England All rounder
Ben Stokes proved the value of an all rounder in the team when he started
taking wickets.
After Rogers dismissal, Warner top-edged a pull off Stokes
looped gently to Broad at mid-on.he was at 64.
Warner faced just 74 balls for his
runs, including nine fours and two sixes.
Specialist batsman Shaun Marsh,
brought in to replace younger brother Mitchell, saw his miserable return to
Test cricket continue when he followed a first-innings duck by edging Stokes to
Root in the slips for 2.
Australia was soon 4 for 136 when
star batsman Steven Smith, carelessly drove Broad straight to Stokes at point
and was out for 5.
Australia captain Michael Clarke's bad run continued when,
on 13, he pushed hard outside off stump against fast bowler Wood.
The ball flew straight to Cook at
first slip but he juggled the chance only for second slip Bell to grab the
rebound.
Clarke's exit meant he'd passed 25
just six times in his last 30 Test innings.
After Nevill fell, Stokes struck
again when Mitchell Johnson (5) nicked a sharply swinging ball to Cook at first
slip.
When the umpires decided conditions
were too gloomy despite the floodlights, England was looking at a second
successive win inside three days after its eight-wicket victory in the third
Test at Edgbaston last week.
Earlier, England extended its overnight total of 4 for 274
to 9 for 391 (declared), having established a massive lead of 331.
Root increased his first day 124 to
130 before he was caught behind off Starc, having batted for nearly five hours
and faced 176 balls, including 19 fours and a six.
Left-arm fast bowler Starc took a
Test-best 6 for 111.
"It's been a tough couple of
days of cricket but we are still alive," Starc said to media.
"We'll come out again tomorrow
and fight as hard as we can. That's the Australian way."
....................
News
Source- AFP/ABC
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