Lyon vs Lions: England threaten Aus pride
ASHES Australia offspinner’s fourwicket haul helps hosts seize the first innings lead before England strike late with the ball
ADELAIDE: England’s resistance with bat and ball looks to have come all too late as they ended a calamitous third day of the second Test trailing Australia by 268 runs and facing likely defeat.
The tourists began Monday 29-1 in chase of Australia’s 442-8 declared, but they fell 227 all out shortly after dinner thanks to some slapdash batting and a pair of stunning catches by Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.
Lyon ended the innings with four wickets to take him onto 55 Test scalps in 2017 - a world-leading tally - and England’s frustrations will have been compounded by Craig Overton, batting at nine on his debut.
Overton and Chris Woakes’ 66-run eighth-wicket union was England’s best partnership, but they fell way short of Australia’s total and Steve Smith had the option to put Joe Root’s men back in to bat when they were skittled.
With 76 overs in the legs of a four-man attack, Smith opted against enforcing the follow-on but the tourists’ attack finally came to life under the lights.
Cameron Bancroft (4), Usman Khawaja (20) and David Warner (14) fell as England got the pink ball talking, before Woakes (2-13) snared the the prized wicket of Smith (6) as Australia were reduced to 53-4 at stumps, although they remain well ahead.
Shaun Marsh had shown the patience required in scoring an unbeaten 126 on Sunday, but James Vince (2), Root (9) and Alastair Cook (37) were guilty of playing unnecessarily at wide balls to give their wickets away in a woeful opening session.
But a pair of screaming catches left England without a recognised batsman.
Lyon dived full-length to his left to grab a fending shot from Moeen Ali (25).
Overton and Woakes were subjected to rough treatment from the Australian quicks but rolled with the punches in an impressive partnership.