On the third morning of the prestigious Lord’s Test, Australia tightened their grip on the Ashes series as England’s batters collapsed spectacularly. The reckless approach from those wearing the Three Lions stunned fans and experts alike as 47 additional runs were scratched out amidst the loss of six wickets in one short session.
The previous day had been encouraging for the home side who had adopted a swashbuckling batting style, notching up some impressive scores despite a flurry of wickets in the evening session. High hopes had been pinned on captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook to lead England to victory against a weakened Australian bowling unit. However, today’s events proved to be an unexpected bombshell!
Australia’s fierce pacers set the tone for the match right away, with Mitchell Starc pegging back England’s home side in the very first over. Harry Brook’s breezy half century proved to be a brief reprieve, as he was lured in by the Australians’ short-ball ploy, prompting a frustrated response from Geoffery Boycott.
Jonny Bairstow wasn’t too far behind, losing his wicket to a reckless shot against Josh Hazlewood. And when Travis Head got rid of Ollie Robinson and Stuard Broad in one fell swoop, Australian skipper Pat Cummins swiftly ended England’s resistance with a short delivery to Josh Tongue.
England capitulated for just 47 runs, a humiliating reminder of their haphazard approach against Australia’s quicks. This woeful batting performance gave the Aussies an impressive first innings lead of 91, even without the injured Nathan Lyon.
