Live Cricket Score - The Ashes 2021-22, 5th Test, Day 2

Stumps: Australia lead by 152

The good news for England is they've taken 3 second-innings wickets. The bad news is Steve Smith is not one of them and he'll have a 19-over-old ball and pleasant afternoon conditions to push that lead well past 200, which would be quite a challenge for this English batting line-up in its current form.

We'll be back nice and early tomorrow. Until then, hang around Cricbuzz for all the match stories!

Three down as Wood gets Khawaja

A tricky period of play under lights and England are doing well to stay in there despite their position in the game. Wood bowls a pacy bouncer that Khawaja can't duck under in time. It kisses the glove on its way to the keeper. Australia 33/3, a lead of 148.

Now Woakes gets Labuschagne

That's 16 wickets in the day so far. It's a third on the day that's fallen to the strangle down leg. The No.1 batter gets a little tickle and Australia are 5/2... Lead by 120.

Broad gets Warner again...

... for the 14th time for those who've lost count. It's a pair for the Aussie opener. The only other time he registered a pair in a Test was at Old Trafford in the last Ashes series (2019). Warner pushes at a ball and hits it uppishly towards point where Ollie Pope takes a diving catch.

England knocked out for 188

Chris Woakes' chancy 36 ends with a strangle down legside. Starc takes a third wicket in the innings by castling Stuart Broad. Mark Wood is in no mood to hang around. He clubs Cummins for a six over his head and two balls later loses his off-stump. That's a four-fer for the Australian captain, who has given his team a handy 115-run first-innings lead.

The hosts do have a tricky hour and a bit to bat under lights here.

Do you believe in jinxes?

No sooner did Michael Vaughan make his Tweet (see below) than Sam Billings has departed for 29. Short ball from Cam Green and Billings takes on the pull, possibly after seeing Woakes top-edge one from the other end for a six in the previous over. This one lands nicely to Boland at fine-leg. End of a decent stand. England 7 down and still a 151-runs behind.

Can Billings step up?

Tea: Woakes survives two chances

... Both off Boland. Dropped once by Warner and the other time by Khawaja. Debutant Billings is unbeaten on 19 but England are 179 runs behind and have a mountain to climb in what should be a very tough final session .

Pope is the sixth to go...

It's a procession. A very typical Pope innings, this too. A couple of sweetly timed hits and then nicked off. it's a wicket for Boland in his first over of a new spell. Put it in the channel and forced Pope to play at it.

Boland should have had another with the very next ball but Warner has shelled a straightforward catch at first slip to reprieve new man Chris Woakes.

Five down now as Stokes falls

It's freefall. Stokes smokes a cut shot off Starc and Nathan Lyon takes a beautiful catch low down at backward point. 85/5 and England are tottering now.

Cummins breaks the back of England's line-up

A 49-run stand and then both Malan and Root are sent packing. The former is strangled down the legside. And Root gets the nip-backer that he misses. Just like that it's 81/4

Scott Boland goes wicketless in a spell

That's a rarity but also shows what a good track this is now for batting. Root and Malan have applied themselves well. The former is now unfurling his cover drive lot more confidently. Australia meanwhile have lost a review with the returning Starc asking for an LBW referral against the England captain. England 77/2

Reprieve for Malan

Australia have missed another opportunity to review a caught behind. Carey doesn't appeal and Malan has hit that... Justin Langer can;t believe it. For your reference, Malan was on 13. (for your reference)

Dinner Day 2 - England 34/2

Onus on Root and Malan once more heading into the tricky twilight period. England are 269 away.!

A second wicket, both openers gone for England

Crawley was looking positive and had moved to 18 off 20 before Cummins knocks him over with a slight nip-backer. More importantly the Australian captain had a bat-pad stationed, who gobbles the catch up off an inside edge.

He was batting outside his crease and the forward short leg was strategically placed.

Duck for Burns

This is the worst way for an opener to go. The returning Burns survives the first over from Starc, even an edge that Australia don't appeal for. But he gets himself run out in the next over. He's called through for a single by Crawley. There's a run there but Burns is slow to respond and is caught short by a direct hit from Labuschagne.

Eighth duck in the last 22 innings for Rory Burns. Yikes!

Bowled out for 303

That's 4 for 62 this morning for Australia. Decent effort from England but they would have been much happier avoiding that Lyon cameo. Australia's offie is the last man out, bowled by Broad for a 27-ball 31. England have to bat well in this tricky period before Dinner now.

Total past 300

This must be frustrating for England. Also a sense of deja vu from last morning. Three early wickets and a counter-punch. This time, it's Lyon and to a lesser effect Boland doing the damage. Lyon is into the 30s and Australia's total is past 300.

Carey chops on

Woakes gets a wicket and England are now 1-wicket away. Even with that 17-over-over, it's been a much better bowling performance from them this morning.

Lyon & the other side of the short-ball ploy

The worry with the short ball ploy is if someone takes you on and connects well, you could bleed runs just as quickly. Nathan Lyon has hit three sixes now off Wood and Carey has picked up a four through fine leg. After that impressive start, Wood's 17th over has gone for 17. Australia have reached 280.

No.3 for Wood

And no surprises, it's another short ball delivered from round the wicket. Cummins can't control the pull and is caught in the deep. A similar ball almost accounts for Nathan Lyon too. But this time it sails just over the fielder's head for a six. Australia 252/8

The short ball works again

Much better discipline from Wood this morning. No freebies to either batter. He gets his reward and Starc is done for with another short ball that climbs quickly onto him. The top edge goes only as far as Rory Burns at square leg. Australia 246/7

Mark Wood will finish off the over he started last evening before rain hit. He will need to step it up. His figures currently 12-0-79-1.

Pre-match reading

This on Travis Head from Bharat Sundaresan is a must-read. He writes about a sweet exchange Travis Head had with Marnus Labuschagne during practice on the eve of the Test summed up the raw honesty that defines his batting approach & style. And it certainly came through with it's his second game-changing ton of this Ashes.

Rob Johnston has written about how England let the advantage slip - a recurring theme for them.

Prelude - Day 2

What did England make of that opening day? Won the toss, opted to bowl and had Australia at 12/3. From there they allowed the opposition to counter-attack their way to 241/6. England are not out of it yet, especially if conditions play as benign as they did over 2nd and 3rd sessions yesterday. They'll however want to knock Australia out under 300 from here.

They'll however have to do it with one of their main bowlers Ollie Robinson, who still hasn't recovered from a back spasm.