Australia Hold Firm As Afternoon Wickets Fail to Materialise

Tea

Australia had the better of a rain-shortened afternoon session on the second day of the second Test at Lord's, recovering from 22 for two at lunch to reach 87 for two by tea as Simon Katich and Mike Hussey knuckled down to the task of dragging their side back into the game.

Play started 10 minutes late after both teams had lined up to shake hands with the Queen and Prince Philip, but the traditional post-royal wicket failed to materialize as England struggled to maintain the pressure applied by Jimmy Anderson and Andrew Flintoff before the break.

Rain interrupted play twice – first for 33 minutes, then, after just 21 deliveries, for a further 45 – as Australia looked to survive under grey skies, and Stuart Broad felt hard done by when he went up for leg-before against Hussey on 14. But Hussey brought up the 50 stand soon after with a cover-driven boundary off Broad.

Graham Onions briefly tormented Katich, beating him on the inside and the outside with successive deliveries as he moved the ball both ways, but both he and Broad dropped two shorts against the two left-handers. An exploratory over of off-spin from Graeme Swann produced no joy either, and by tea Katich had 40, with Hussey on 37. Australia still trail by 338, but for the time being will just be relieved to have suffered no further damage.

Lunch

It's been a very eventful morning here today – cricket fit for the watching Queen, indeed – and it has ended with England well placed. At lunch Australia are in some discomfort at 22 for two with Simon Katich unbeaten on eight and Mike Hussey four not out.

England resumed on 364 for six and lost three quick wickets to hand the initiative to Australia. But then they enjoyed a profitable last-wicket stand between Jimmy Anderson and Graham Onions before making quick inroads into the Australian batting line-up.

The England captain Andrew Strauss had his off stump knocked back by only the second delivery of the morning, bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus. He had not added to his overnight score of 161.

It was soon 370 for 8 when Graeme Swann, who had made just four, edged Peter Siddle to Ricky Ponting at slip. And it was 378 for nine when Stuart Broad was bowled via an inside edge by Hilfenhaus.

But then Anderson and Onions added 47 in 53 balls and 48 minutes to swing the game back in England's direction. They had reached 425 by the time Anderson was finally out for 29.

The ball was swinging so much that Onions and Anderson must have felt almost relieved to get back to the pavilion to get their bowling gear on.

Phillip Hughes had made only four when he gloved one from Anderson down the leg side. And then, with the score on 10, Ricky Ponting was controversially given out. After consultation with the third umpire Ponting was wrongly given out caught at slip off Anderson, though replays suggested he should really have been given out lbw.