It’s Zachary Gates jumping into the live blog at lunch on day two of the first Ashes Test, and taking care of the coverage until stumps.
The Aussies are in a deeply concerning position after losing David Warner (nine), Marnus Labuschagne (zero) and Steve Smith (16) in the first session of today’s play.
Stuart Broad was on a hat-trick after dismissing Warner and Labuschagne in consecutive balls, before Stokes scalped Steve Smith.
And Usman Khawaja (40) and Travis Head are now tasked with resurrecting the Aussies, who are 3-78 and trailing by 315 after England posted 8-393 declared in its first dig.
Former Aussie Test spinner Steve O’Keefe has blasted the tourists on Nine’s coverage at lunch.
“Yeah, let’s face it: the Aussies were bullied,” O’Keefe said.
“I think even when the batters first came out there were no sweepers when Moeen Ali, who hasn’t bowled a Test ball in over 18 months — he had no sweepers.
“Ben Stokes — there was a big question mark over him and his injury. He was able to settle in and in his second over was able to take a big wicket.
“So ‘Bazball’ is bullying the Aussies at the moment.
“Looking at the Aussies, it just looks like negative cricket, an un-Australian way of playing,” O’Keefe added minutes later.
“Australia on the back foot, tentative with footwork. It’s not working for them at the moment. They’re barely going at two runs an over and are doing … the complete contrast of what England did in their first innings when they had the chance to bat.”
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