No dice for Woakes
Great result for Australia. Josh Hazlewood sees out the over from Chris Woakes. He even scored three.
England have brought on Mark Wood for the first time today. Mitchell Starc has the privilege of facing his thunderbolts.
Woakes’s chance
Mitchell Starc fails to score off the last ball of James Anderson’s over, giving Chris Woakes six goes at Josh Hazlewood to complete his five-for.
Bonus runs for Australia
Mitchell Starc is playing it well with the No.11, waiting until the fourth ball or later of the over before exposing Josh Hazlewood to the bowling.
He’s pulled Chris Woakes for four, beating the two men deep. These are bonus runs for Australia, who should have been all out if not for Woakes’s no-ball.
Poor Chris Woakes
You have to feel for Chris Woakes. He thought he had his fifth five-for, and first in the Ashes, only to be denied by his errant front foot.
The man has lived in the shadow of Stuart Broad and James Anderson through his career, and this was his chance for some glory. Perhaps, he can atone in his next over.
WICKET – Oh no it isn’t
Josh Hazlewood’s nicked off to Zak Crawley in the cordon, and Australia are all out. Chris Woakes has five wickets!
Oh dear, he hasn’t. He’s overstepped. Josh Hazlewood gets out of the bag. Australia 9/301. He’ll have to get him out again.
WATCH: Cummins out first ball of day two
Not an ideal start to the day for Australia.
WATCH: Bairstow’s day one classic
The thing that stood out to me was how Jonny Bairstow didn’t watch this all the way into the gloves. Perhaps at that level when you’ve taken so many it becomes muscle memory.
WICKET – Cummins out first ball
How about that to start the day? Pat Cummins has driven a loosener from James Anderson first up, and picked out Ben Stokes at cover. Perfect start for England, horrible for Australia. They’re still one short of 300.
POLL: Green v Murphy
It’s time to wheel this poll out again. Cameron Green made 16 on a day when England spinner Moeen Ali claimed a wicket and got a few to turn and bounce. If Green can take a few wickets today it’ll go a long way to vindicating the selectors.
Fine day for cricket
By Daniel Brettig
Another fine day in Manchester, and Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will be hoping to somehow get Australia’s total up to around 350.
There was seam movement off the thatchy grass covering the pitch all of day one, somewhat reminiscent of the surfaces prepared at Adelaide Oval for day/night Tests.
If that remains the case today, Cummins, Starc and Josh Hazlewood will be hopeful of getting the ball to dart around when it is their turn to bowl.
The forecast is clear with a top of 19 degrees. Enough for me to add an extra layer. Us South Australian folk feel the cold.
