England at least refuse anticipate of an insistent twilight collapse after Shaun Marsh's century piled the pressure on them on day two of the second Ashes Test. The tourists may have fearfulness a blunder at the first barrier under lights after Marsh score 126 not out, Tim Paine score good supporting innings of 57 runs and Pat Cummins helped Australia rack up 442 for eight declared. Instead, in 9.1 overs before evening rain brought day two to a premature end, they lost only Mark Stoneman - lbw to a full ball from Mitchell Starc - in a stumps total of 29 for one. England captain Joe Root's gamble to bowl first here brought only aggravation and his team nonetheless remains badly up against it to somehow remain only 1-0 down.

Australia bagged a remarkable 200 for three in the first two sessions, despite losing Peter Handscomb to the third ball of the day. When Stuart Broad pinned him deep in his crease lbw, England's hopes briefly rose at 209 for five. Then for a few tantalising seconds not long afterwards, they thought it was 240 for six when Chris Gaffaney gave what appeared at first sight a very feasible lbw against Marsh, who got in a rare tangle pushing forward to James Anderson. He rightly chanced a review - almost certainly in the hope the ball had pitched outside leg - only to discover instead that technology projected it going on to clear middle stump. Marsh therefore survived on 29, and in similar circumstances so did Paine on 24 in the luckless Anderson's next over.