Steven Smith captaincy inning help Aussies to take 26 runs lead over England.
Steven Smith captaincy inning help Aussies to take 26 runs lead over England.
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Australia manage to take lead after magnificent batting of Australian skipper Steve Smith of 141 runs off 326 deliviers. Terrific batting performance by Australia given they were once struggling to get anywhere near the English total. But their skipper, Steven Smith stood tall amidst the storm and stroked a valiant century to help the Australians gain a 26-run lead. By tea, Australia had reduced the deficit to a mere 15, thanks largely to Smith's eighth-wicket stand of 66 with the scarcely less impressive Pat Cummins, whose maturity of shot selection helped to rescue his side from a pre-lunch nadir of 7 for 213 and end up with 328 runs on the board.

 

 

As Cummins soaked up 120 deliveries in his obdurate stay, it seemed as though Australia would bat clean through the afternoon session. But with five minutes remaining until tea, Chris Woakes finally found the edge, for Alastair Cook to scoop a low catch at a solitary slip. It need 261 balls for Australian skipper Steven Smith to score his century, this is the slowest century for Australia in an Ashes test since 1993. Steven Smith score only 17 runs in the first session from 72 balls. Steven Smith managed to score one boundary in this session against England. Nathan Lyon in the first innings dismissed England Bairstow for the fourth time. It took 31 innings since the visitor had a century partnership for the second wicket. Previously it was in last year against Pakistan.

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