Ashes 2023: Australia finish on 416 after Smith's blistering ton give visitors ascendancy

Steve Smith (Pic: AFP)

Another blistering Steve Smith century backstopped Australia to 416 all out on the second morning of the second Ashes 2023 test at Lord's on Thursday. England was 13 without loss from four overs by lunch. Ben Duckett had 7 and Zac Crawley 6.

Australia's total, after being forced to bat, was more than double what any other side has scored in the first innings in the last 10 tests at Lord's. But Australia had been 316-3 after tea on Wednesday.

Smith started the day on 85 and Australia five down. When Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc were dismissed in the first 20 minutes, Australia's pre-eminent batter was on 87 and decided to get a move on before he ran out of partners.

His next four scoring shots were all boundaries, the 14th of his innings a cover drive off James Anderson to reach the hundred. Smith kissed Australia's crest on his helmet and smiled for his teammates. Naturally, the Australian fans cheered while English fans grudgingly clapped the biggest thorn in their side for the past decade.

His numbers are head-turning. Smith's 32nd test century was his 12th against England, eighth in England and second at Lord's. The 32 tied him with former captain Steve Waugh at eighth on the all-time list, and he overtook Waugh's 3,173 runs for fourth on the Ashes list, behind only Don Bradman, Jack Hobbs and Allan Border. The century came three weeks after his 121 against India at the Oval in the World Test Championship final.

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After midday, when the Lord's floodlights were turned off for the first time in the match, Smith went off moments later, too, for 110. He tried to drive Josh Tongue and edged to Duckett at gully. He spent more than five hours in the middle, facing 184 balls and hit 15 boundaries.

Australia lasted another 25 minutes. Ollie Robinson collected the last two wickets to finish with three, the same as Tongue.

England's four-prong pace attack suffered its most expensive first day at Lord's in 15 years at 4.21 runs per over on Wednesday, but when the sun finally poked through the clouds on Thursday, Anderson and Stuart Broad finally shone.

Anderson, in his 18th over, and Broad, in his 19th, got their first wickets; Broad bowled overnight batter Carey for 22 and Anderson got an edge off Mitchell Starc on 6.

Captain Pat Cummins was left on 22 not out after Australia added 77 runs for five wickets in the session.

(With AP inputs)