full and bang on target, rattles the stumps and Australia have won by 405 runs! Anderson played rather apologetically around a straight one and that's a fitting demonstration of how comprehensively they've been kippered here
England vs Australia, 2nd Investec Test at London, Jul 16 2015 - Ball by Ball Commentary
5.15pm: Lord's has been sacked by the Australians more times than the barbarians ran through Rome, so at least this is a familiar feeling for England. How they put it behind them before moving on to the third Test at Edgbaston is a puzzle for the next few days. Australia players might actually allow themselves a cold beer this evening, while England are left to contemplate how they XXXX-ed things up. Maybe they should start with Brydon Coverdale's report, then settle in for some light relief with #PoliteEnquiries. Actually, thinking about it, they might not be so polite today... Anyway, thanks as ever for your comments, myself, Miller and Gnasher have enjoyed ourselves immensely. Join us again in ten days for the next red-hot installment of Ashes action. Ta ra!
5pm: Here we go with the presentations... I think England will be getting a custard pie. Here's Alastair Cook: "The standard we set ourselves at Cardiff, we've not backed it up here and it's incredibly frustrating. Australia put us under pressure all game and were deserving winners. In Cardiff we did a lot of things very well and her e we didn't do that at all. We didn't bowl well, didnt take catches and didn't score hundreds, so we failed in all three areas. The last few games we've been three down for not many and it's hard for the middle order to keep helping us out. We've got some wonderful players with fantastic records but this is why you play sport, to test yourself against the best and we have to show character at Birmingham. [Batting problems?] Not sure, something the selectors might have to look at. It's down to the players, we've got to get stuck in. It's 1-1, credit to Australia for bouncing back but still all to play for. Shows how important the first couple of days of the Test are, the side that gets on top manages to stay on top. That's the challenge. [Hopes for Edgbaston?] Good old English pitch."
Australia captain Michael Clarke looks a little happier this time around: "Yeah, don't think I could have asked for better performance from every single player, Chris Rogers and Steven Smith, David Warner got us off to a great start in the second innings and the intent from the bowlers was spot on. We didn't talk much about Cardiff, our focus was turning up here and playing some of our best cricket. Today we can look at each other and say we played some pretty good cricket. [Mitchell Marsh?] His intent, the way he walked out to bat today and he executed really well with the ball, getting those two crucial wickets. The selectors made the call, we've got everyone fit to play. The advantage of having someone like Mitch [Johnson] is that he's so fit he can bowl long spells, or short ones like today. Credit to the rest oft he attack, they supported Mitchell. I'd like to be 2-0 but I'll accept where we are. We were outplayed in the first match but bounced back really well."
Steven Smith is named Man of the Match: "Yeah, thought it was a good wicket, started well on day one, put us in a pretty strong position - Chris Rogers played fantastically well - and we went on from there. I haven't had such a great run with the bat here at Lord's so it was nice to get some runs in the first innings. I feel really decent at the moment so for me it's about being patient and making the bowlers come to me. Yeah, a little bit, the wickets are a bit slower and the ball does a bit more than back home. So being patient, playing in my eyeline and letting balls go. We were all disappointed with the way we performed with the bat in Cardiff, we know Lord's is a good place to bat and we made up for it."
4.45pm: There you go, England have been knocked into a cocked sunhat in 37 overs and Australia are back in the series, level at 1-1. That is Australia's first win at Lord's since 2005 and it looks likely to have opened up a lot of the wounds from 2013-14, judging by the way England capitulated in that innings. As Irfaan points out, Australia have been twice as good here, going by the raw numbers, and that only seems about halfway adequate in measuring the gulf: "Aus: 820/10; Eng: 415/20". It turns out that Mitches do win matches, with 11 wickets between Messrs Johnson, Starc and Marsh; Peter Nevill, too, has had a very enjoyable debut, with seven catches after coming into the side for Brad Haddin. But this was a victory built on the twin peaks of centuries from Steven Smith and Chris Rogers - they took Australia to 337 for 1 at the end of the first day and practically shut England out of the game for good. It has been a sensational performance from a team who were roundly beaten a week ago - and England will now have 10 days for it to gnaw away at them, before we fire up again at Edgbaston.
"820/10 is not twice as good (that would be 820/20...it's FOUR TIMES as good," hollers Kev Roy. "82 per wicket vs 20..." Well, Australia scored twice as many runs and took twice as many wickets; double it, cube it, let's just agree that they smashed it.
"New England surrendering old way." Vintage stuff, eh, Dan
shortish on the stumps and flicked down to fine leg for one
full outside off, reaches out to drive, backward point dives to cut it off and prevent a run
slightly short and Wood plays a jerky short-arm pull, rolls to midwicket
length outside off, Wood gets forward and watches it through again
pitched up in the channel outside off, no stroke
"It'll be interesting to see if Cook invites the Aussies to a beer night," crows Rudy. Well, I think it's the winning captain's prerogative ... but, yeah, England might not want to hang around this time
tossed up outside off and Anderson plays inside, allowing it to spin through to Nevill
Plenty of men around the bat for Jimmy... England are already broken, though
slightly short on leg stump and Wood tucks it off his hips through backward square
drifting across outside off from around the wicket, gets forward to block
on the stumps, Wood doggedly defends
flighted, on middle and off, shows it a straight bat
tossed up outside leg stump and straightening behind Wood through to the keeper
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;innings_number=4;orderby=amount;result=2;team=1;template=results;type=team;view=results target=new>margin of defeat here in 1948. Now looking at their fourth-heaviest ever, third against Australia
back of a length in the channel, bit of a flirt but the ball misses the edge
banged in down the leg side, Anderson shifts out of the way
pitched up outside off, Anderson plays a confident-looking drive along the carpet, straight to mid-off
James Anderson strolls out as the last post sounds
bowled him, England nine down! No respite at all... Stayed a bit low and Root is done for, hanging back in the crease, now heading back to the dressing room. Everything Australia have done here has turned to green-and-gold
good length outside off, tailing back in as Root gets a stride in and shoulders arms
shortish and defended from back in the crease
Some respite, of a kind: Josh Hazlewood replaces Johnson
gives it some air - and Broad has chipped the ball to cover! Broad's brief counterattack is over, a momentary flare up before the England flame gutters again... Was actually a little short but Broad slogged it off the toe end straight to the fielder
flighted, outside off, studiously defended on the front foot