Xtra Time Web Desk: England’s hopes of a victory in the second men’s Ashes Test at Lord’s were dashed as they suffered a 43-run defeat against Australia on an eventful and controversial final day. Starting the day at 114-4, Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes put up a commendable partnership, reducing the victory target to under 200 runs before Duckett fell to a short ball from Josh Hazlewood.
The match took a contentious turn when Jonny Bairstow was given out after wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw the ball at the stumps while Bairstow was out of his crease. The incident led to heated exchanges between players and fans in the Long Room during the lunch break.
Stokes, the skipper, responded with an aggressive batting display, reaching his century with three spectacular sixes before being dismissed by Hazlewood. The rest of England’s batting lineup fought hard, but Australia’s bowlers proved too strong, wrapping up the remaining wickets to secure victory before tea.
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Despite Stokes’ heroic efforts, Australia took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, leaving England with a tough task to reclaim the Ashes urn from their arch-rivals.
Throughout the day, there were notable moments, including smart batting, controversial dismissals, and heated exchanges between players. The partisan Lord’s crowd was treated to some thrilling power-hitting by Stokes, who reached his century with a series of impressive sixes.
In the end, Hazlewood played a vital role for Australia, claiming crucial wickets, including that of Stokes, to seal the match. England’s batting resistance was eventually broken, and the game ended with Australia emerging as the victorious side.