Ashes 2nd Test Day 3: Late run-out only blemish as Australia piles on the pain for England

Australia dominated the third day at the Adelaide Oval but a disastrous late mix-up ruined what was otherwise a perfect day.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 17: Stuart Broad of England reacts during day two of the Second Test match in the Ashes series between Australia and England at the Adelaide Oval on December 17, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Australia is in a commanding position in the second Ashes Test after a dominant performance with the ball on Day 3 at the Adelaide Oval.

England is staring down the barrel of another defeat after Australia ripped through its batting line-up on Saturday.

Australia is 1/45 at stumps with Marcus Harris looking in good touch on 21 not out, while nightwatchman Michael Neser is unbeaten on two.

The Aussies lead by 282 runs and will look to build an imposing total to ensure England has to bat in the evening session on Day 4.

A David Warner run-out in the final overs of the day was the only negative on an otherwise excellent day for his side.

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The Poms suffered yet another horror collapse on Day 3 and were bowled out for 236 to trail Australia by 237 in the first innings.

Captain Joe Root and No. 3 batter Dawid Malan steadied the ship earlier, combining for their second-consecutive century partnership before young gun Cameron Green broke the stand after the dinner interval.

England then lost 4/19 in a disastrous passage of play for the tourists, with Root and Malan both falling short of triple figures.

Former England spinner Graeme Swann told Channel 7: “It’s back to the bad old days for England, so defensive, so negative. I mean, stupid mistakes.”

Australian quick Mitchell Starc then cleaned up the tail, taking four wickets to continue his impressive form with the pink ball.

Starc led the bowling attack with aplomb, finishing with figures of 4/37.

He became the first player to take 50 wickets in day-night Tests and passed Jason Gillespie to move to eighth on the all-time Australian Test wicket-takers list (with 261 wickets).

All-rounder Cameron Green bowled superbly to claim two wickets, while Nathan Lyon had the England batters in a spin, adding three scalps to his growing tally.

Australian captain Steve Smith opted not to enforce the follow-on, meaning Warner and his struggling opening partner Harris would have to survive the final overs of the day under lights.

David Warner was run out in a bad mix-up late on Day 3.

Warner was looking good until the run-out. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Warner run out in shocking mix up

The only blemish came when Warner was disastrously run-out in a terrible mix-up.

Warner and Harris had been travelling along nicely and looked untroubled by the pink ball under lights with the score 1/41.

Then Harris nudged a ball from England skipper Root into the on side and skipped off for an ambitious single. But he hesitated slightly before taking off to the nonstrikers end.

Warner took off for the run but quickly turned back, leaving both openers languishing at the nonstrikers end.

Warner was left way out of his crease as Stuart Broad threw the ball to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, who knocked off the bails, forcing the veteran back to the pavilion for a meagre score of 13.

What a mix up! 👎

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Ricky Ponting said it was Warner’s call and he only had himself to blame for hesitating.

“Well, that’s disastrous for Australia and for David Warner,” Ponting said on Channel 7.

“The ball goes behind square, just, so it’s the nonstriker’s call. David Warner started, then stopped, then went back and Harris actually beat him to the bowler’s end.

“Yeah, Warner’s called it for sure, you can see him put the head down and go, horrible mix up.”

Haseeb Hameed of England walks off after being dismissed by Michael Neser. Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Australia don’t enforce follow-on

Mitchell Starc has claimed the final wicket, removing England’s Stuart Broad for 9 with a short ball that hacked into the air and caught by Travis Head at cover.

Australian captain Steve Smith has elected not to enforce the follow-on, meaning the Aussies will be batting under lights tonight.

Lyon gets another

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has struck the first blow after the tea break, removing England all-rounder Chris Woakes for 24.

The off-spinner got a delivery to cut back sharply into Woakes, who inside-edged the ball back onto his stumps.

The Aussies then missed an opportunity to snare another scalp the following over, with Mitchell Starc putting down a regulation chance at gully off Cameron Green’s bowling, gifting Ollie Robinson and extra life on 0.

But the dropped catch ultimately didn’t matter, with Lyon removing Robinson the very next over, trapping him LBW for a duck. A review couldn’t save the England tailender.

England are now eight down, and Stuart Broad is the next man in the middle.

Nathan Lyon took three wickets in the first inning. Photo by Mark Brake – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

England gloveman gone for a duck

The Poms are capitulating at Adelaide Oval.

Mitchell Starc has removed England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for his third wicket of the innings, tempting the right-hander into a cover drive that was edged and caught by David Warner at first slip.

The Australians just can’t seem to drop any chances that come their way in the field.

“Geez, this is good bowling from Mitchell Starc,” former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said on Channel 7.

“Fantastic bowling, the pressure had built up on Jos Buttler who could not help himself, launched into a big drive.

“This relentless pressure from Australia has got them another wicket, and it’s a big one.”

England has now lost 4/19 in a horror passage of play since the dinner interval.

Chris Woakes joins teammate Ben Stokes in the middle, with England desperate to avoid the dreaded follow-on.

Buttler has had a stinker. #Ashes

— Akash Fotedar (@akashfotedar5) December 18, 2021

Pope thwarted by Lyon

Australian centurion Marnus Labuschagne has snared a superb catch at short leg to remove England’s Ollie Pope for 5.

Pope skipped down the crease to a Nathan Lyon off-spinner, and looked to flick the delivery through mid-wicket.

But the right-hander only managed to clip the ball directly at Labuschagne’s chest, and the Queenslander did well to hold onto the chance.

Pope has averaged 15.60 against spin bowlers in Test cricket in 2021.

I know Nathan Lyon is a serious spin bowler, but Ollie Pope really can't play spin, can he. #Ashes

— Jack Marshall (@JackMarshall__) December 18, 2021

England skipper‘s nightmare curse continues

Joe Root has once again fallen short of a coveted Ashes century on Australian soil.

The England captain has registered eight Test fifties down under, but has never converted any of those starts into triple figures.

Just after the dinner interval at Adelaide Oval, Root needlessly prodded at a short delivery outside off stump from young gun Cameron Green.

The thick outside edge was taken low to the turf by Australian captain Steve Smith at first slip, and Root made his way back to the sheds for 62.

“What a moment to get the number one seed out, back-to-back as well,” former Australian batter Matthew Hayden said on Channel 7.

“Big tall boy, bowls genuine out swing, offers some shape and really worked over the number one batsman there.”

Green has now dismissed Root twice in as many innings.

WICKET! Cam Green with the breakthrough! Root out.#Ashespic.twitter.com/l2EkrXFQpj

— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) December 18, 2021

That’s 11 #Ashes fifties now for Joe Root since his last hundred, which came in Aug 2015

— Adam Burnett (@AdamBurnett09) December 18, 2021

England No. 3 Dawid Malan was dismissed soon after, falling 20 runs short of a second Ashes century.

The left-hander looked to cut Mitchell Starc through point, but the thick outside edge flew towards Smith at slip, who claimed a smart catch to his right.

Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope are the two new batters in the middle for England.

Another century stand for Root and Malan

England captain Joe Root and No. 3 batter Dawid Malan have scored their second-consecutive century stand, reaching the milestone in 164 balls at Adelaide Oval.

With the exception of a couple of inside edges that narrowly avoided the stumps, it’s been a largely faultless session for England thus far.

The Poms have managed 11 century partnerships in Test cricket this year – nine of them have involved Root.

Australia‘s WinViz prediction has dipped below 50 per cent for the first time in the series.

Soon after, Root brought up a half-century of his own, reaching the milestone in 91 balls. It’s his eight Test fifty on Australian soil.

This is now the largest partnership by a touring side in a pink-ball Test in Australia.

Fifty for Malan

England’s Dawid Malan has brought up his ninth Test fifty at Adelaide Oval, reaching the minor milestone in 86 balls.

The following delivery, debutant Michael Neser struck England skipper Joe Root on the front pad and the Aussies called for the review – but Hawkeye replays suggested the ball would have bounced over the stumps.

Steve Smith didn’t have a great track record with the DRS, and seemingly nothing has changed in the three years since.

Dawid Malan of England celebrates scoring a half-century. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Skipper and Malan steady the ship

England captain Joe Root and No. 3 batter Dawid Malan have combined for a 50-run partnership at Adelaide Oval, getting day three off to an ideal start for the tourists.

The Australian seamers have bowled fractionally shot in the opening 45 minutes of play, with the only chance being an inside edge from Malan that narrowly avoided crashing into the stumps.

Meanwhile, Root has climbed into the No. 5 spot on the all-time list for most Test runs in a calendar year, leapfrogging Sachin Tendulkar’s best-ever 12 months.

England’s horror tour just keeps getting worse

After England’s cricketers were outclassed on day two of the Adelaide Test, the International Cricket Council gave the Poms some more bad news that evening.

On Friday, the ICC confirmed that England had been penalised an additional three World Test Championship points for their sloppy over-rates in last week’s Gabba Test. England was required to bowl 98 overs on day two in Brisbane, but only managed to get through 84.

The ICC subsequently fined each of England’s players 100 per cent of their match fee, with five points docked from the World Test Championship ladder too.

But the punishment grew in severity after the ICC clarified in a statement on Friday evening: “England were eight overs short (not five overs short as previously announced) but were only fined 100 per cent of their match fee due to the limit.

“However, the points deduction for penalty overs is not capped and must reflect the actual number of penalty overs a team is short of the minimum requirement as per Clause 16.1.2 of the ICC Playing Conditions, hence they have been penalised one point for each over they were short.”

England has now dropped to seventh place on the World Test Championship table.

Ben Stokes of England. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Last summer, Australia was fined 40 per cent of its match fee for a slow over-rate during the Boxing Day Test match against India at the MCG.

The Aussies were also stripped of four World Test Championship points, which ultimately cost them a place in the Test Championship Final.

But England assistant coach Graham Thorpe was not fazed by the over-rate problem, telling reporters on Thursday: “I think there’s bigger things going on in the world than over-rates.”