Openers put on unbeaten 108-run stand as Australia take huge lead against England

David Warner made England pay for missing him on nought with a brisk fifty as Australia strengthened their iron grip on the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Saturday

London: David Warner made England pay for missing him on nought with a brisk fifty as Australia strengthened their iron grip on the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Saturday.


David Warner (left) and Chris Rogers during their 108-run stand 

At the close of the third day, Australia were 108 without loss in their second innings, a lead of 362 runs. England now needed to set a new ground record if they were to go 2-0 up in the series. Chris Rogers, who in the first innings of this match scored a Test-best 173, was 44 not out.

Fellow left-hander Warner was 60 not out. He might have been out for nought when he edged James Anderson only for Adam Lyth, himself out for a duck in England's first innings, to make a mess of the chance at gully.

Earlier, England were dismissed for 312, 55 runs shy of avoiding the follow-on. But Michael Clarke opted against making them bat again.

England's final total represented something of a major recovery after they had slumped to 30-4 in the face of hostile fast bowling led by Mitchell Johnson (3-53).

They were indebted to a fifth-wicket stand of 145 between captain Alastair Cook (96) and Ben Stokes (87), who each came close to scoring hundreds in successive Lord's Tests after their centuries on the ground against New Zealand in May.

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