At stumps on day two of the fifth Australia vs England Ashes Test at the SCG, Australia were 166 for 2 after 34.1 overs, trailing England by 218 runs. Travis Head was unbeaten on 91 and nightwatchman Michael Neser was on 1. Play ended early due to rain after Ben Stokes struck Neser on the right elbow with a short ball. Neser was in visible pain and received treatment, raising some concern as it was his bowling arm.
Earlier in the day, England were bowled out for 384. Joe Root was the standout, scoring 160 before being dismissed by Michael Neser, who took a return catch. Neser finished with four wickets. Harry Brook made 78 before edging Scott Boland to slip. Ben Stokes was out for a duck, caught behind off Mitchell Starc after a successful review.
In Australia’s reply, Travis Head and Jake Weatherald put on a 50-run opening stand. Weatherald was dismissed for 21, lbw to Ben Stokes after a failed review. Marnus Labuschagne then added 105 runs with Head before edging Stokes to slip for 48 following a tense exchange between the two. Head continued to score freely and brought up his half-century, moving into the 90s by stumps.
Joe Root hits 160 in Sydney to equal Ricky Ponting’s Test century record in Fifth Australia vs England Ashes Test
Joe Root scored a big century on Day 2 of the fifth Australia vs England Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He made 160 runs from 242 balls and helped England reach 384 in their first innings. England were bowled out just before tea.
With this century, Root reached his 41st Test hundred. This equals Ricky Ponting’s record and puts Root joint third on the all-time list. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis have more Test centuries than him.
Root batted on a difficult pitch with uneven bounce but controlled his innings, even during a tense phase in the 90s. He reached his hundred with a straight drive off Michael Neser, taking 146 balls and hitting 11 boundaries. This was his second century of the series and only his second Ashes hundred in Australia.
Root was eventually out for 160, caught and bowled by Neser. Neser took three late wickets as Australia finished England’s innings. Jamie Smith scored 46 earlier but got out before lunch. England were 336/6 at lunch.
Earlier in the series, England lost the first three Tests, which allowed Australia to retain the Ashes within 11 days. England then won the Boxing Day Test by four wickets.
Michael Neser takes yet another four-fer in Fifth Australia vs England Ashes Test
England were bowled out for 384 in their first innings of the fifth Australia vs England Ashes Test on Monday. Joe Root was the top scorer with 160 runs before he was dismissed by Michael Neser. Neser finished with four wickets and took the last two wickets in the same over. This was his third four-wicket haul or better in the ongoing Ashes series.
On Day 1, Neser dismissed opener Zak Crawley for 16 as England slipped to 57/3. England resumed at 211/3 with Root and Harry Brook batting well, with Brook scoring 84. Neser then removed Will Jacks for 27, ending a 52-run stand with Root. In the 98th over, he dismissed Root and Josh Tongue for a duck to end England’s innings.
Neser ended the innings with figures of 4 for 60 from 18.3 overs. Earlier in the series, he took a five-wicket haul in the second Test but was left out of the third match. He returned with a four-wicket haul in the previous Test and followed it up with another strong spell here. He now has 21 wickets from five Tests at an average of 17.19, with 16 of those wickets coming in the Ashes at an average of 19.06.
In First-Class cricket, the 35-year-old Neser has taken 427 wickets in 119 matches at an average above 23. He has 22 four-wicket hauls and 13 five-wicket hauls in the format. He has also scored 4,015 runs at an average of 28.07.
FAQs
Q. What was England’s first innings score in the fifth Ashes Test?
A. England scored 384 runs in the first inning.
Q. How many runs did Joe Root score in the fifth Ashes Test?
A. Joe Root scored 160 runs in the fifth Ashes Test.
Q. How did Australia start their first innings?
A. Australia were 166 for 2 at stumps, trailing England by 218 runs.
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