England Fight Back After Crawley's Unwanted Double
England produced a stirring fightback on day two of the first Ashes Test in Perth, seizing control of the match despite a nightmare start for opener Zak Crawley. The tourists navigated their way to a commanding 99-run lead at lunch, with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope looking assured at the crease.
Carse Wraps Up Australia, Crawley's Horror Continues
The day began promisingly for the English side as Brydon Carse claimed the final Australian wicket within the first half-hour. This dismissed the hosts for 132, leaving them 40 runs behind England's first innings total. However, the early momentum was almost immediately checked by a familiar setback.
For the second time in as many days, Zak Crawley was dismissed for a duck. After falling to Mitchell Starc on the sixth ball of the match on day one, history repeated itself in brutal fashion. Facing Starc's fifth delivery of the innings, Crawley lobbed a checked drive directly back to the bowler, who completed a spectacular one-handed catch.
There was a brief moment of hope for the opener as the television umpire reviewed the catch for a possible grounding, but the decision was upheld. This confirmed Crawley's unfortunate place in the history books, making him the first England opener to record a pair since Michael Atherton in 1999.
Duckett and Pope Steady the Ship
With their top order faltering once more, England needed a partnership, and Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope delivered. The pair carefully negotiated the next 14 overs, guiding their team to a position of strength by the lunch interval.
Duckett, scoring 28 not out, adopted an aggressive approach at times, notably charging at Scott Boland and edging two fours. Pope, on 24 not out, survived a nervy period where he was beaten on the outside edge several times but held his nerve.
England's lead was further bolstered by a slice of luck, with five overthrows coming from just two deliveries bowled by Brendan Doggett. Australia believed they had a crucial breakthrough in the session's final over when Boland won an lbw decision against Duckett, but the batsman successfully overturned the verdict on review, compounding the home side's frustration.
