Melbourne: Australia lost two early wickets after Mitchell Johnson completed a five-wicket haul to help dismiss England for 255 on the second morning of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday. England added just 24 runs to its overnight score as Johnson claimed the wickets of Tim Bresnan, Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad in short succession, before spinner Nathan Lyon bowled Monty Panesar to end the innings.
England responded by removing David Warner and Shane Watson, both caught behind off the bowling of Jimmy Anderson and Ben Stokes respectively. At lunch, Chris Rogers was on 16 with Michael Clarke on 2. After an aggressive start, Warner was out for 9 when he top-edged while attempting to flick the ball down the leg-side, offering a high catch for new wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow’s first Test catch.
Watson offered a thin inside edge to Bairstow shortly before lunch to take the gloss of Australia’s dominant morning. Johnson, who claimed two wickets late on day one with the new ball, claimed immediate success, dismissing Bresnan (1) with the first delivery of the morning’s second over and Pietersen was bowled for 71 four balls later.
Johnson brought up his fifth wicket of the match when he had Stuart Broad trapped lbw for 11 and Nathan Lyon claimed his first wicket of the match when he bowled Monty Panesar for 2. Pietersen, who played an uncharacteristically watchful knock to anchor the England innings on Thursday, showed a change of intent by smashing a four off the first ball of the second day.
Bureau Report
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