Ashes cricket 2023: Moments of the day from first day’s play in the second Ashes Test from Lord’s

The Aussies finally got their reviews right, Stuart Broad was hearing things and Steve Smith’s in control. DANIEL CHERNY has his moments of the day from Lord’s.

Daniel ChernyIn London

@danielcherny

3 min read

June 29, 2023 - 5:29AM

Jonny Bairstow escorted a protester from the pitch, while Ben Stokes and David Warner attempted to stop another. Picture: Getty Images.

The Ashes

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From successful challenges to a massive Test runs milestone for Steve Smith and a long wait for eventual partnership breaker Joe Root to be brought into the attack, day 1 at Lord’s certainly didn’t disappoint.

Australia finished at 339/5 with Steve Smith still there and in control, and here are the moments of day 1 of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

Josh Tongue celebrates dismissing David Warner while Marnus Labuschagne looks on. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

TONGUE TWISTER

England was on record saying that Mark Wood was its preferred option over Josh Tongue, and when the included paceman copped some early stick from David Warner the move to play Tongue was looking a bit shaky. But Tongue got one to shape back to remove Usman Khawaja just before lunch. Then after the interval, with Warner flying on 66, Tongue got one to move late which beat everyone including Jonny Bairstow to race for four byes. It was agonisingly close for England, but the next ball Tongue got his man, beating Warner with a beautiful delivery that nipped back to knock him over.

DID YOU HEAR THAT?

Steve Smith had raced to 24 following the dismissal of David Warner, having hit Stuart Broad for consecutive boundaries. For a moment it appeared that was going to be it, when Broad went up for a caught behind appeal, met with a raising of the finger from Chris Gaffaney, umpiring in his 50th Test. But Smith reviewed immediately, and it soon become clear that he had good cause. There was daylight between bat and ball, and it wasn’t quite clear what Gaffaney had heard.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

The Aussies were in good touch with their reviews. Later in the session, Marnus Labuschagne shouldered arms to a ball that pitched outside off from Broad, striking the right hander high on his pad. This time it was Pakistani umpire Ahsan Raza who gave the No. 3 out, but Labuschagne reviewed and was proven vindicated for height.

Stuart Broad of England reacts after his DRS referral against Marcus Labuschagne. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

NOT ONE TO STU OVER

But the umpires weren’t getting them all wrong. Not long after his successful review, Labuschagne - on 37 - survived a referral from England after Broad’s lbw appeal was turned down by Raza. Replays showed Labuschagne had clearly clipped the ball with his bat before it struck his pad.

AHMED STUDENT

While England ultimately opted against picking Rehan Ahmed, who would have been the youngest ever player in male Ashes history had he replaced Moeen Ali, the teenage legspinner was still involved in some of the action. Ahmed, who made his Test debut last year in Pakistan, came on as a sub fielder for the injured Ollie Pope, who hurt his right shoulder diving in the field.

Steve Smith became the second quickest batter in Test history to 9000 runs. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

GOOD COMPANY

Steve Smith is a very hard man to keep down. In the course of his innings on Wednesday, the ex-Aussie captain reached 9000 Test runs in his 174th innings. Only Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara had achieved the milestone quicker. Smith shaded Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting in getting to the mark.

THE LONG ROOT

England’s seam-heavy attack and the conditions meant spin was always going to be at a premium on Wednesday, and it wasn’t until the day’s 47th over, pasr 3:45pm, that a tweaker was finally introduced as Joe Root entered the attack.

Insane scenes as invaders shut down Ashes

The Lord’s Ashes Test was sensationally interrupted after just seven balls when protesters invaded the arena, getting within metres of the pitch.

With Australia 0-4 after 1.1 overs, two men dashed past security and onto the field, heading towards the pitch.

Jonny Bairstow escorted a protester from the pitch. Picture: Getty Images.

While Ben Stokes and David Warner attempted to stop another. Picture: Getty Images.

They were carrying orange powder, a trademark of the Just Stop Oil movement that has halted several sporting events in the UK in recent months.

However both were intercepted before they reached the pitch. One was apprehended by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, who then carried the protester off the ground.

Both men spilt some powder on the square, which was quickly cleaned up by Lord’s ground staff, play resuming within a few minutes.

The Just Stop Oil pitch invaders carried the signature orange powder onto the field. Picture: Getty Images.

Authorities had been bracing for such a protest at some stage during the series.

MCC chief Guy Lavender slammed the conduct of the invaders.

“MCC condemn in the strongest possible terms today’s pitch incursion and the behaviour of the protestors involved,” Lavender said.

“Their actions not only engager themselves and those who work at the ground, but they have consistently shown complete disregard for the people who pay to attend events, not just here at Lord’s but around the country at other sporting venues.”

Bairstow’s actions shared parallels with a pair of ex-Aussie greats. Terry Alderman infamously hurt his shoulder trying to stop an England fan in Perth in 1982, while Andrew Symonds took out a streaker at the Gabba in 2008, having also pursued a ground invader during a domestic one-dayer in the 1990s.