Ashes: England in a spot

ADELAIDE, December 17

Australia declared their first innings on 473/9 and then reduced England to 17/2 after a near-flawless evening session to take charge of the Day/Night second Ashes Test today.

Stand-in skipper Steve Smith fell agonisingly short of his hundred but Alex Carey smashed 51 and lower-order batsmen Michael Neser and Mitchell Starc produced breezy cameos before they declared their innings.

England lost both their openers cheaply before bad weather brought the second day’s play to an early close at the Adelaide Oval.

England captain Joe Root was batting on five and Dawid Malan on one with the tourists facing an uphill task to stay alive in the pink-ball contest.

Earlier, England brought out the big guns, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, to open the bowling on a hot and overcast day.

Brief scores: Australia: 473 /9 declared (Labuschagne 103, Warner 95, Smith 93); England: 17/2. — Reuters