MANCHESTER, England (AP) — It’s already looking like another tightly fought Ashes test as Australia went to tea at 187-4 after England again won the toss on Wednesday.
England removed both Australia openers in the morning of the fourth test before Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne avoided any further mishaps and took the visitors to 107-2 at lunch.
A 92 mph (148 kph) rocket from Mark Wood in the afternoon beat the defensive push of Smith to end a 59-run partnership. While umpire Nitin Menon was unconvinced, England’s review was vindicated and Smith had to depart for 41.
England immediately went to the bouncer plan that has had mixed results against Travis Head, who weathered blows to the glove and more seriously to his helmet, necessitating treatment before continuing.
However, Labuschagne and Head were able to tame England’s attack, seeing off Wood and Chris Woakes then Stuart Broad and James Anderson to take Australia past 150 and beyond.
But after Labuschagne had registered his first fifty of the series — the first half-century by a No. 3 — he played all around a straight one from Moeen Ali and another England review bore fruit and ended a 63-run stand. Labuschagne was lbw for 51. Head is unbeaten on 47 and Mitch Marsh is 1 not out.
In the morning session, Broad moved to 599 test wickets and the brink of becoming only the fifth bowler to take 600 when he got Usman Khawaja lbw for three in the fifth over.
Woakes claimed the wicket of David Warner (32), who had started the test by cracking the first delivery of the match from Broad for four through the covers.
England made one change to the lineup that clinched a nail-biter at Headingley by three wickets 10 days ago, bringing back veteran seam bowler James Anderson to play at his home ground in place of Ollie Robinson.
Australia has retained Marsh in the middle order after his first-innings century at Leeds and brought fellow allrounder Cameron Green and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood back into its lineup. Green and Hazlewood replace Scott Boland and Todd Murphy, with Murphy’s omission leaving the Aussies with no specialist spinner for the crucial game.
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