England vs Australia – The Ashes 2nd Test Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs Australia taking place? Wednesday 14th August, 11:00 (UK)
Where is England vs Australia taking place? Lord’s, London
What is the expected weather for England vs Australia? Temperatures as high as 20-21c expected for the duration but rain could hit throughout the test
What channel is England vs Australia on? The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket
Where can I stream England vs Australia? England vs Australia will be streamed live on the Sky Go app
Where can I get tickets for England vs Australia? Tickets for this match have sold out
LAST MEETING
Australia beat England by 251 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- England have a lot of work to do after they failed to capitalise on a brilliant start to the first Ashes Test when they had Australia struggling at 122/8 but Steve Smith proved to be their nemesis in not only the first innings but also in the second too.
- The home side struggled with the ball after losing Jimmy Anderson on the first morning of day 1 to a calf injury and his availability for the rest of the series looks in question but he is definitely out of this second Test with Jofra Archer set to replace him in the side.
- England were also poor with the bat and several players will be looking over their shoulder but it is expected that the likes of Joe Denly will have at least one more chance to prove themselves although Moeen Ali could be left out at the expense of Jack Leach if England look for a different spin option.
AUSTRALIA
- Australia managed to bounce back from a dreadful first two sessions on day 1 to eventually claim a thumping victory in the first Ashes Test match of the series with Steve Smith his side’s saviour.
- Smith was the mainstay of a poor first innings as he scored 144 which was more than the rest of his side could muster combined and he then added an almost identical score in the second innings as he posted 142.
- With that feat, Smith became just the second man this century to score hundreds in both innings of an Ashes Test after Matthew Hayden achieved the same in 2002 and he is the man England will be desperate to remove cheaply in what is likely to be an unchanged line-up.
THE PREDICTION
England need a quick response here in this second Ashes Test or could find themselves with a mountain to climb. After a superb opening two sessions against Australia in the first Test, the home side were humbled by Steve Smith’s brilliance. They will need to find a way to remove him early if they are to get on top of the Australians and a Lord’s pitch should offer the likes of Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes plenty to work with but with their batting line-up still looking fragile, Australia could claim a 2-0 lead in the series if the weather allows for enough play.
