Get all of the latest details from the morning session on day two from the SCG.
England’s chances to stop a whitewash have taken a battering after they lost 53-4 in the morning session of day two at the SCG.
Again the top-order of the touring side could not handle the pace and direction of the Australian attack, with Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris again on-song.
However, the away side did have something to cheer about with the solid application from new players Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes, as they guided their side well through the second hour of the session.
Australia enjoyed a sensational start to the second day when Ryan Harris removed Alastair Cook with just the second ball of the first over.
Ian Bell looked to be on his way for a golden duck when he edged a straight forward ball.
However, Shane Watson put down a relatively simple chance at first slip, with the touring side
lucky to be only 8-2.
Jimmy Anderson’s health for the rest of the game came under a cloud when he copped a nasty ball from Johnson, with the England quick needing attention to his left hand.
Eventually Anderson’s brave cameo came to an end, when he edged Johnson to Michael Clarke, diving to his right at second slip.
Despite the stoic nature of his innings, Anderson’s wicket only piled more pressure on an England top-order that looked uncomfortable against the uneven pace of the SCG pitch.
The pressure was taken up a notch when Australia elected to review a LBW shout against Ian Bell, which was rightly turned down by the on-field umpire.
To date this series the Australian side had done away with their DRS horrors of the English summer,
but Harris’ crescendo appeal gave away his true feelings.
Watson soon made up from his earlier drop as Kevin Pietersen was on his way, despite looking in good form, as his horror Ashes tour continued as he departed for just three, as the score plummeted to 17-4
Ballance then came to the crease in his Test cricket debut, and faced a nightmare scenario was Australia’s bowling attack continued with its disciplined line and length.
England’s lowest total ever at the SCG was just 45 runs, scored way back in 1887, and given the venom in the pitch in 2014, Bell and the debutant Ballance had their work cut out for them.
Bell’s uneasy stay at the crease finally came to an end, with just 2 off 30 balls, when he edged a simple chance through to Brad Haddin off Peter Siddle.
The mental scars of the previous four Test continued to be opened up, as England continued to free-fall, despite their excellent effort with the ball early on day one.
England could have lost another wicket when Ben Stokes earned an inside edge off the bowling
off Siddle, and replays showed it was taken by Haddin on the half-volley.
Stokes earned a big round of applause when he tucked a short ball off his hip, but rather than bringing up a 50 or triple figures, he merely became the first England batsman to crack double figures.
England’s woes with the bat on day two were so bad, the current top five batsman earned the distinction of being the first five ever to be dismissed for less than seven in the history of English Test cricket.
Despite this, Stokes (23 not out) and Ballance (17 not out) showed their teammates that is was possible to accumulate runs, with the first game player looking promising early on.
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