62nd over: Australia 160-3 (Smith 26, Khawaja 17) A rare maiden from Leach. Khawaja unable to pierce the field with the ball spinning into him from outside off stump. 61st over: Australia 160-3 (Smith 26, Khawaja 17) Smith calmly defuses another Anderson over, nurdling a couple of runs behind square leg for his troubles. Australia are an hour into the day and cruising. 60th over: Australia 158-3 (Smith 24, Khawaja 17) More who-knows-what from Leach and England. Neither attacking or defending, Australia are milking runs at will, and showing how much confidence he has in the match-up, Khawaja reverse sweeps extravagantly for four. 59th over: Australia 152-3 (Smith 23, Khawaja 12) Rain delay, what rain delay? After the brief interruption Smith straight drives Anderson for four. He looks in good order today. Andrew Benton is online. “‘It’s really not obvious what England are trying to achieve...’ Jonathan, you must know by now that everything England does is one big learning experience and that they’ll take that learning and apply it next time. See if they don’t.” Ahem. The shower has just about blown through, and we’ll be back on shortly. No overs lost. Rain stops play 58.3 overs: Australia 148-3 (Smith 19, Khawaja 12) A squally shower has just blown across the SCG. It doesn’t look set in, but the players are jogging off for the time being. 57th over: Australia 147-3 (Smith 19, Khawaja 11) More Leach. more easy runs for Australia. It’s really not obvious what England are trying to achieve with their spinner with gaps all over the place for the batters to pick at will, and no clear plan of attack for taking wickets. 56th over: Australia 145-3 (Smith 18, Khawaja 10) Anderson is settling into his work to Khawaja, slanting the ball across the left-hander, but he’s yet to find a penetrating line and length. Australia have settled into the day nicely. 55th over: Australia 144-3 (Smith 17, Khawaja 10) Jack Leach has been thrown the ball early on day two. From an England perspective there’s not much to get excited about - not helped by an ultra-defensive field - and Australia advance their score by four with the minimum of fuss. 54th over: Australia 140-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 9) After his early burst, Wood makes way for Anderson, and the veteran shows he’s still got some spite, rapping Khawaja on his knuckles with a delivery that launched off a length. Haseeb Hameed’s heavily strapped fingers must be quivering in the field. After the strike is rotated Anderson beats Smith’s outside edge (around a sixth-stump line). Good start from the record breaker. Colum Fordham has joined in. “It’s all very well to pick out Jimmy Anderson and Joe Root as our Test stars – and they are undoubtedly are – who do not feature in white ball cricket (although Root does play in ODIs). But Australia have just won the T20 World Cup with Hazlewood and Starc as their strike bowlers and many of the Aussie team play equally well in all formats (Warner is a shining example as a batsman). How do India, Australia and New Zealand, to name just a few cricket-playing nations, manage to play so well in all formats of the game? I think one of the ECB’s many mistakes over the last five or so years has been to focus almost entirely on white ball cricket, neglecting Test cricket (and county cricket along with it) but still try to milk test cricket for the kudos and the filthy lucre (Ashes tours), inviting Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa to tour England in difficult circumstances, but backing out of away tours at the first opportunity (noticeably Pakistan).” 52nd over: Australia 138-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 8) Wood offers Khawaja some width to drive and the Australian takes advantage, striking crisply square for his first three runs of the day. Smith then pulls with great control a very well directed bouncer. It only results in an easy single, but that was excellent cricket all round. Wood adjusts his approach to around the wicket to Khawaja, but he loses his line and concedes an easy leg-side run. 51st over: Australia 133-3 (Smith 13, Khawaja 4) A couple of thick edge squirts behind point earn Smith four runs and a bonus Broad teapot. A vintage Smith step to off and easy push to leg earns a couple more. Then he signals to the pavilion for more gloves, 18 minutes into the day. Tim Lane on the Channel 7 commentary just said that Steve Smith is breathing down the neck of his coach, talking over a graphic showing the leading run-scorers in the history of Australian cricket. Now I cannot rid my mind of the Ghost pottery scene playing out in the Australian dressing room. 50th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Mark Wood is coming over the wicket to Usman Khawaja, trying to slant the ball across the left-hander. Khawaja leaves smartly and defends from the crease with soft hands to see off a maiden. Australia starting the morning conservatively. 49th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Broad, after his solitary delivery warm-up, sends down a tight over to Smith, doing his best to bowl full and straight. 48th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Mark Wood is entrusted with the first full over the day, which pleases Ricky Ponting. And his extra pace tests Steve Smith, his third delivery beating Smith’s attempted pull and inducing an ungainly deflection off arm guard and thigh pad. The fidgety run machine then rotates the strike neatly, and Khawaja sees off the rest. I don’t think we need to concern ourselves with lost overs just yet. 47th over: Australia 126-3 (Smith 6, Khawaja 4) Stuart Broad sends down a decent delivery to complete the 47th over that was curtailed by rain last night, and we’re underway. Right, the players are out, day two will be underway in a jiffy. “Where do you come down on the idea of having a multi-format Ashes?” asks Ben Mimmack, no doubt prompted by Jonathan Liew’s comment piece on the idea. “Granted, I’m a middle-aged fogey but I just don’t enjoy watching any other format as much as I do Tests, so a multi-format series would be inherently less interesting for me. Plus, I can’t help but feel it would end up hastening the end of regular test series.” I am open minded. I am concerned we might be trying to fix something that isn’t broken, and end up in a world of disastrous unintended consequences. But also, the logic of Jonathan’s argument is difficult to refute. In an age when cricket’s global calendar must surely be up for revision, is a standalone five-Test series with no preparation fit for purpose? “Hi Jonathan,” hello Peter Salmon. “The question I have at this point is does Australia already have enough runs?” Ooh, you cheeky scamp. And yes, probably, for their first innings. Although maybe not for an innings victory quite yet. It’s warm, humid, and gusty at the SCG. There is a small risk of showers, but the odds are on our side for a full day’s play. The excellent pitch, with pace, bounce, and plenty of grass, is getting a heavy roll. Andy Bull has had enough of Ashley Giles. If Giles is right and more systemic change is needed, the pressing question is whether, given his track record in the job, he is the right man to lead it, given that he made such a mess of the (well-intentioned) rotation policy, and the mistake of binning the head selector to load more responsibility onto the coach. Ramaswamy has dropped by with a conspiracy bomb. “Pat Cummins chose to bat after winning the toss only to extend the Test into day 4, to maximise the McGrath Foundation’s fundraising. The showers will help, of course. This is one ‘fix’ that I have to applaud.” I wouldn’t put it past Post-Tim Pat to even be in control of the weather and dose out showers at an appropriate gap to ensure the Test reaches the final session of day five with all results still on the line. Andrew Biggs wins the Academy Award for the first email of the day, commenting on the relationship between England’s standout red ball performers and their lack of white ball exposure. Coincidence? He thinks not. “England’s two best cricketers have for different reasons not played white ball cricket. Jimmy took a decision not to, to prolong his career and Root has been overlooked.” That is clearly going to have to be central to England’s debrief. As Mike Atherton’s masterplan for the way forward indicated, surely it’s time for specialist coaches for each discipline, and I suspect, as a pathway for almost distinct identities for each category. Mark Wood bowled with raw pace at the SCG yesterday, but he was no guarantee to line up in the England XI after a “rough night” with illness. Geoff Lemon has looked at the latest episode in the Stuart Broad v David Warner epic. Here’s Barney Ronay’s take on a 24-hour period in which Test cricket flourished in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Start your day of cricket by listening to Geoff Lemon, Adam Collins, and Emma John chew the fat. Preamble Hello everybody and welcome to live over-by-over coverage of the second day of the fourth Ashes Test. We’re underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground at 10am local time (11pm UK). That’s right, we’re underway half an hour earlier than usual today - although it might feel like an hour earlier, considering how many delayed starts there have been this series for one reason or another. There wasn’t a whole heap to wax lyrical about yesterday because the many showers floating around Sydney prevented any rhythm to the play. The pitch looks good for batting, but there’s enough assistance for the bowlers if they put the ball in the right areas often enough. David Warner looked in good nick before his nemesis Stuart Broad did what he usually does. James Anderson found some swing but lacked precision. Mark Wood was quick. Marcus Harris consolidated his status at the top of the order after his runs at the MCG. Here’s how Ali Martin saw things from the SCG press box. The forecast today is still showery, but there is far less risk of any interruptions to play. The Test should move forward considerably in the extended sessions. If you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).