Australia takes 44-run lead in second Ashes test after England drops 5 catches

Opener Jake Weatherald led from the start of Australia's innings with 72 from 78 balls, Marnus Labuschagne (65) completed back-to-back half centuries, and stand-in skipper Steve Smith made 61 as bat dominated ball despite some uneven bounce at the Gabba.

Alex Carey was dropped before he'd scored and again on 25, but survived to be unbeaten on 46 off 45 balls at stumps. Michael Neser also got a reprieve before finishing not out 15 in a 49-run seventh-wicket stand.

Weatherald and Head “grabbed the momentum" early, Labuschagne said, and the rest of the Australian batters benefitted.

The series-opener in Perth was all over on Day 2, with Australia winning by eight wickets, but this day-night test in Brisbane seemingly still has a long way to go.

So far, Joe Root’s unbeaten 138 — his first Ashes century for England in Australia — remains the standout innings of the match.

The Australians were coasting at 291-3 in the night session until Brydon Carse took two wickets in four balls against the run of play. He ended a 95-run fourth-wicket partnership when Cameron Green (45) backed away too far and was clean bowled.

Carse had Carey fending a short ball on the next delivery but Ben Duckett grassed a regulation chance at gully.

Two balls later Smith pulled a short ball and Will Jacks took a stunning catch, reaching out one-handed to pluck it out of the air at deep backward square as Australia slipped to 292-5.

Carey and Josh Inglis rallied with 37 for the sixth wicket to get Australia within range of England's first innings 334 but there was more drama.

Duckett put down another catch, going with one hand at gully when Inglis (23) edged Ben Stokes. The England captain didn't rely on any help later in the over, though, when he angled a cutter back into Inglis’ middle stump.

Carse then put down a catch off Jofra Archer’s bowling when Neser was on six, giving yet another reprieve to the Aussies.

It got worse for England when Root put down a catch to his right when Carey edged between wicketkeeper and slip.

“Unfortunately, it's one of those days when a few (catches) didn't quite stick to hand," Root told British broadcaster TNT. “We've just got to make sure we stay confident, we stay up and when we get those chances later on in the fixture, we're ready to take them and we keep backing ourselves."

The England pace bowlers had heavy loads and weren't able to stick to a consistent length, with Archer bowling 20 overs and returning 1-74, Stokes having figures of 2-93 in 17 overs and Carse going for 3-113.

England's innings

England resumed Day 2 at 325-9 and added nine runs in 14 balls before No. 11 Archer was dismissed.

Root, the No. 1-ranked batter in test cricket, was 135 overnight and remained unbeaten when the 70-run last-wicket stand ended.

Australia's top order

Travis Head, the star of Australia's series-opening win, added 30 more runs after a getting a reprieve when he was dropped on three by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Archer in the ninth over.

Head ran out of luck when he rushed through his shot to a ball from Carse and skied a catch to Gus Atkinson, ending a 77-run opening stand.

Weatherald made the scoring look easy as he raced to 50 from 45 balls, stroking nine boundaries and a six with a series of cut shots and uppercuts. He moved to 72 before he was hit on the foot by a full delivery from Archer that trapped him in front.

Smith's arrival at the crease was greeted with boos and jeers by the Barmy Army and the stand-in Australia captain immediately had to duck under a 147 kph (91 mph) bouncer from Archer, the fastest delivery of the match.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 and seemed unperturbed until Stokes struck to slow the momentum, setting up an eventual night session.

Australia will resume Saturday, aiming to bat for time and get the chance to bowl at England with a relatively new ball under the lights.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket