BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Jake Weatherald led a counterattacking start to Australia's innings Friday, posting his maiden test half-century as the hosts reached 130-1 at the first interval on Day 2 in reply to England's 334 in the second Ashes test.
Weatherald, who was out for a second-ball duck in his test debut last month in Perth, scored an unbeaten 59 and shared partnerships of 77 with Travis Head (33) and 53 with Marnus Labuschagne
Only two wickets fell in the first session — one for each team — in warm, bright afternoon conditions in the day-night match at the Gabba.
England resumed Day 2 at 325-9 and added nine runs in 14 balls before No. 11 Jofra Archer was dismissed, leaving Joe Root unbeaten on 138.
The No. 1-ranked batter in test cricket posted his maiden hundred in an Ashes match Down Under late on Day 1 and shared a 70-run last-wicket stand with Archer.
The Australians wasted no daylight, with the 31-year-old Weatherald making the scoring look easy as he raced to 50 from 45 balls, stroking nine boundaries and a six with a series of cuts and uppercuts.
Head, who was the star of Australia's series-opening eight-wicket win in Perth, added 30 runs after a getting a reprieve when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith in the ninth over off Archer's bowling.
He immediately went on the attack, encouraged by Weatherald's confident start.
Labuschagne replaced Head at the crease and followed in the same mode, hitting 27 off 29 balls as the Australians scored at a run-rate of 6.19 in 21 overs.
Brendan Doggett picked up the last of the England wickets on the 14th ball of the day for Australia when Archer hooked and Labuschagne took a diving, one-handed catch at backward square. England’s innings lasted 76.2 overs.
Root faced 206 deliveries in his drought-breaking century, his first in four Ashes tours to Australia.
Archer's 38 came off 36 balls, his career-highest test score containing two sixes and two boundaries including a classic square drive in Mitchell Starc's first over of the day.
Root shared crucial stands of 117 with Zac Crawley (76), 54 with Harry Brook (31) and 70 with Archer.
Starc returned 6-75 from 20 overs to increase his series haul to 16 wickets.
The pink ball is difficult to play as the sun fades and the lights come on in the day-night test matches, a situation that could help England's bowlers peg back Australia's early run-rate.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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