Crazy days continue at Lord’s as England turn screw

Swann took 5-44 to help bowl Australia out for only 128, and establish a first-innings lead of 233.

England unsurprisingly chose not to enforce the follow-on, on a pitch already offering ample turn and bounce, only to lose three wickets for eight runs to Peter Siddle to close day two of this second Investec Test on a fretful 31-3 themselves.

Australia were compliant in their own collapse, from 42-0, after Swann and Stuart Broad’s counter-attacking last-wicket stand of 48 had earlier already swung the match England’s way despite Ryan Harris’’s 5-72.

It was especially hard on Harris, back for his first Test in more than 15 months after a succession of injuries, to be bowling again within four-and-a-half hours.

But it was to be Siddle (3-4) who did the damage as Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott both played on, and then a profligate Kevin Pietersen slapped a catch straight to point to go for his second single figure score of the match.

Even so, it was still hard to envisage a scenario by which England do not go 2-0 up with three to play at some point over the next three days – via a more comfortable winning margin than the 14 runs by which they prevailed in the memorable opening Test at Trent Bridge.

The wicket of Shane Watson – to the final ball before lunch – prefaced a passage of play in which Australia squandered their two permitted DRS procedures and none of their batsmen could halt the slide.

With 30 to his name, Australia’s top score, opener Watson got pad rather than bat in line with the ball after Cook had switched Tim Bresnan to the pavilion end.

Watson was also responsible for chancing, and losing, Australia’s first review; then, when Chris Rogers was also judged lbw – missing a box-high full-toss from Swann – he merely trudged off, to be greeted in the dressing-room by ‘Hawkeye’ footage showing the ball missing leg-stump.

Australia’s horror sequence of DRS misuse was concluded when Phil Hughes called for the process after Kumar Dharmasena gave him out caught-behind attempting to flash a drive off Bresnan.

This time, there was insufficient evidence on video and enhanced audio replay for third umpire Tony Hill to overturn the original decision.

Usman Khawaja had already survived when Jonathan Trott dropped a straightforward catch at slip off Swann, but he could not take advantage – mistiming an attempted big hit at the off-spinner to be comfortably caught at deep mid-off.

Turn, bounce and good reactions from short-leg Ian Bell allowed Swann to have Steve Smith caught off his glove.

Australia captain Michael Clarke still stood in England’s way, but not for long before Broad had him lbw with a full-length inswinger.

Then, just to properly complete a session in which Australia had imploded, they threw in a self-inflicted run-out too.

Ashton Agar and Brad Haddin dug in for eight overs but mustered only five runs together, before a mix-up over a single saw the teenager short of his ground as Matt Prior ferried the ball to the non-striker’s end from behind square on the leg-side.

Australia’s tail is notably capable, but there was to be no way back after tea.

Siddle poked an edge to second slip off Anderson; Haddin was also caught at slip after aiming to hit Swann to leg, and the off-spinner – who yesterday moved into England’s all-time top 10 Test wicket-takers – made up for dropping a routine caught-and-bowled chance to get No 11 Harris anyway, smartly caught at deep mid-on.

Broad, Swann and Anderson had bolstered England’s patchy first innings, raising home spirits and denting Australia’s by grabbing an extra 72 runs for the final two wickets.

Harris made the shortest possible work of Bresnan, the first ball of the day shaping up the slope to take the edge for caught-behind.

Four wickets had fallen for 18 runs, but Anderson and Broad each struck the still errant James Pattinson for off-side boundaries.

Harris broke through again, one delivery after Anderson had edged low but at catchable height between wicketkeeper and slip, again finding the edge as Haddin did the rest this time.

Broad and Swann were not about to go quietly, however, climbing into a succession of boundaries – including three from England’s new No 11 in one over off Harris.

It was not until Pattinson returned for one last spell that he finally got his first wicket to close the innings, Broad edging behind on the back foot for Haddin’s fifth catch. DRS confirmed that the last act of a hectic first hour, which just about attuned senses for what was to follow.