Joe Root excels as England ground Australia into the dust

Root,promoted to opener for the Ashes series after batting in the middle order against India and New Zealand,confirmed the class he has shown since scoring 73 on his Test debut last December. His technique,poise and clean,fluent driving on both sides of the wicket was of the highest order and marked him out as a worthy successor to his great Yorkshire predecessors Herbert Sutcliffe,Len Hutton,Geoff Boycott and Michael Vaughan.

Root reached his hundred with a cut to the point boundary and accelerated to pass 150 from 311 balls with 18 fours. He then struck two sixes over mid-wicket in leg-spinner Steve Smiths final over the day.

Review reprieve

Ian Bell,who was reprieved on three after an umpire review when he appeared to have edged Ryan Harris straight to Smith at gully,added 74 to his first-innings 109 in quick time against a flagging attack.

Peter Siddle,who took all three wickets to fall on Friday evening,bustled in with his customary energy from the Pavilion end at the start of play but neither he nor the other Australian paceman were able to extract anything from the pitch.

Another Yorkshireman,Tim Bresnan,sent in as nightwatchman on Friday,took 30 balls to get off the mark but was in no trouble thereafter,staying on the front foot and reaching 38 before he was caught at mid-wicket by Chris Rogers attempting a hook off James Pattinson.

Only 83 runs were scored in the opening session and 57 after lunch before the English batsmen cut loose after tea against spinners Smith and Ashton Agar.

Bell played all the shots in his locker,bringing up the 150 partnership with Root with a reverse sweep for four. He seemed set for his second hundred of the match and the fourth in his last three Ashes Tests when he pulled a long-hop from Smith straight to Rogers at mid-wicket.

Root told Sky Sports he had no idea when captain Alastair Cook planned to declare on Sunday and said he would just concentrate on playing his part for the team.

Last night was tough, he said. They Australia bowled exceptionally well and we knew today we were going to have to scrap for a bit and earn the right to score runs later in the day. I knew how hammering it home was important.

It was pretty special,as a kid growing up playing the Ashes is the pinnacle and to get a hundred and at Lords as well was a nice feeling.

The best thing is were in a good position to go on and set ourselves up for a win. If we can continue to play as well as we have done in this game hopefully that will happen.

KP picks up injury,again

LONDON: England batsman Kevin Pietersen will miss the rest of the second Ashes test against Australia due to a calf injury,the England and Wales Cricket Board ECB said on Saturday.

Kevin Pietersen will not take to the field for the remainder of the second Investec Ashes test with a scan today showing he has a left calf strain, it said in a statement.

Kevin will continue to be monitored and he will be assessed ahead of the third Test commencing Thursday 1 August.

Pietersen was out for two in the first innings and five in the second in the second test at Lords.

Australia will lose by Day 4: Gough

GULLANE: Australias indiscipline is costing them dear in the Ashes and players are making decisions for themselves rather than the team,bemused former England fast bowler Darren Gough said on Saturday. Gough declared himself amazed at Australias first-innings capitulation for 128.

The way they batted was absolutely remarkable, he told Reuters while attending the third day of the British Open at Muirfield. Australia had bowled England out for 361 and they should have been all set to come out and dominate. When opener Shane Watson was out in the last over before lunch and reviewed it,that was a terrible decision by him.

I think thats the problem for Australia they are more worried about their own personal performances than the team.

Captain Michael Clarke reviewed both his decisions in the first Test and they were wrong,Watson has also reviewed so many decisions in recent Test matches. It just goes to show theyre not using the review system well.

Gough said leading batsmen got themselves out on Friday. Usman Khawaja,Watson,Phil Hughes,there were some poor shots all day and its been a problem for Australia this season, he said. I thought the Ashes series was going to be really close but the way Australia have batted in both tests has been a huge disappointment.

If you take out the number 11s Ashton Agar 98 not out in the Nottingham test,they would have lost in three and a half days, said the 42-year-old Gough.

The way theyre going at Lords they will lose by day four and questions will be asked about an England clean sweep.

Gough said he was at a loss to explain Australias decision to send controversial batsman David Warner off to join the A squad in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Warner,for me,should be in the XI8230; He should be batting at number three in this Test,hes got aggression and has got a bit of fight in him. Thats what you want in your team.