Ashes day two report: England on the verge

The Ashes should be back with England today.
Against all expectations, prophesies and polls, the side led with increasing conviction by Alastair Cook will take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series against Australia.
It is so nearly done yet England, with the finishing line looming into view as they approached the final bend, had a worrying fit of the jitters. Four lapses - two dropped catches and two no balls which would have brought wickets - made a task that was never likely to be straightforward suddenly a whole lot more complicated.

At one stage in the afternoon it looked as though the fourth Investec Test would be over on its second day. The errors and a belated Australian cussedness, as if they remembered at last they were indeed Australian, ensured that there is still something left in the contest.

But perhaps Australia did not remember quite enough. With three days nominally left, the tourists are 241 in their second innings, 90 runs behind. It will have occurred to them that if they can convert this into a lead of, say 150, then they can transform their fortunes.

Ben Stokes, the combative all-rounder, was the most incisive of England