David Warner bounces back from Edgbaston struggles with his highest score in England in EIGHT years
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David Warner made his highest score in England in eight years as Australia started the second Ashes Test on the front foot at Lord’s.
The veteran opener made a brisk 66 off 88 balls before being bowled by Josh Tongue, who had removed Usman Khawaja with the final delivery before lunch.
Making his Ashes debut, Tongue got one to shape in and nip off the seam, cutting Warner in half as he looked to drive him towards mid-on.
The dismissal leaves the 36-year-old one run short of becoming the 18th Australian to make 2,000 runs in the Ashes, but it’s his highest score since he made 85 in the first innings at The Oval in 2015.
Warner averages 26.86 in England, where he has never made a century in 30 innings, in comparison with a career average of 45.17 and 25 tons across 192 innings.
David Warner made 66 in the first innings of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s
The veteran opener was eventually cleaned up by a superb delivery from Josh Tongue
Warner is yet to make a century after 30 innings in England, where he averages 26.8
He endured a nightmare series in England four years ago, averaging 9.5 across five Tests with Stuart Broad dismissing him seven times in 10 innings.
Warner’s nemesis removed him for nine in the opening Test at Edgbaston – the 15th times he was dismissed by the England seamer – and looked to have snared the Aussie opener again on Wednesday.
Batting under gloomy skies at the Home of Cricket, Warner edged a delivery to fourth slip only for Ollie Pope to drop a two-handed catch in front of him.
Warner last month confirmed the current Ashes series will be his last and he will be desperate to sign off with a century while helping Australia to win the urn in England for the first time in 22 years.
The 36-year-old will retire from Test cricket after the series against Pakistan in December, with his final appearance scheduled to come at the SCG – his home ground.
The New South Welshman has been the subject of much scrutiny Down Under with his poor form heading into the series against England leading to calls for Pat Cummins to drop him from his side.
Cummins and Australia coach Andrew McDonald, however, have resolutely stood by Warner.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith became the second-fastest player in cricket history behind Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara to reach 9,000 Test runs.
Smith reached the milestone in 174 matches, two more than Sangakkara and three fewer than Ricky Ponting, the next Australian on the list.
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