Ashes 2nd Test Highlights, AUS vs ENG: Smith, Labuschagne, Weatherald key as Australia post 378/6; lead by 44 runs

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: A short of legth delivery by Atkinson, outside off. Smith is on the backfoot and punches it in front of backward point for a single. He gets to his 50!

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: 9 runs from this over as Smith and Green also smack Archer for two fours. Smith directs him past the empty gully region for a boundary. Green guides him through the same area in the final ball.

AUS - 256/3 (50) | ENG - 334

Australia trail by 78 runs

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Oh ouch! Extra bounce for Atkinson and it strikes him on his thumb. He is in immediate pain and needs attention – seems to have drawn some blood from his thumbnail. Painful one to see, you know how much that can hurt.

Nevertheless, 50 stand for Smith and Green. Four partnerships, four fifty partnerships in this innings. England just haven't been able to find those phases where they can quickly string together two or three wickets.

Deficit down to 88.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: That's a statement! He's had his duels with the paceman, but now with Archer just warming up, Smith just guides a bouncer off the face of his bat over the slips, all the way for six. Looked like he had all the time in the world to do that, and the deficit is in double digits.

243/3.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Welcome back. England need to make it competitive here with some key wickets, while Australia will be hungry to establish a lead. Neither team will win or lose the Test here – but it could very much decide the momentum heading into tomorrow.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Very good positive batting in this little phase from the two batters in. Not afraid to go for their shots and getting rewarded for it as the English are forced to set attacking fields in search of wickets.

What that means is that Smith is on 24* and Green is on 22* heading into the dinner break. Just 106 runs behind England with plenty of batting to come. They might just establish a lead in the night session – thinking for McCullum and co. to do.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Cameron Green is the man in at number 5, a promotion to take Travis Head's role. New man in with fading light is always a concern – but that will settle nerves. Full face of the bat, commanding through the covers. Good start for him.

209/3.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Where has that come from! Always Ben Stokes to get his team a wicket whent hey need it the most. It's just a lapse of concentration from Labuschagne, he was leaving those happily against Archer and Atkinson but tries to cut that one. Thin edge, well-taken behind by Jamie Smith.

196/3 now, and new batter in for the fading light. Can England make the opening count?

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Not great for England here! Ever since Atkinson and Archer have rotated out, Carse and Stokes have received some tap. Allowing the runs to come and for Australia to release all the pressure built up.

Half-hearted short ball tactic – targeting Labuschagne with it, but not really setting the field to bear its fruits.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Not the most convincing way to bring up his fifty with yet another top edge, but Labuschagne has left well and looked confident at the crease today. His excellent record in pink ball matches continues.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Really good over from Archer again at what you imagine to be the end of his spell, but it goes Australia's way! Labuschagne cramped up by a quick bouncer, hits the top edge, and just flies over the keeper for six! He's into the 40s now.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: A couple of very good overs back to back from Archer and Atkinson but not enough to pry apart this pair. They did draw a couple of false shots from Labuschagne and Smith, though. Need to keep this pressure up so Archer keeps going.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: THAT'S PLUMB! What a ball from Archer, a moment of. magic! Around the wicket, just hit for four, goes full pace and right at the base of the stumps. Weatherald has been shuffling across all innings, can't get his bat down in time, and that's a real toe-crusher. Archer doesn't even bother to appeal, he's off celebrating, and the umpire's finger goes up – no review!

Fine knock of 72, but so important for England.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Good signs for England as Weatheralnd flirts with one wide of off and nearly nicks it behind! He wasn't doing that in the first batting stint, was middling everything. England need one of these to produce a wicket.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: England need a couple of quick wickets because the needle is pointing all the way towards Australia right now.

Archer with the opening burst, trying to force a mistake.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: What that means ultimately is Australia not only saw off the new ball, but completely dominated it – and have ensured they have runs on the board for when the light begins to fade in Brisbane. The evening session will be a testing one, but the ball will be softer, the bowlers will be jaded, and going will be tough against set, aggressive batters.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Simplistic to call any sort of positive batting Bazball, but it will always draw comparisons when it is England on the receiving end of it. Weatherald has been spectacular to bring up his half-century, hitting ten fours and one six in this session and staying unbeaten on 59*.

Head's wicket to Carse saw him depart for 33, breaking the opening stand, but Labuschagne has come in and decided he will try and keep that momentum going. Five boundaries in his 27*(29) thus far. A lot for Ben Stokes and his men to think about.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: All Australia in this session. Weatherald races to 59* at more than run a ball. They do get Head's wicket thanks to a big leading edge, but Labuschagne comes in and continues the scoring. Australia will be very happy with how things have gone.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: This all a little too easy for the Aussie openers. Backing themselves to score runs on any ball in their arc. What is Stokes going to pull off?

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Salt in the wounds! 50 partnership up in the powerplay, this pair have picked up that England are bowling too short, and don't need a second invitation. Head gets one where his eyes light up, and he plays that fine sliced shot with his bat speed to clear the boundary for the first six of the innings.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: THAT WAS THE CHANCE! You have to take that as the wicketkeeper. Archer finds his rhythm, produces the edge from Head, and Jamie Smith does have to reverse his momentum, but that's very catchable. Just doesn't get into a great position and shells it as it thuds into his gloves. He's a good keeper, but that's a poor drop! That could be so important.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: That's great cricket! Weatherald punishes Atkinson. Too overpitched, and he just leans into a couple of beautifully timed cover drives and a sensational flick off his legs. Australia with a really good start!

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Oddly it's Head who has been the touch more watchful one early on. Weatherald also digging in.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Shot! Boundary. A little more room for Weatherald, and he goes after it. Easily pierces the point gap with power.

End of the over, surprised by a short one, top edges it miles back, but far enough over the head of Jamie Smith for four more.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: A little loose, but no runs off either Archer or Atkinson in the first two overs yet. But England need to tighten up a little bit to threaten early here.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Travis Head takes strike. Archer steams in. Sprays it down leg side first ball.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Wow! Wow! Spectacular in the deep from Labuschagne. Archer's shot is dying on him as it is getting to him, but he makes up the ground, stretches out, and palms it in one hand just before the ball hits the floor. Excellent effort.

Very good rearguard knock from Archer, and Root remains unbeaten on 138*. 334 all-out now, and it's finely balanced. Back soon.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Some shot! Almost identical to how Brook got out off Starc, but Archer has middled that one through the gap. Holds his pose for good measure. What a shot!

As we write that, he goes for it again and misses all ends up. Oh, well.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: And play begins! Root on 135*, taps a short one into the onside for a fot to get going.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Almost ready to begin now. Day-night Tests certainly have their critics, but you do need to admit that the atmosphere that the local crowd as well as the Barmy Army managed to drum up in last night's final session was something special and fun to watch. Every swing, every half-chance, the stadium holding its breath and responding in full voice. The Gabba reportedly doesn't have long left as an international cricket venue, the 2032 Olympics its deadline day, so the Brisbane locals will be hoping for plenty of memories in these next couple of days.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Australia will want to snap up that final English wicket quickly, and be ready to bat sooner rather than later. Not too far from when that should take place, as final preparations go ahead before play begins. Head and Weatherald expected to open for the Aussies.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Remember, no Mark Wood for team.England still have three seamers to turn to as well as Ben Stokes' golden arm – but they know they can't let the second innings drift at all. Proactive throughout the need of the hour, and key for that will be Jofra Archer. Archer looked in sublime touch in the first innings in Perth but didn't rise to top of the reckoning in the second innings. An even better effort needed.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Pink ball matches tend to follow a path which sees them become tougher and tougher to handle as the match progresses and that will be Australia's challenge over the course of this match. They will require focus from their top order but also positivity and application: Travis Head showed them the way in Perth, and it will be all about following that example in Brisbane.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: 260-odd for nine down and having suffered a late collapse, England looked to be heading back into the dressing room short of what would have been par. The Aussies had the upper hand, but once Archer and Root both started swinging, runs began to flow. It's a balance and competitive first outing from England, who have ensured that there is work to be done for the Australian batting.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: There seems to be nothing that can stop Mitchell Starc from taking bulk wickets at the moment. Everything worked out for Starc: a chop-on from Ollie Pope, two wild weird slashes from Harry Brook and Will Jacks, snapping up Gus Atkinson thanks to a truly spectacular catch by Alex Carey. It wasn't the prettiest set of wickets, but Starc came back time and again and made a difference – an ability worth its weight in gold to any captain.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Root was given able support by Zak Crawley, who had a pair in Perth and was on the chopping block. He showed up at the Gabba: down 5/2, he looked and played confidently, playing some positive strokes and keeping the runs moving along to put the pressure back onto Australia. A key innings to settle some of his nerves on a big series.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: Joe Root ended his Aussie hoodoo with his first century down under. He quietly made his way through the runs, innocuous at first, but then gradually took charge of the innings and looked at his very best by the end of day's play.

Ashes 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE Score, Australia vs England: An exciting and captivating start to the second Test yesterday, and more of the same to look forward to on today, the second day, as well. England are in a good position at 325/9, but we won't be too far from the Australian first innings where much of this match will be decided. Much to think about on an interesting day for cricket!