ENG vs AUS Ashes 2nd Test, Day 3 Highlights: Rain forces early Stumps, Australia lead by 221

Day 1 saw Marsh slam 118 runs off 118 balls, clattering 17 fours and four sixes as Australia reached 263 in 60.4 overs. It proved to be crucial as the other batters failed to perform upto expectations.

That's that! We say sayonara early today thanks to the sky spitting on Lord's. Australia firmly in the driver's seat. Usman Khawaja has followed up the century and half century scored in the first Test with 58 off 123 and he has a solid looking Steve Smith at the other end on six off 24. It has been hard work for England with not too much reward, James Anderson and Josh Tongue have got a wicket each.

But don't get your hopes up. No big movements among the ground staff at the moment. 

The bowler run ups have also been covered now in addition to the hover cover being present. It is getting wetter and grayer. Does seem like a miracle if we come back on now.

Right the forecasted rain has come in and the umpires decide there is enough to call the players off. Ollie Robinson was bowling his 10th over, the 46th over of the innings overall. Australia are 130/2, lead by 221 runs. Usman Khawaja on 58 off 123, Steve Smith on six off 24.

Anderson goes down the leg side good length to Smith, the Australian vice captain follows it and it goes just fine of leg slip. That would have been some way to be dismissed and he has fallen like that in the past remember. 

Well he has got out to Jimmy after all and not the Nighthawk! Very soft dismissal there, Labuschagne just steers a short and wide delivery to backward point. That was probably one of the few bad balls that Anderson has bowled this day and he gets a wicket off that. Go figure. The stand ends on 60 off 96.

Labuschagne c Brook b Anderson 30 (51), Australia 123/2 in 40.1 overs

Australia are 118/1, Khawaja on 57 off 113, Labuschagne on 25 off 45. Labuschagne quite uncomfortable against Broad but not so much against Anderson, who is not at all happy it seems with where his foot is landing at both ends of the pitch. The anger, though, might be rooted more in the fact that despite England bowling quite well today, Australia are 118/1.

Full toss from Broad, elegently driven down the ground by Khawaja for yet another half century in this series. It has been a good one for him. He has got to 53 now in 105 balls. 

Well how about that for a session from Australia. They staved off the English bowlers while maintaining a fairly good run rate and it does look like the hosts will have a target in excess of 400 to chase unless there is a collapse in the final session. Usman Khawaja is on 45 off 93, Marnus Labuschagne on 8 off 23.

Labuschagne was given out LBW off the second ball of the 27th bowled by Tongue. He had a long conversation with Khawaja before taking the review. As it turns out, the impact was outside off and so this time, the batter wins the DRS battle. Tongue, though, is turning out to be a real handful.

Josh Tongue has got David Warner. What a first Ashes Test the pacer is having. Struck on the pads and Warner takes the review after the umpire raises his fingers. Well that was a review wasted away as the ball is smashing into leg stump, ball tracking shows. That's the end of Warner.

Warner lbw b Tongue 25 (76), Australia 63/1

This opening stand right now is looking quite serene and England haven't really been able to put either Khawaja or Warner in too much trouble thus far. 

Pitched full outside off by Broad for the second ball of the 10th, Khawaja brings out a gorgeous on drive and sends the ball past mid-on. Takes Australia to 26/0, they lead by 116.

Usman Khawaja takes strike with David Warner at the other end. James Anderson has the ball in his hands and he is set to bowl the seventh over of the innings. 

Rain was forecast during the afternoon and the hover cover has been brought on for the pitch. Well, well, we let's hope nothing untoward happens now. 

Good solid start here from David Warner and Usman Khawaja and they have ensured that Australia have all their wickets to utilise in the second session of the day. 

Nothing for Warner to score off in that first over. The third ball, infact, fizzed past the shoulder of his bat.

Australia have a lead of 91 to build on. Josh Tongue is the last man to fall and fittingly, it is to the short ball. Tries to pull and gets caught at short leg.

Broad reviews straightaway, though surely out of hope more than anything else. Three reds and he has to go!

Travis Head strikes with his first ball of the over! A bit of exra bounce from him, Robinson gets an outside edge and Carey does well to rise with the ball and glove it. 

Robinson c Carey b Head 9 (10), England 324/8

England 324/7 in 75 overs, trail by 92 runs. Green's bumper hits Broad on the helmet. There was that loud clang of the ball hitting the grill of the helmet and replays show that it seems to have hit him between that gap between the visor of the helmet and the grill. "I think a tooth's moved," says Broad when asked by one of the Australians if he is allright. Robinson calls for the physio.

Australia now hurtling towards a big, big lead now. Bairstow has hit it straight to Pat Cummins at mid-on and the Australian captain seems bemused by that one. Hazlewood is in disbelief as well. Looks he tried to hit this down the ground but couldn't quite get the direction right. 

Bairstow c Cummins b Hazlewood 16 (36), England 311/7

Green goes back of a length outside off, Broad opens his arms and crunches it over cover. That was a shot and a half.

They still trail by 116. Polite applause around Lord's for the milestone. Bairstow is on 11 off 28, Broad was on 2 off 11. Then Hazlewood and Stuart “Nighthawk” Broad goes for, you guessed it, the hook! He toe edges it and thankfully for him and England, it falls in no-man's land. England continue putting their need to entertain above their chances to level the Ashes.