Starc strikes as England collapse in 2nd Ashes Test

London: Recalled paceman Mitchell Starc led Australia's charge as England collapsed to 325 all out in the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Friday.

The home side, who had resumed on 278-4, added 47 runs in 15.2 overs as the wickets tumbled, with Australia 91 runs ahead after making 416 in a first innings featuring Steve Smith's 110.

Starc, the only change to the Australia side that won the first Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston last week, took 3-88 in 17 overs.

England's sub-par performance with the bat meant they needed quick wickets but Usman Khawaja and David Warner survived a tricky 20-minute spell under the floodlights to reach 12-0 at lunch.

Several England batsmen, including opener Ben Duckett, who was out for 98, fell into a blatant hooking trap late on Thursday.

And England suffered a further setback off just the second ball of Friday's play when captain Ben Stokes fell for his overnight 17.

A delivery from left-arm express quick Starc leapt off a length and took the outside edge, with Cameron Green holding a sharp catch at second slip.

It was a morale-boosting start to the day for Australia, bidding for a first Ashes series win in England in 22 years, after off-spinner Nathan Lyon was unable to take the field.

A Cricket Australia spokesman said the bowler, at Lord's on crutches, had been diagnosed with a "significant calf strain".

BROOK BLOW

England rising star Harry Brook, 45 not out overnight after being dropped at square leg by Marnus Labuschagne on 25, completed a 63-ball fifty.

But his determination to bat in the aggressive 'Bazball' style that has helped England win 11 out of 14 Tests since Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces last year, then proved his undoing.

Brook backed away from a short Starc ball yet still tried to flat-bat the delivery down the ground.

But a high-risk manoeuvre ended with Brook slicing his stroke to extra-cover, where Australia captain Pat Cummins held a simple catch.

At 293-6 England were left looking to Jonny Bairstow, the last of their specialist batsmen, to get on level terms.

Bairstow, however, had only managed 16 when he chipped fast bowler Josh Hazlewood to Cummins at mid-on in a tame dismissal.

Broad, who once made 169 in a Lord's Test against Pakistan, had his confidence shaken when his nose was broken by a bouncer from India's Varun Aaron at Manchester in 2014.

And there was another worrying moment for the paceman on Friday when he was struck on the helmet by all-rounder Green.

But it was slow bowling that cost him his wicket.

Part-time spinner Travis Head, filling in for Lyon, took two wickets in five balls, a charging Ollie Robinson caught behind, before Broad was lbw.

Cummins then wrapped up the innings when tailender Josh Tongue fended to short leg. __ AFP