The Ashes 2023 | England on top as Broad, Stokes take key wickets on second day

The Ashes 2023 | England vs Australia first Test in Edgbaston day 2

England seamer Stuart Broad dismissed top-ranked test batter Marnus Labuschagne for a golden duck on June 17 after David Warner had self-destructed as England reduced Australia to 78-3 at lunch on the second day of the Ashes opener.

The hosts took advantage of more bowler-friendly conditions to leave Australia still trailing by 315 runs.

England captain Ben Stokes claimed another key dismissal, trapping second-ranked Steve Smith leg before wicket just when Australia seemed to be recovering.

Australia went to lunch with a run-rate that was half that of England's in its 393-8 declared late on the first day. Opener Usman Khawaja hit a solid 40 not out and third-ranked Travis Head, who has a lot of work to do for his team, is 8 not out.

Broad took 2-17 and Stokes 1-6 from his three overs.

If the crowd was buoyed by Stokes deciding to bowl, amid national worry over his knee injury ahead of the first test, it went wild when Smith was given out leg before. The Aussie batting great instantly appealed the dismissal, thinking the ball was too high. He was wrong and Stokes had once more struck a key blow for England.

Warner earlier kept to the Ashes script by falling to Broad, his test nemesis who claimed the opening batter's wicket seven times in the last Ashes series.