Ben Stokes has revealed how an “awkward” changing room encounter with a new convert to Test cricket helped reinforced England’s commitment to ‘Bazball’.

England’s policy of all-out attack saw them lose the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston in a nerve-racking finale, with some high-profile pundits suggesting more pragmatism might be required to overcome Australia in the coming weeks.

Stokes was never likely to abandon his principles this week at Lord’s, not after spending a year making the case for a style he feels can help save the Test format, and there are good reasons to suggest he is on to something.

As well as winning 11 of their last 14 games, England attracted record television viewing figures in the series opener despite the result.

But for Stokes, the realisation that his methods were cutting through came in unexpected circumstances during a family break at Durham’s Seaham Hall hotel.

“I had a conversation in the men’s changing room at a spa about the game, which was a bit awkward,” he said.

“He said ‘are you the cricketer or do you just look like him?’ And I was like, yeah, it is me. He just said, ‘I went down to the pub after work and I don’t even follow cricket, I was just going to go down for a quick few’. He ended up having a few more and said he was just transfixed on the game.

“So when you hear stuff like that it obviously makes you feel good about what we’re doing, that it’s bringing a new fanbase to the game and it’s reaching people that it might never have reached before. That’s what we’re about.

“We’re all about growing the game and just making it bigger than what it is right now, and I think we’ve managed to achieve that quite well.

“When you take the game away and you have these people coming up to you and saying just how eye-catching and great it is to watch, you understand that what we are doing is very, very good.

“We always want to win every game we play, but if we don’t come away with the win at the end then let’s move on to the next game and let’s keep going.”

With Jofra Archer and Olly Stone already sidelined, England’s hunger for express pace will once again go unfulfilled at the home of cricket.

Stokes wanted to bring in the rapid Mark Wood to add a new dimension to his attack but the 33-year-old, who last played red-ball cricket in December, was unable to guarantee he could deliver at 100 per cent over five days and is instead targeting the third Test at Headingley.

Josh Tongue, who took five wickets on Test debut against Ireland earlier this month, has been called up instead, with Moeen Ali dropping out in part due to concerns over the wound on his right index finger which hampered his effectiveness at Edgbaston.

Having already lost first-choice spinner Jack Leach to a stress fracture, England may be starting to think their hopes of regaining the urn are doomed by misfortune, but Stokes credits Zak Crawley’s delivery of an old Chinese proverb with removing any such worries.

Crawley may seem an unlikely figure to take on the Eric Cantona role of athlete-turned-philosopher, but the Kent opener recited a parable to his team-mates, telling the story of a farmer whose apparent bad luck ends up bringing positive outcomes.

Asked if he felt circumstances were conspiring against his plans for the series, Stokes said: “You could think like that, but Zak actually made an unbelievable speech yesterday in the huddle. It was around a Chinese farmer and luck.

“One thing happens and it might not mean it’s the end of the world. You don’t know why things happen, if it’s for a good reason or not, it’s just one of those things to deal with.”

For Tongue, he has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his mark on the biggest stage in English cricket.

“I’ve dreamt as a young kid growing up about playing in an Ashes series, so to get the nod now is that dream come true,” he said.

“I knew the step up from county cricket to international cricket would be a big one, and playing here at Lord’s was a very special moment for myself having never played here before.

“To then get five wickets against Ireland on my debut was an incredible feeling and should give me confidence ahead of another chance against Australia.

“I’m just looking forward to getting going and trying to do what I can to help the team.

“I feel like I can add a bit more pace and bounce to the attack and hopefully I can get a few wickets for the team as well. Whatever Stokesy asks me to do for the team I’m here to do it as best I can.”

A lot can change in a year – just ask Josh Tongue, who has gone through the emotional gamut of thinking his playing career might be over to providing England’s X-factor in a Lord’s Ashes Test.

Earmarked for success from an early age, Tongue’s accuracy and an extra yard of pace from a high action always attracted nods of appreciation and it seemed only a matter of time before England came calling.

But two years ago, the onset of a shoulder injury put any international dreams on hold in what became a 15-month battle that left him wondering at his lowest ebb whether he was finished at the top level.

Tongue even consulted the Professional Cricketers’ Association about alternative career options given the severity of the problem, which left him unable to feel his entire right arm, much less grip the ball.

Regular bouts of numbness and pins and needles flummoxed a couple of shoulder specialists, with two operations unable to provide any relief, while a third might have involved the removal of a rib.

Tongue acknowledged last month he had a “very rare injury to have as a cricketer”, but, just as all hope seemed lost, a third consultant detected an impingement in his arm artery after an ultrasound.

Rather than go under the knife again, an unorthodox suggestion of a Botox injection to the neck was prescribed, which led to Tongue back bowling again within a couple of months.

The jabs are not a cure – he has already had a second dose to get through the summer – but the initial hit alleviated his thoracic outlet syndrome to the extent he could return to action in August 2022.

“It was a bad time, but I’m feeling good now and I’m just glad to be back on the park and enjoying my cricket,” he said.

Despite a handful of appearances last year, Tongue was drafted into the England Lions squad to face Sri Lanka and he seized his chance in Galle, collecting an eight-wicket match haul, including a first-innings five for 76, in an unofficial Test on a track renowned for being a graveyard for seam bowlers.

Tongue, who began a lifelong association with Worcestershire aged six when he turned out for their under-10s, then saw his stock skyrocket after he snared the exalted Sussex pair of Steve Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara in an LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match last month at New Road.

Getting a leg-before verdict over Smith was the feather in Tongue’s cap, even if the suspicion was the ball might have been climbing too high. With no DRS available, an aggrieved Smith had to trudge off.

“I’m calling it a bail-trimmer, it looks nice on the scorecard,” a beaming Tongue said afterwards.

He continued to showcase his appetite for the big occasion after answering England’s SOS for the one-off Test against Ireland in the absence of injury concerns James Anderson and Ollie Robinson.

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes were sufficiently impressed to throw the strapping 25-year-old in at the home of cricket for his international debut, where he touched 91mph and took a second-innings five-for.

While his more experienced colleagues were selected for the Ashes opener at Edgbaston, he seems set to provide the point of difference as England go into the second Test with an all-seam attack at Lord’s.

Preferred to Mark Wood – the Durham man is quicker but concerns remain about his readiness to play a Test for now – Tongue will be hoping his success against Smith in particular was no one-off.

But he would be forgiven if he took a brief moment at some point this week to reflect with some satisfaction on just how far he has come in such a short space of time.

England and Australia renew their battle for the Ashes on Wednesday with plenty on the line ahead of the second Test at Lord’s.

A two-wicket win for the tourists in Birmingham has put Pat Cummins’ side in the driving seat to retain the urn but the confidence of Ben Stokes’ men and their commitment to the aggressive ‘Bazball’ style remains undeterred.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the key talking points before the action gets under way at the home of cricket.

Australia braced for Tongue-lashing

Josh Tongue’s surprise inclusion in England’s XI continues his superb ascent since contemplating retirement from the game last year. Tongue impressed on his Test debut against Ireland at the start of June, but this will be a step up in opposition and occasion. While plenty had predicted England could go with an all-seam attack for the second Test, especially given Moeen Ali’s finger injury, Mark Wood had been expected to get the nod. Instead, Tongue will try to ruffle some Australian feathers with his pace and some short-pitched bowling.

Another day one declaration?

The knifes were out after England lost the thrilling series opener over the decision of captain Stokes to declare on the first day at Edgbaston with centurion Joe Root well set and England on 393 for eight. England’s vice-skipper Ollie Pope insisted there was method behind the so-called “madness” during his press conference on Monday and in truth, the bold choice – in keeping with the ‘Bazball’ style – ensured a result occurred on the final day. Could the same happen at Lord’s? You bet, with England wedded in their commitment to push the game on at every opportunity.

All eyes on Jonny

The instant post-mortem from Edgbaston also saw scrutiny heighten on Jonny Bairstow’s role behind the stumps. Bairstow, preferred at the start of this summer to Ben Foakes, endured a mixed display with a string of missed chances countered by his excellent 78 in the first innings. There was never any suggestion Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum would recall Foakes at Lord’s, but Bairstow will hope for a strong display with the gloves to quieten the doubters. The majority of the blots on his wicket-keeping copybook in Birmingham also happened in the first innings with the hosts hopeful that would have been down to rustiness.

Can Robinson’s ‘nude nuts’ deliver again

Ollie Robinson has copped plenty of flak since his headline-grabbing exploits in the first Test. An expletive-laden send-off to Usman Khawaja saw the Sussex seamer quickly become public enemy number one Down Under. Aussie greats Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have dished out criticism – hilariously almost in order of their old batting positions – but the real theatre this week will be how Cummins’ current charges tackle the challenge of Robinson’s “nude nuts” that have claimed 71 wickets at an average of 21.15 in 17 Tests.

Will Aussie star duo fail again?

What made Australia’s series-opening victory all the more impressive was the minimal contribution by star batting duo Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, who made a combined total of 31 runs. Cummins sent a warning to England on Tuesday when he talked about how history suggests lightning will not strike twice when it comes to the reliable pair, with 41 Test centuries between them, potentially failing again at Lord’s. After Smith and Labuschagne tormented England in the last Ashes series here in 2019, the home of cricket is braced for more of the same.

Paul Stirling’s century earned Ireland their solitary win in the Cricket World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 138-run victory against the United Arab Emirates.

The opener’s impressive knock of 162 was complemented by half-centuries from Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector, with the UAE unable to find valuable partnerships to chase a victory target of 350.

It was a bittersweet ending for Ireland, whose hopes of reaching the final six had already been dashed by defeats in their three previous matches, meaning they finished second-bottom in Group B.

After being put in to bat, Ireland lost Andy McBrine for 24 after he was lbw to Sanchit Sharma, but Stirling and captain Balbirnie ran riot as the pair put on 184 for the second wicket.

Ali Naseer found the long-awaited breakthrough in the 39th over as Balbirnie was caught for 66 and Stirling scored another 29 runs before he was caught by Karthik Meiyappan off Sanchit Sharma.

Tector added 57 before Sanchit Sharma struck again in the penultimate over, Meiyappan with another catch, and Ireland finished on 349 for four thanks to a tidy partnership of 23 from Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell at the death.

The UAE got off to a decent start until captain Muhammad Waseem was run out for 45 and wicketkeeper Aryansh Sharma followed shortly after.

Josh Little struck in quick succession to dismiss Vriitya Aravind and Ethan D’Souza before McBrine struck twice in the 21st over to get rid of Naseer and Aayan Afzal Khan.

Basil Hameed put on a valuable 70-run partnership with Sanchit Sharma, the pair taking their side from 109 for six to 179 without further loss, but Hameed was dismissed by Dockrell for 39.

Curtis Campher then picked up two wickets in an over, Sanchit Sharma falling for 44 and Junaid Siddique for six, before Dockrell took the final wicket to hand Ireland the victory with 11 overs to spare.

England’s mission to reclaim the Women’s Ashes for the first time since losing them in 2015 has grown harder after defeat in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge.

With Australia building a 4-0 points lead, England face having to win at least four and almost certainly five of the white-ball matches to come out on top of this multi-format series.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what they could do to boost their chances of ending Australia’s one-sided dominance in this contest.

Australia started as favourites and after prevailing in a see-saw Test they will be cock-a-hoop as the ODI and T20 world champions head to their white-ball comfort zone.

England unquestionably have a mountain to climb. They have not beaten Australia in any format in four years while their last win when the Ashes was still in the balance was back in October 2017.

However, it was palpable how relieved Australia were at the end in Nottingham, with Tahlia McGrath confessing the tourists were frequently “panicking” as England landed several meaningful blows.

Recent history may be against them but England cannot be discouraged by the events of the last few days and more importantly they must believe that all-conquering Australia can be toppled.

Head coach Jon Lewis has attempted, alongside captain Heather Knight, to hard-wire an attacking mindset into the DNA of this side.

The approach is yet to have tangible success with early signs of promise at the T20 World Cup followed by a deflating semi-final exit, while they had Australia on the rocks a couple of times only to let them off the hook.

Lewis has promised England will “go harder” in the three T20s – the first of which is at Edgbaston on Saturday – and three ODIs that follow.

It is high-risk, high-reward strategy, but frankly what do England have to lose by going with this template?

Australia won all of them in Nottingham.

Consider that they were 238 for six in their first innings while England had 448 on the board before they lost their seventh wicket, yet it was the visitors who banked a 10-run lead.

Or openers Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield taking advantage of some England fatigue to pile on 82 in 19 overs, laying the foundations for a total that proved out of reach.

Or the coup de grace that saw England lose four top-order wickets in 29 balls on the penultimate evening, which left too much to do for the other batters.

The limited-overs matches will not ebb and flow as much – but if England get on top, they cannot allow Australia to wriggle free again.

England’s premier all-rounder worryingly collapsed to the turf at the end of her ninth over in Australia’s second innings – restricted to bowling just 14 in the Test after jarring her right knee.

It might be that she can fulfil her four-over quota as the bowlers’ workload comes down drastically but why take the risk?

England need her batting far more – she probably has the highest ceiling while Australia will still remember her unbeaten 148 in last year’s World Cup final, the most recent ODI between the teams.

Lauren Filer was able to unsettle Australia stars Ellyse Perry and McGrath with extra pace, regularly climbing into the mid-70mph range.

Filer looks set to miss out, at least on the T20 portion of the series, because England deem her more suitable for Tests so Wong should come into the reckoning.

The 21-year-old has never come up against Australia but has shown a flair for the big stage, including a hat-trick in the Women’s Premier League, where she also took three crucial wickets in the final.

England have thrown rookie seamer Josh Tongue into his first Ashes Test after concerns over the readiness of spinner Moeen Ali and paceman Mark Wood.

Tongue, who took five wickets on his international debut against Ireland earlier this month, replaces Moeen in a four-strong seam attack at Lord’s in what will be easily the biggest game of the 25-year-old’s career.

Moeen recovered well after a burst blister on his right index finger reduced his ability to bowl effectively in the series-opening defeat at Edgbaston, but some concerns of a recurrence still lingered.

Captain Ben Stokes admitted he would have liked to call on Wood, one of the fastest bowlers in the world, to freshen up the attack but the Durham quick has not played red-ball cricket since December and there were worries over his readiness to fire over the course of five days.

“With how Mo’s finger was last week – it’s actually recovered really well – but we just thought we would get more out of our fourth bowler being Josh Tongue this week,” Stokes explained.

“We wanted to play Mark Wood. We felt that he could definitely start the game, but with conversations we felt the extra week of build-up and getting his loads up would give him a better chance and an opportunity to play a full part from Leeds (the third Test at Headingley) onwards.

“We brought Tonguey into the team as a like-for-like with Woody. I’m looking forward to seeing Tonguey continue the great start he had against Ireland here. The only thing that’s different is the occasion for him.

“He’s had his first Test match, his debut game, which he’s had huge success from. Coming in and being able to use him in a fourth seamer role is something that I’m very much looking forward to him being able to do and I think he’s really looking forward to the challenge as well.”

Stokes commended the Worcestershire seamer for his willingness to take on different roles against the Irish, hinting England saw him as a potential enforcer alongside the subtler skills of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson.

“His first spell was just running up and bowling, trying to bowl wicket-taking deliveries, then we used him in a different way where we attacked the Ireland batters with our short-ball plan,” Stokes said.

“Broady, Jimmy and Robbo will tell you it’s always nice having someone who can bowl at 90mph doing it. Just having that versatility as a bowler this week is going to be very useful.”

Jon Lewis insisted optimism is higher than ever within the England dressing room despite defeat in the lone Test leaving them with an uphill struggle in the Women’s Ashes.

Australia’s 89-run triumph at Trent Bridge handed them a 4-0 points lead, meaning England have to win at least four and more likely five of the six white-ball matches to prevail in the multi-format series.

The last time England beat Australia when the Ashes was still in the balance was in October 2017 – they also won twice the following month and in July 2019 but those games were effectively dead rubbers.

History might be against them but England head coach Lewis believes many of his players see Australia, the ODI and T20 world champions and Commonwealth Games gold medallists, through a different lens.

“I think the belief has grown,” Lewis said. “We came in with a little bit of unknown and trepidation, not quite sure how things were going to pan out.

“Four or five players reflected to me that one of the biggest things they’ve learned is how close they are to beating this Australia side.

“We played some really exciting cricket across the five days and Australia just did it for a little bit longer and a little bit better. But we’re encouraged by that performance.

“I know it sounds strange when we lost the game but I can really sense the belief in the dressing room that we can win both white-ball series.”

Lewis – who worked briefly as a bowling coach for the England men’s side under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes – and captain Heather Knight have tried to foster a more proactive mindset in recent months.

Knight lamented England had been “too aggressive” in their pursuit of wickets in Australia’s second innings which ultimately allowed the tourists to get to a total that was out of reach.

“I don’t think (Heather) was too aggressive at all,” Lewis said. “We could have executed our skills better. What happened is the girls just tried too hard, which can happen in games of multi-day cricket.

“Is that the thing that cost us the game? I don’t think so. We said we were going to take the game on at every opportunity and at times you have to absorb pressure from the opposition in long games.

“I couldn’t be happier with the mindset the girls went out to play with.”

England have little time to lick their wounds with the first of three T20s – each worth two points, the same as the three ODIs that follow – at Edgbaston on Saturday evening.

While Lauren Filer made an impression on international debut as her pace troubled Australia’s batters at Nottingham, her inexperience and raw ability means she is unlikely to be included in the T20 squad.

“She’s left a couple of scars on the Australian team,” Lewis said. “I think she’s really well suited to Test cricket – being able to bowl multiple short balls and to have the field a bit more spread.

“You’ve got to remember she’s 22 years old, I don’t know how many games of cricket she’s played, I can’t imagine it’s many more than 20-25 in her professional career.”

Similarly, Tammy Beaumont’s exclusion from the sprint format team – she was dropped last year because of a 108.37 strike-rate – seems set to continue despite a historic double century at the weekend.

However, Lewis added: “She’s moved very much further forward in our thinking. Tammy’s really turning the screw on everyone in this side because she’s pretty vocal that she wants to play T20 cricket.”

England have decided to go with an all-seam attack for the second Ashes Test against Australia, but surprisingly selected Josh Tongue as the fourth seamer.

Moeen Ali, who struggled with a burst blister on his right index finger at Edgbaston, is left out in the only change from the narrow two-wicket defeat in the series opener.

All-rounder Moeen appeared to allay any concerns over his fitness by taking a full part in Monday’s net session, but captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have chosen to go with four seamers at Lord’s.

Tongue is preferred to the express pace of Mark Wood, who has not played Test cricket since December.

Seamers Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts were also overlooked.

Worcestershire bowler Tongue only made his Test debut against Ireland earlier this month but impressed with a maiden five-wicket haul and relished his chance to be the enforcer with a string of first-innings bouncers on a slow pitch at Lord’s.

England could have picked teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, called up to the squad on Friday, had they wanted to go with another spin option, but have opted for Tongue and will rely on Joe Root’s part-time off-breaks in their efforts to level the series in London.

England have decided to go with an all-seam attack for the second Ashes Test against Australia, but surprisingly selected Josh Tongue as the fourth seamer.

Moeen Ali, who struggled with a burst blister on his right index finger at Edgbaston, is left out in the only change from the narrow two-wicket defeat in the series opener.

All-rounder Moeen appeared to allay any concerns over his fitness by taking a full part in Monday’s net session, but captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have chosen to go with four seamers at Lord’s.

Tongue is preferred to the express pace of Mark Wood, who has not played Test cricket since December.

Seamers Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts were also overlooked.

Worcestershire bowler Tongue only made his Test debut against Ireland earlier this month but impressed with a maiden five-wicket haul and relished his chance to be the enforcer with a string of first-innings bouncers on a slow pitch at Lord’s.

England could have picked teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, called up to the squad on Friday, had they wanted to go with another spin option, but have opted for Tongue and will rely on Joe Root’s part-time off-breaks in their efforts to level the series in London.

After losing the first Test at Edgbaston, England will be looking to level the Ashes when the second Test starts at Lord’s on Wednesday.

The Home of Cricket has staged 37 Ashes Test matches since 1884 with Australia holding a fine track record at the ground.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the main moments of Ashes history at Lord’s.

The top prize up for grabs, England and Australia are vying to lift the small urn at the conclusion of the series.

The name “Ashes” was coined when England lost to Australia for the first time on home soil in 1882 and the Sporting Times published an obituary of English cricket, stating: “the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia”.

England captain Hon Ivo Bligh vowed to “return the ashes” while on tour to Australia and was gifted a terracotta urn while away.

Although its contents are debated, the urn is said to contain the ashes of a bail and Bligh kept it until his death in 1927 when it was subsequently donated to the MCC.

The original urn can be seen at the MCC Museum at Lord’s and the winner of the Ashes will lift a replica along with the urn-shaped Waterford Crystal trophy introduced in the 1998-99 series.

The first Ashes Test at Lord’s took place in 1884 when Allan Steele’s 148 put England in the driving seat along with George Ulyett’s seven wickets to earn victory by an innings and five runs.

Another win followed in 1886, but Australia picked up their first success in 1888 after a low-scoring affair saw Charlie Turner shine with the ball and take 10 wickets across the match.

England then earned a six-wicket win in 1896, but it would be their last at Lord’s until 1934.

Clem Hill and Victor Gregory’s contribution of 135 each set Australia up for a 10-wicket win in 1899 and victories swiftly followed in 1909 and 1921.

Australian great Don Bradman then made his mark on English soil in 1930 with an incredible double century of 254, which led to the touring party declaring on 729 for six and easing to a six-wicket win.

Centuries from Les Ames and Maurice Leyland gave England an innings victory in 1934, but Lord’s has certainly since been advantage Australia with the visitors exerting a 75-year period of dominance.

After drawing in 1938, Australia won by 409 runs in 1948 and went on to pick up another eight victories until 2009 when England finally broke their losing run.

Their last win at the ground came in 2015 when a huge double century from Steve Smith in the first innings allowed Australia to set England a target of 509 in the second innings, but they crumbled to 103 all out.

Australia’s overall Test record at the Home of Cricket makes for far better reading with the tourists winning 16 matches compared to England’s six, while 15 draws have taken place between both sides.

Alongside Bradman’s mammoth knock in 1930, Lord’s has thrown up plenty of memorable Ashes moments with most being in Australia’s favour.

Allan Border put on an impressive batting display with a first innings 196 to guide his team to victory in 1985.

Working with Greg Ritchie (94), the pair dragged their side back into the game from 101 for four to 398 for seven by the time the Australian captain was dismissed, setting them on track for a four-wicket win.

Their bowling has also showcased some fine moments and in 1972 Bob Massie produced one of the finest Test match debuts, taking eight for 84 in the first innings and eight for 53 in the second.

His ability to get the ball swinging like no one else saw him finish with match figures of 16 for 137, a record for a Test debutant until bettered by India’s Narendra Hirwani in 1988.

Lord’s is no stranger to impressive bowling spells and Glenn McGrath etched his name into the history books in 1997 with a first innings eight-wicket haul.

On his first tour of England, the seamer ripped through the England batting line-up, reducing them to 77 all out and taking eight for 38.

Although Australia ultimately hold the happier memories at Lord’s, Andrew Strauss’ 161 and Andrew Flintoff’s second innings five-for earned England a first victory at the ground in 75 years in 2009.

Lord’s hosted the second Test of the last Ashes series in 2019, when an intriguing five days boiled down to a draw.

With day one washed out, Rory Burns and Jonny Bairstow made half-centuries on day two, but England were bowled out for 258 with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon taking three wickets each.

There was plenty of buzz in the build-up to the game with fast bowler Jofra Archer making his Test debut and his sheer speed became one of the talking points when his 92mph bouncer caught Steve Smith on the neck.

The Australian batter fell to the floor and was taken off the field, but returned after passing concussion protocols before being bowled lbw by Chris Woakes with Australia all out for 250.

Smith was subsequently ruled out of the fifth day of the Test with concussion and would go on to miss the Headingley Test, with Marnus Labuschagne brought into the team as the first concussion substitute.

Ben Stokes then smashed an unbeaten 115 as England declared on 258 for five, but despite three wickets each from Archer and Jack Leach, Australia managed to hold on for the draw.

Nathan Lyon is set to play his 100th consecutive Test when Australia and England meet at Lord’s from Wednesday.

The second Ashes Test sees the visiting spinner bring up an unprecedented landmark for a bowler and here, the PA news agency looks at his record in that time.

Lyon will become only the sixth man to play 100 consecutive Tests, with the others all specialist batters including one regular wicketkeeper – current England coach Brendon McCullum, whose 101 Tests without missing a game mark the next figure for Lyon to pass. McCullum took the gloves in 52 of those games.

India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Australia’s Mark Waugh played 106 and 107 consecutive Tests respectively, both in Lyon’s sights barring injury or a shock omission.

Allan Border’s Australian record of 153 successive appearances will surely remain out of reach, however, along with former England captain Sir Alastair Cook’s world record of 159.

Even the other regular bowlers on the list were all-rounders, with Sir Garry Sobers closest behind Lyon with 85 consecutive appearances for the West Indies.

Kapil Dev had separate runs of 66 and 65 for India, missing only one Test in his 131-match career, while Lord Ian Botham also played 65 in a row for England between 1978 and 1984.

In terms of specialist bowlers, spinner Anil Kumble’s 60 consecutive Tests for India from 1992 to 2000 is the longest run other than Lyon’s.

Lyon’s 495 Test wickets rank eighth all time and fourth among spinners, with the fairytale prospect of bringing up 500 and adding his name to the famous Lord’s honours board in the process.

On his previous visits to the Home of Cricket, he took one for 53 and two for 27 in 2015 and three for 68 before a wicketless second innings in 2019.

He needs 24 wickets to catch former West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh for the next spot on the list, though compatriot Glenn McGrath could remain out of reach in sixth, 68 ahead of Lyon.

England’s long-standing new-ball pair James Anderson (686) and Stuart Broad (588) are in the top five along with the other spinners on the list – Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan clear on 800, Australia great Shane Warne taking 708 and India’s Anil Kumble splitting Anderson and Broad with 619.

Since his debut in August 2011, Lyon has missed only four of the 125 Tests Australia have played – against India at Perth in 2012 and Hyderabad the following year, plus the first two games of the 2013 Ashes in England.

Since being recalled at Old Trafford in August 2013 he has been ever-present, taking 419 wickets at an average of 30.60 including 20 of his 23 five-wicket hauls.

He has four 10-wicket matches along the way, with his best figures of eight for 50 in an innings and 13 for 154 in a match both set in 2017 against India and Bangladesh respectively.

His run of 99 Tests so far includes 109 wickets in 29 Ashes Tests and 99 in 21 against India, with double figures of Tests too against South Africa (13) and Pakistan (12). Eight games against New Zealand, seven each against the West Indies and Sri Lanka and two against Bangladesh complete the list.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced a new two-year Caribbean broadcast rights agreement with RUSH Sports for the live coverage of all West Indies Men’s and Women’s international matches played at home.

The new exciting two-year partnership will allow for fans to watch the live broadcast via RUSH Sports cable channels which are also available exclusively live through the Flow Sports and Sportsmax apps. The partnership commences with the West Indies Women vs Ireland Women CG United One Day International (ODI) Series and West Indies T20 International (T20I) Series starting on Monday 26 June and running until Friday 7 July. This will be the first ever live broadcast of a West Indies Women’s Home Series in the Caribbean.

The first West Indies Men’s Series broadcast starts on 12 July with the 1st Test between West Indies and India. The full Series comprising two Tests, three CG United ODIs and five T20Is will all be shown live with RUSH Sports.

RUSH Sports will also have rights to feature Men’s and Women’s West Indies ‘A’ team matches, West Indies Rising Stars Under 19s matches and also the Men’s domestic West Indies Championship matches throughout the agreement.

CWI’s CEO Johnny Grave welcomed the new agreement. He said: “We are delighted to again partner with RUSH Sports to bring live coverage of all West Indies Men’s and Women’s International Home matches to our fans around the region. This new partnership with RUSH Sports gives fans the opportunity to watch high quality broadcasts of West Indies home matches plus for the first time West Indies Championship red ball regional matches live on TV and on mobile devices.”

Michael Look Tong, General Manager, CPSL said: “Our new multi-year agreement with Cricket West Indies provides fans the opportunity to enjoy the West Indies Home Series and the West Indies Championship on RUSH Sports across the widest multi-platform distribution ever in the Caribbean.  Fans can enjoy their favorite team at home or on the go on RUSH Sports and we are so pleased to have Windies Cricket join our family of the most loved sports and general entertainment brands.”  

MATCH SCHEDULES

West Indies Women v Ireland Women

(All matches played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia)

CG United ODI Series:

Monday 26 June: 1^st CG United ODI – 10am (9am Jamaica Time)

Wednesday 28 June: 2^nd CG United ODI – 10am (9am Jamaica Time)

Saturday 1 July: 3^rd CG United ODI – 3pm (2pm Jamaica Time)

T20 International Series: 

Tuesday 4 July: 1^st T20I

Thursday 6 July: 2^nd T20I 

Saturday 8 July: 3^rd T20I 

All matches start at 5pm Eastern Caribbean Time (4pm Jamaica Time)

West Indies Men v India Men

Test Matches

12-16 July: 1^st Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica 

20-24 July: 2^nd Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad 

• Both Test Matches start at 10am (9am Jamaica)
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CG United ODIs

27 July: 1^st CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados 

29 July: 2^nd CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados

1 August: 3^rd CG United ODI, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad 

• All ODI matches start at 9:30am (8:30am Jamaica)

T20 Internationals

3 August: 1^st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad 

6 August: 2^nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana 

8 August: 3^rd T20I, National Stadium Guyana 

12 August: 4^th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida 

13 August: 5^th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida 

• All T20I matches start at 10:30am (09:30am Jamaica)

Liam Dawson staked his claim for an Ashes call with a century and six wickets as Hampshire took command against Middlesex in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash.

After amassing 141 with the bat, Dawson tore through Middlesex with his left-arm spin to claim six for 38 – and leave Middlesex 142 for eight at the close.

Earlier, Hampshire had been bowled out for 419 with Josh de Caires picking up career-best figures of seven for 144.

Leaders Surrey wrested control against Lancashire at the Kia Oval thanks to a last-wicket stand of 130 between Sean Abbott and Dan Worrall.

Abbott and Worrall both made entertaining half-centuries as Surrey scored 360 to establish a first-innings lead of 86.

The pair then struck in successive overs as Lancashire lost three wickets clearing their arrears. They reached stumps on 113 for four, a lead of 26.

Daniel Bell-Drummond hit a career-best 271 not out and Tawanda Muyeye also weighed in with a century as Kent moved into a strong position to pile more woe on Division One’s bottom club Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Bell-Drummond’s masterful knock eclipsed his previous best of 206 seven years ago, and also set a record for a Kent batter at Wantage Road, beating Frank Woolley’s 217 from 1926.

The pair added 318 for the second wicket as the visitors piled up 550 for five by stumps, a lead of 313.

Somerset stormed back into contention on the second day against Nottinghamshire at Taunton thanks to Matt Henry’s six-wicket haul and an eighth first-class century from George Bartlett.

Henry took four from 26 in a superb seven-over spell as the visitors collapsed from an overnight 145 for four to 186 all out.

Henry finished with six for 59 to leave Nottinghamshire with a first-innings lead of just 23, before Bartlett’s unbeaten 109 helped Somerset close on 268 for four, 245 in front.

Simon Harmer continued to do the damage as Essex moved closer to an emphatic win over Warwickshire at Chelmsford.

Harmer took five for 65 in the first innings as the visitors were dismissed for 158 and forced to follow on 299 runs in arrears.

Harmer added another wicket in the 24 overs of Warwickshire’s second innings, as an unbroken second-wicket stand of 66 edged the visitors to 71 for one at close.

A century by Colin Ackermann kept Leicestershire in with a chance against Division Two leaders Durham, who declared at 517 for six on day two.

Ollie Robinson’s career-best unbeaten 167 had put the visitors in command but Ackermann – who will join Durham at the end of the season – replied with an unbeaten 104 as his current side responded well to reach 335 for four at stumps.

Wayne Madsen and captain Leus du Plooy rewrote the record books as Derbyshire moved into a position of considerable strength on day two against Worcestershire at New Road.

The duo scored centuries and broke a 31-year-old landmark in establishing a new Derbyshire record of 267 from 70 overs for the fourth wicket against the home side.

Derbyshire will begin day three with a lead of 137 and five wickets in hand and Du Plooy unbeaten on 159.

Matthew Revis hit an unbeaten 104 off 163 balls as Yorkshire posted an emphatic 550 for nine declared against Gloucestershire at Headingley.

Revis was the third rising Yorkshire star to make three figures after openers Fin Bean and George Hill on day one, and set up an action-packed reply from the visitors who reached 232 for five off 57 overs, with Miles Hammond reaching an unbeaten 84.

Australian leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson took the final two wickets in two balls as Glamorgan dismissed Sussex for 203 on day two at Cardiff.

The Welsh county then built on their first-innings lead of 39 as openers Zain-ul-Hassan and Andrew Salter ended the day on 46 without loss – a lead of 85.

Ollie Pope is aiming for another big showing at Lord’s after admitting he fell short with the bat during England’s Ashes defeat at Edgbaston.

Pope contributed scores of 31 and 14 in the first Test, cut off lbw by Nathan Lyon in the first innings before losing his off stump to an inswinging yorker from Australia captain Pat Cummins in the second.

The latter was probably the best delivery of the match but failing to cash in on either visit left Pope eager to make up for lost time when the series resumes at Lord’s on Wednesday.

“It’s one game, you try not to look too much into who you are playing just because it’s an Ashes series, but I know that you can be remembered by Ashes series and playing amazing knocks,” he said.

“It does give you that extra bit of fire within yourself. Hopefully I can deliver that over the rest of the series. That first innings was a good time to bat. I got myself in, got to 30-odd, and didn’t play a great shot to be honest. Whenever you walk off for 30-odd on a good pitch you have left some out there. Second dig, I put it down to a nice ball, which I don’t normally do, but hopefully I can keep that out next time.”

One thing that he is unlikely to change is a willingness to get after Lyon. The off-spinner had a match to remember in Birmingham, taking eight wickets and helping his side over the line unexpectedly with the bat in the deciding session, but he was also expensive at times as England refused to let him settle.

“We obviously don’t want to lose eight wickets to him, I think we’re reasonably happy. I think we’re going to keep being really positive against him and try and take our strong options,” he said.

“Those eight wickets he got will make us think ‘Right, what was the best option for me?’ a little bit more. That’s the way we see it. He’s a highly-skilled bowler and knows how to bowl when people are coming at him as well, so it’s going to be a good game of cat and mouse I think.”

If Pope needs any additional motivation at Lord’s, he need only stop to glance at the ground’s famous honours board. Waiting for him there is a freshly-engraved entry with his name next to a career-best score of 205, after he dominated the Ireland attack earlier this month.

Australia’s attack represents a major step change from that which Ireland were able to put out, but there are positive recent memories for Pope to mine.

“It’s different (facing Australia), but I wouldn’t say chalk and cheese,” he said.

“You always have grounds you enjoy batting at, and if you know you’ve had success at a ground it does give you a bit of confidence going into it. That just helps your mindset, it doesn’t mean you are going to score runs but it doesn’t mean you won’t. It’s nice to know you’ve had success on a ground in the past.”