England endured a torrid second day in Adelaide as Australia bullied their bowlers and feasted on their openers to put themselves firmly on course for a 2-0 Ashes lead.
If the opening day of the day/night second Test was chastening, scraping together just two wickets in three full sessions, then what followed here was even worse.
There were bruising moments individually and collectively and the nagging sense that after just six days of cricket, this could be a tour that slides off the rails.
Australia declared on 473 for nine as England’s one-paced bowling attacked creaked through 150.4 overs, including a late flurry from the tail that damaged their pride even more than their prospects.
Gleefully taking the chance to put the tourists in under the lights, when the pink Kookaburra usually does it worst, they then wiped out the struggling Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed for single-figure scores.
Several bolts of lightning lit up the night sky and sent the teams scurrying for the pavilion with England in trouble at 17 for two, a mercifully early end to a painful passage.
England were already in a hole at the start of the day, with Australia 221 for two and their two most durable batters – Marnus Labuschagne and Smith at the crease.
Conditions were stiflingly hot but the early omens were reasonably promising, with a much improved showing of three for 81 in the first couple of hours.
Labuschagne resumed on 95, twice reprieved by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler on day one, and soon had his sixth Test hundred courtesy of a thick edge to third man.
Ollie Robinson should have had him for 102 but saw the breakthrough chalked off for a front-foot no-ball – an error in any circumstances but a particularly egregious one given Ben Stokes made exactly the same mistake to reprieve David Warner in Brisbane.
Robinson could have been rattled – particularly when he failed to take a half-chance off Stuart Broad at square leg – but a few minutes and one run later had Labuschagne lbw offering no stroke.
Smith held his end up with predictable surety, but England chipped away his next couple of partners with minimal damage. Travis Head, fresh from a match-winning 152 at The Gabba, got his footwork in a tangle and was bowled by Root for 18 and Stokes briefly abandoned his bouncer policy to clean bowl fellow all-rounder Cameron Green for two.
From 302 for five there was a slim chance of a fightback but England’s day was about to nosedive. Smith had ticked along to 56 by the break and when Alex Carey offered him a fluent foil from number seven, the pair dragged the game away with a partnership of 91.
England’s bowlers were flagging with every over, with discipline draining by the minute. Smith sensed weakness and kicked things up a notch, lining up Chris Woakes for a steepling six over long leg.
A couple of edges died in front of the cordon and then the cracks really showed, substitute fielder Zak Crawley coughing up a freebie with a wild throw and Burns turning a Smith single into a five as he hurled the ball over the ropes.
Anderson dismissed both batters before the interval, sparing English fans the sight of a 12th Ashes hundred for Smith when he pinned him lbw for 93 and then persuading Carey to chip to cover. The muted celebrations said it all, though.
England’s attack was running on empty and the humiliation was about to come. The first 10 overs of the night-time session was a debacle, with the Australian tail piling on another 83 runs.
Mitchell Starc crashed 39 not out at a run-a-ball, Michael Neser treated Woakes like a net bowler as he flogged him over point for six and both Ollie Pope and Stokes added to England’s growing tally of drops, albeit from tough chances. At one stage England posted eight fielders on the ropes and still failed to stem the flow of boundaries.
Woakes looked visibly demoralised as he served up a steady diet of ‘gimme’ deliveries, ended only when Jyhe Richardson followed a monstrous six by holing out and hastening the declaration. He is unlikely to be seen again for the Boxing Day Test, a fate that Burns may also suffer.
Following a nightmare first Test he needed a show of resilience but was treated as easy pickings by his tormentor, Starc. Feeling for contact off his third ball he sent a chunk edge straight to Smith at second slip to exit the stage for four. He may have just one more innings to save his skin.
Hameed fared little better, handing debutant Neser a first wicket with a soft-handed scoop to mid-on with just three to his name.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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The Programme
Saturday, October 26: ‘The Time That Remains’ (2009) by Elia Suleiman
Saturday, November 2: ‘Beginners’ (2010) by Mike Mills
Saturday, November 16: ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ (2013) by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Tuesday, November 26: ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976) by Alan J Pakula
Saturday, December 7: ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako
Saturday, December 21: ‘Rams’ (2015) by Grimur Hakonarson
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
The specs
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Transmission: eight-speed auto
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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
