Ben Stokes' century in vain as Australia go 2-0 up in the Ashes
Another thrilling Test match saw Australia edge the Ashes hosts amid tense scenes at the home of cricket.
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Even an incredible 155 from captain fantastic Ben Stokes couldn't see England home at the end of tense final day at Lords. </p>
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Stokes embarked on a six-hitting rampage after Alex Carey pulled off a deeply-divisive stumping of Johnny Bairstow, making 155 off 214 as he sought to fashion an unthinkable sequel to his 2019 miracle at Headingley. </p>
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But this time a finish line of 371 was too far away. </p>
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England finished 327 all out as they went down by 43 runs to trail 2-0 in the series with three to play. </p>
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But this gripping fifth-day finish will live long in the memory, not just for Stokes' classic, but the unprecedented anger on show at the home of cricket. </p>
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Lord's is renowned as one of the most polite sporting venues in the world - half arena, half artefact - but Carey's opportunistic decision to throw down Bairstow's stumps while the Englishman treated the ball as dead drew a visceral response. </p>
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A 32 000 crowd, who had snapped up day five tickets at £25, erupted in boos, jeers and repeated choruses of "same old Aussies, always cheating". </p>
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Things even turned nasty in the Long Room, where Marylebone Cricket Club members exchanged heated words with the Australians as they walked off at lunch. </p>
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An apology followed from the MCC, but Cricket Australia requested an investigation into the incident. </p>
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The booing continued when Mitchell Starc sealed his side's victory by cleaning up Josh Tongue and the bitter atmosphere seems likely to follow the contest to Leeds next Thursday. </p>
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England's annoyance at the Bairstow wicket was told through the actions of Broad, who made his feelings quite clear as he arrived to join Stokes in the middle. </p>
He was overheard on the stump microphone telling Carey "you'll always be remembered for that" and "literally the worst thing I've ever seen in cricket". </p>
<p>The article <a href="https://www.planetsport.com/cricket/news/ben-stokes-century-vain-australia-2-0-ashes">Ben Stokes' century in vain as Australia go 2-0 up in the Ashes </a> appeared first on Planetsport.com.</p>
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