Ashes tempers erupt as England crash to heavy Australia defeat in second Ashes Test

For the 10th time in a row they were cut down to size in Australia’s Brisbane stronghold, where they last tasted victory almost four decades ago.

Resuming 43 behind and six down, captain Ben Stokes and all-rounder Will Jacks banished the worst excesses of "Bazball" as they dropped anchor for almost three hours.

Flashy drives were shelved in place of old-fashioned blocks and leaves as the pair chiselled out a stand of 96 in 221 deliveries.

It was just the kind of steel their critics have been crying out for, but with too much damage already done it was too little, too late.

When veteran seamer Michael Neser removed both batters in successive overs, Jacks for 41 to a quite incredible slip catch from Steve Smith, Stokes smartly caught behind for 50, the writing was on the wall.

England were all out for 241, leaving Australia chasing just 65.

Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne both fell to Gus Atkinson under lights but Smith won a tense face-off with Jofra Archer and won it with a huge swing for six in just 10 overs.

Only one team in Test history, Donald Bradman’s class of 1936-37, has come from two down to win a five-match series and the odds stacked against England are enormous.

Since retaining the urn Down Under in 2010-11, England have now played 17 Tests in Australia, losing 15 and drawing two.

Stokes and Jacks began at 134 for six, with an innings defeat still possible.

The impatient approach of their top order had attracted damning criticism but Stokes and Jacks emerged with a complete shift in mindset as they soaked up 107 dot balls in a 24-over opening session.

In doing so, they gradually cleared the deficit and scraped together a slender lead of 16 runs and were enthusiastically applauded off by the travelling fans.

There were just 59 runs in the session, including four boundaries, but more importantly there was only one moment of real danger - Stokes edging Scott Boland over the slip cordon after being beaten by movement off the seam.

England continued to play cautiously in the evening session, but the pitch began to offer a little more assistance, with a hint of uneven bounce.

Jacks gave a first-half chance of the day when he turned Brendan Doggett to Head at short-leg, but the ball was travelling rapidly off the middle and did not go to hand.

Stokes, meanwhile, needed a minute to recover after a nasty blow to the box.

The skipper ticked off his 50, the second slowest of his career in 150 balls, but Smith was about to blow the game open.

When Jacks got a thin edge to a fourth-stump delivery from Neser, Australia’s stand-in captain dived low to his left to snap up a sensational one-handed catch at slip.

With Alex Carey standing up to the stumps it was a remarkably instinctive grab, paying Jacks back for the equally brilliant catch that ended his innings on day two.

The spell had been broken and Stokes followed in Neser’s next visit, beaten off the seam and grazing the ball into Carey’s gloves.

He spun on his heels, hurled his bat in the air and made his way to the pavilion to generous applause.

Stokes had barely left the field when Atkinson followed, brainlessly picking out one of five leg-side catchers as he activated a painfully simple bouncer trap.

Another edge from Carse rounded out Neser’s five-wicket haul, bringing the end game into sight.

Atkinson got the pink Kookaburra moving under black skies, salvaging his figures with a couple of late scalps, but Archer’s 90mph tussle with Smith held the attention.

The latter won it, hands down, and is set to hand the reins back to Pat Cummins in Adelaide with the urn almost secured once again.

Archer and Smith clashed during the match, with Archer saying: "You only play those shots when there's not much on the score, mate."

Smith replied: "You only bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champ."

The pair exchanged a couple of frosty words in the middle for a few moments before Archer walked away.

Speaking to Cricket Australia after the match, Smith said: "That stays on the field. That was good banter, he's a good competitor and he comes hard at ya so that's fun.'

He added: "Nah he was just bowling good pace, not really too sure what he said, not really sure what I said, and I'm not sure it's any of your business either."

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