Starc’s unbeaten 46 extends Australia’s lead to 116 on Day 3 of 2nd Ashes test

BRISBANE Australia AP Mitchell Starc punished England with the bat rather than the ball in the first session Saturday to help lift Australia to a -run first-innings lead on Day of the second Ashes cricket test Starc was unbeaten on and Scott Boland was seven not out in an unbroken -run stand as Australia went to the long interval at - almost halfway through the day-night test at the Gabba The leading bowler in the series so far with wickets he took a -wicket haul in Australia s series-opening win at Perth Starc went into bat in the fourth over Saturday at the end of a -run seventh-wicket partnership between overnight batters Alex Carey and Michael Neser The Australians had resumed at - a first-innings lead of runs and Carey swiftly raised his with a single off England captain Ben Stokes Neser was caught behind later in the same over and Starc went to the crease with the total at - The eighth-wicket pair put on runs with Starc taking Australia s total past with an attacking boundary against Brydon Carse in the th over before Carey was out in the third over with the new ball Carey faced deliveries and hit six boundaries before he was caught behind off Gus Atkinson s bowling With Australia at - the England attack would have been confident of bowling out the tailenders and getting a chance to bat in the bright afternoon sunlight before the first interval But in a repeat of Day the English bowlers struggled to get their lengths right consistently and Starc was more than content to bat for time as he took singles to retain the strike and shield No Boland from the new ball Starc hit back-to-back boundaries against Carse to take the lead past And he ended the session by hitting the last ball deep into the outfield for three runs to take Australia to and ensure he ll start the middle session on strike AP cricket https apnews com hub cricket Source