Cricket: England tail fights after top order fails in Adelaide

By Nick Mulvenney

ADELAIDE (Reuters) - England's tail fought a stubborn rearguard after the top order had failed on the third day of the second Ashes test on Monday but Chris Woakes was dismissed just before dinner to leave the tourists on 219 for eight at the second break.

Woakes and debutant seamer Craig Overton came together with their side floundering on 147-7 but even after their partnership of 66, England will head into the night session 223 runs behind Australia's 442-8 declared.

Overton will resume on 36 not out with Stuart Broad yet to score at the other end and 24 runs still needed to remove the possibility of Australia captain Steve Smith forcing the follow-on in the first day-night Ashes test.

Captain Joe Root and top-order stalwart Alastair Cook were among the four wickets to fall in the opening session of the day, with Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow joining Woakes as the three victims of the Australian attack after tea.

Although most of the damage ws done by the Australian quicks, Nathan Lyon has proved difficult to keep out of the wickets and it was the off-spinner who removed Moeen for 25 with a brilliant leaping catch off his own bowling.

Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc followed suit to remove Bairstow five overs later, holding on to a difficult chance to remove the England wicketkeeper caught and bowled for 21.

England had resumed on 29-1 on another overcast afternoon at Adelaide Oval but lost James Vince for two in the second over when the Englishman nicked behind off Josh Hazlewood.

Already 1-0 down in the five-match series after a 10-wicket defeat in the opener in Brisbane, England were desperate for a decent partnership and expectations were high when Root came out to join Cook in the middle.

Skipper Root, though, came in and made nine runs off 10 balls before he got a thick edge to a Pat Cummins delivery which Cameron Bancroft took comfortably at third slip to leave England on 50-3.

Dawid Malan got a life when he successfully referred an lbw decision with six runs to his name and another when he set off for a run which Cook declined and was saved by an inaccurate throw from the fielder.

Cook and Malan looked like they might combine for a few runs but their partnership was worth only 30 when England's most prolific batsman departed for 37 just after drinks.

The 32-year-old opener prodded at a Lyon tweaker and Smith gobbled up the catch at first slip to give the spinner his 50th test wicket in matches against England.

All-rounder Moeen cracked successive fours off Lyon to take England over the hundred mark but Malan departed for 19 from the first ball of the next over, caught behind when he got a bit of glove on another snorter from Cummins.

(Editing by John O'Brien)