LONDON: England extended their overall lead over Australia to 347 with seven wickets still in hand after a slow opening session on the third day of the second Ashes test at Lord's on Saturday.
At lunch, England were 114 for three in their second innings with Joe Root on 63 and nightwatchman Tim Bresnan on 32 after the two Yorkshiremen had batted throughout the morning's play. The home side were 31 for three overnight.
Australia, already one-down in the five-test series, were dismissed for a dismal 128 on Friday in reply to England's first innings 361.
Neither batsman looked in any trouble after three wickets had fallen in rapid succession to Peter Siddle late on Friday evening on a cool, overcast morning during the showpiece Saturday of the English cricket season.
Root brought up the third half-century of his fledgling test career from 122 balls with six boundaries including a crisp on-drive off the first ball of the day.
He reached his fifty with two into the covers then played the shot of the session, leaning back to guide James Pattinson to the cover boundary with flexible wrists and perfect timing.
Bresnan provided solid support after taking 30 deliveries to get off the mark, showing just how easy-paced the pitch was by playing almost exclusively off the front foot against the Australian pace bowlers.
He took England past the century mark with his fourth boundary, cracking a wide short delivery from left-arm spinner Ashton Agar backward of point.
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