Australia’s batting mainstay Steve Smith once again came to his team's rescue and bailed them out of trouble with a defiant 92-run knock on the fourth day of the second Ashes Test against England at Lord's on Saturday.


After resuming his innings having been forced to retire hurt when he was struck by a lethal bouncer from England fast bowler Jofra Archer, Smith added 12 runs more to his score of 80 and registered a record of sorts by becoming the first player in Ashes history to score seven consecutive fifties.

Smith who scored centuries in both the innings of the first Test of the ongoing Ashes at Edgbaston and helped Australia take a 1-0 lead in the series, carried on his brilliant run of form in the Lord's Test. Smith's form for Australia has been spectacular over the last two Ashes series with the scores of his  last seven innings reading 239,76, 102*, 83, 144, 142 and 92

The right-handed batsman was struck just below the helmet by a stinging bouncer from England seamer Jofra Archer during the course of his innings. Immediately, Smith went down on the ground as medical aid rushed to the spot. He was later taken off the field, declared retired hurt. He later returned to finish innings.

Australia were bowled out for 250 in reply to England’s first-innings 258, a deficit of eight runs, on the stroke of tea. Stuart Broad, leading England’s attack in the absence of the injured James Anderson, took four wickets for 65 runs in 27.3 overs and Chris Woakes 3-61.