PAUL NEWMAN: England need something close to a second Test miracle after a desperately bad third day

It was the moment England’s frustration reached boiling point after a miserable three days full of self-inflicted damage that have strengthened Australia’s iron grip on the Ashes.

Stuart Broad had launched his third impassioned ‘celebrappeal’ while stretching every sinew to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne and for the third time Chris Gaffaney said not out.

The first two times Ben Stokes had resisted the urge to review despite his bowler’s insistence he had got his man and both times the England captain had been proven right.

Now Stokes turned a deaf ear again, thinking his bowler was crying wolf, even though the ball had seemed to hit Labuschagne’s pads in line with leg stump. But this time he got it wrong. Technology showed the dreaded three reds and Broad had been denied a key scalp.

As Broad trudged back to the top of his run up he looked up to see Brendon McCullum, having seen the television evidence, slowly raising a finger in the dressing room to confirm his worst fears. Australia had been given another huge helping hand by England.

Stuart Broad had appealed numerous times for the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne but was erroneously turned down by Ben Stokes at the third ask

Usman Khawaja remained at the crease at the close of play, finishing on 58 not out before the rain delay

It was a miserable day for England despite an improved bowling performance having been bowled out for 325

It did not turn out to be anything like England’s most costly error as Labuschagne, then on 16, was soon to play the worst shot of the day amid the stiffest of competition from England to hand Jimmy Anderson a much-needed wicket.

But by then the damage had long been done. By the time drizzle ended the third day an hour and 15 minutes early Australia had applied themselves superbly again in the most demanding conditions to reach 130 for two and a lead of 221 that leaves England in need of something close to a second Test miracle.

And, just as at Edgbaston, England can only blame themselves for a predicament that leaves this much anticipated Ashes in danger of being effectively over after just two Tests.

Only this time, in contrast to a first Test where they made all the running, England have played desperately badly at Lord’s. They have achieved so much with their ultra-aggressive style but, so far here, they have failed to marry it with any sort of nuance and cricketing intelligence.

Maybe it would have been different had Stokes not been dismissed by the second ball of the day from Mitchell Starc. The captain had provided a sensible example on the second evening but without him England lost their heads again in arguably their worst session not just of the Bazball era but for many a year.

Nothing summed up a disastrous morning when England lost six wickets for 47 runs to crash to 325 all out, when once they were 188 for one, more than the performance of their batsman seemingly destined for greatness after an extraordinary start to his Test career.

Harry Brook did not look great here. Anything but. He had batted more like one of the baseball hitters he so admires on day two and now he completed what must be one of the worst half centuries in Test history before giving it away with the most hideous shot of the many he played.

When Brook backed away and slapped a short ball from Starc to cover the Sky cameras panned to the sight of Geoff Boycott in the Lord’s stands shaking his head and covering his face with his hand at the sheer stupidity of his fellow Yorkshireman.

Stokes was dismissed second ball after a leading edge was taken by Cam Green in the slips

Labuschagne was dismissed for 30 by Jimmy Anderson after David Warner’s earlier wicket 

Friday morning was arguably the worst England session in many a year after a batting collapse

This series has seen Brook tested against fast and short bowling for the first time in his meteoric rise and he has been found wanting. Clearly he will have to find a method to cope with the short ball, possibly by going back to his mentor Martin Speight, because he is unlikely to receive anything in his half of the pitch from Australia for the rest of this series.

Brook was not alone. Jonny Bairstow at least resisted the urge to take on the short stuff but then played an awful shot that was neither positive nor defensive and lobbed Josh Hazlewood to mid-on.

Then Ollie Robinson advanced to the part-time spin of Travis Head, standing in for the injured Nathan Lyon, and edged to the excellent Alex Carey before Broad, who had been struck a nasty blow on the jaw by Cameron Green missed a sweep off the emergency spinner.

England’s misery was complete when Josh Tongue fell just before lunch but, really, their troubles had begun long before their capitulation on Friday.

When Lyon hobbled off on day two with a calf strain that is likely to rule him out for the rest of the series England had everything in their favour but they have lived to regret the madness that saw Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root all fall to the short ball barrage.

From there England were playing catch up and not even a much improved second innings bowling performance could enable them to force their way back into realistic contention.

England again could not have asked for better conditions – the clouds were back and the lights were on. – but even though Broad and Tongue, trapping David Warner, were impressive and Anderson was improved Australia showed their hosts how it should be done.

Another chance went down when Usman Khawaja pulled Tongue straight through the hands of Anderson on 19 and the dominant batsman of this series so far is still there on 58 alongside Steve Smith, who survived another shout from Broad – this time he appealed properly – and lived to fight another day.

Geoffrey Boycott had his head in his hands after Harry Brook’s tame dismissal on day three

What England produced so far at Lord’s is not the Bazball that has thrilled us for at least a year

If England cannot take wickets quickly on Friday the only question will be how many runs Australia, without their premier spinner, feel they need before declaring.

They know England will go for any target so will not be inclined to dangle any sort of carrot but maybe the time has come for Stokes and McCullum to develop a Plan B and try to get out of this pivotal Test with a draw. Don’t hold your breath.

That would not be an admission of failure for Bazball because, in truth, what England have produced in this match has not been the Bazball that has thrilled us for the last year.

Instead it has been reckless, irresponsible cricket and it has left them with an awful lot to do if they are to get out of Lord’s still with any sort of chance of winning the Ashes.