ARLINGTON, Texas -- Josh Hamilton said he had forgotten how the grass looked and smelled at the home of the Texas Rangers. He hadn't been there since he played in the AL Division Series four years ago.

Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP the season the Rangers went to their first World Series, was back for the first time on Saturday for his induction into the team's hall of fame.

"That was fun," the five-time All-Star said after the team showed a video filled with highlights of his five-plus seasons in Texas, including big home runs and incredible catches in the outfield.

The slugger's story is well-documented, from being the first overall pick out of high school in the 1999 amateur draft by Tampa Bay to the drug and alcohol addictions that nearly destroyed his career. He was out of baseball for three-and-a-half years before his comeback. He made his big league debut with Cincinnati in 2007 before being traded to the Rangers after that season.

"Looking back reminds me of God's grace and his mercy," Hamilton said, sharing his Christian faith during his induction speech. "Some people will say that I'm a hypocrite, or they have said it. I simply say I'm human. Y'all know my story. You can't look at that and tell me that you think I did that all on my own or with just willpower. It didn't happen. That much willpower doesn't exist in the world."

Hamilton thanked a long list of people, including his parents and three daughters, who were with him on the field. The 38-year-old fondly talked about the Rangers organization, including former coaches and teammates. General manager Jon Daniels, who traded top pitching prospect Edinson Volquez to the Reds for Hamilton, was there to unveil the player's plaque.

The highlights included clips from his awe-inspiring display in the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium in 2008, when he led the American League with 130 RBIs while hitting .304 with 32 homers in his first full season. He hit four homers in the 2010 AL Championship Series and had a four-homer game at Baltimore in 2012.

Former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene, who during his time in office from 1987 to '97 played a major role in getting the team a new stadium and keeping the Rangers in Arlington, was also inducted into the Rangers' hall.

Hamilton hit .302 with 150 homers and 531 RBIs in 697 games with Texas. In his eight big league seasons, he hit .290 with 200 homers and 701 RBIs in 1,027 games.

He left the Rangers in free agency after the 2012 season for a $125 million, five-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. He was recovering from shoulder surgery when the Angels traded him back to Texas in 2015 after two injury-plagued seasons in Los Angeles. After 50 games in 2015, he had surgery on his left knee at least three times and never played again, even after going to spring training two more times.

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who was in the visiting dugout Saturday, was the first-round draft pick by Tampa Bay the year after Hamilton, and they came up in the Rays organization together.

"I grew up with him in the game and had a chance to watch him. He's the single most talented baseball player I've ever been around," Baldelli said. "If you drew up, like, a prototype kind of superhero-type baseball player, like, that's what he was. He was a well above average runner. He had great instincts in the field. He had the best arm in baseball."

With the induction of the former slugger and past mayor, there are 22 people in the Rangers' hall. Hamilton and Greene were the first inductees in three years since Michael Young, whose No. 10 jersey will be retired by the team in two weeks.

There are 21 home games left at the current Globe Life Park in Arlington, which is in its 26th season. A new stadium with a retractable roof is nearly three-quarters complete across the street and will open for the 2020 season.

"It just adds significantly to the opportunity," Greene, who supports the new stadium, said of being inducted in the stadium he helped build. "This is certainly a bittersweet season for us that love this place and have spent 25 years here."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mike Brosseau came through in the 13th inning to finish a long night and end an extended scoring drought by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Brosseau's pinch-hit RBI single in the 13th drove in Eric Sogard to give the Rays a 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday in a game in which the Rays struck out 24 batters without walking any.

Sogard doubled off Matt Hall (0-1) with two outs, and Tommy Pham was intentionally walked. Brosseau, batting for pitcher Colin Poche, singled to right-center field for the Rays' first run since Wednesday, ending a streak of 29 scoreless innings.

"Obviously a long game, right? So you want to be the one to end it in that situation," Broussard said after his first walk-off hit.

Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined to set a major league record for strikeouts without a walk, and the game set a franchise record for the Tigers, who have struck out 37 times in the first two games of the three-game series without a base on balls.

"I know we struck out as many times as I've ever seen in a baseball game," Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said. "A lot of outs were being made, and that's probably because the pitching was pretty good on both sides."

Sogard's double off the wall was the only hit that came close to a home run on a night when plenty of hitters were trying to hit one.

"I think in those situations, everybody wants to hit the game winner," Gardenhire said. "When you start swinging hard and out of the [strike] zone trying to do those things, it really works against you. Both teams kind of got involved in that a little bit."

Rays relievers struck out 14 in 20 hitless at bats. Six Tigers hitters struck out at least three times.

"[Rays starter Ryan] Yarbrough set the tone from pitch one," said reliever Emilio Pagan, who struck out four in two innings. "We were in a lot of plus counts, and we were able to execute when we were ahead. That was a special game for sure."

Poche (3-4) got the win after striking out two of the three Tigers he faced in the 13th.

The win kept the Rays a half-game ahead of the Oakland Athletics for the American League's second wild-card spot.

Detroit's final hit was Niko Goodrum's one-out double in the seventh off Yarbrough. The next eight Tigers struck out against three different relievers.

Yarbrough, who came one out short of pitching the Rays' first complete game in three years on Sunday, is 6-0 with a 1.43 ERA over 56 2/3 innings in his past 11 appearances. He gave up three hits while striking out 10 in 6 1/3 innings.

Detroit starter Jordan Zimmermann allowed only one baserunner -- on Tommy Pham's double -- in five innings, throwing 63 pitches and striking out five.

ANDERSON'S K's

Since allowing a double to Boston's Andrew Benintendi, the first batter he faced as a Ray, Nick Anderson has retired 21 straight, 17 by strikeout. He struck out the side in the eighth inning Saturday. Anderson was acquired in a trade from Miami on July 31.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: C Grayson Greiner (lower back strain) moved from Class A Lakeland to Triple-A Toledo for the final step of his rehab process.

Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe, out since July 3 with a bruised right shin bone, will play with Class A Charlotte through Sunday, at which time it will be determined if he will join Triple-A Durham. "It will be depended on if everybody feels he's moving well," manager Kevin Cash said. "If not, we'll just keep him at Charlotte."

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Matthew Boyd (6-9) will pitch Sunday's series finale. He has given up 11 earned runs over eight innings in his past two starts.

Rays: RHP Trevor Richards was added to the taxi squad from Triple-A Durham and will start Sunday. Acquired from Miami on July 31, Richards went 3-12 in 23 games for the Marlins. The Rays optioned RHP Pete Fairbanks to open a roster spot for Richards.

BOSTON -- Red Sox ace left-hander Chris Sale was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with left elbow inflammation, raising questions about whether he will pitch again this season.

Team president Dave Dombrowski said Sale had an MRI, and the team's doctors said the results showed inflammation.

"There's going to be further evaluations,'' Dombrowski said before Boston's 4-0 win over the Orioles on Saturday. "We're in a situation where I don't know where it's really going to take us at this point.''

Asked if Sale would return to the mound this year, Dombrowski said, "I don't know one way or another at this point.''

Dombrowski said Sale felt stiffness after his start Tuesday in Cleveland and didn't tell the team until Friday, when he was sent for the test. In addition to the team's doctors, Dombrowski said, Sale will have the results looked at by orthopedist Dr. James Andrews, but probably not until Monday. Dombrowski wasn't certain if Sale would visit Andrews.

"You always want to have second opinions. We're all on the same page,'' Dombrowski said. "I don't know if he's going to see him or he's going to look at the information.''

Before the season started, Sale signed a $160 million, six-year contract that includes $50 million in deferred money not due to be paid until 15 years after it is earned.

"I'm concerned about it, contract or no contract, whenever a pitcher has an elbow [injury],'' Dombrowski said.

The Red Sox said Sale was not available for comment.

"I think he's upset that he's going on the injured list,'' Dombrowski said.

Struggling through a mediocre season, Sale is 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA, but he was coming off two solid starts in which he combined for 25 strikeouts -- including the 2,000th of his career -- and allowed three runs in 14 2/3 innings.

Sale is the fastest pitcher to reach 2,000 Ks in major league history.

"There's no question this happened Tuesday,'' Dombrowski said. "You read the MRI and can tell where the inflammation is. They can identify it. This is not something that has been bothering him all season.''

Last season, Sale dealt with shoulder soreness after the All-Star break, and it limited him to 29 innings. He was limited in the postseason but closed out the World Series, striking out then-Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Manny Machado to clinch Boston's fourth title in 15 seasons.

The Red Sox find themselves without their ace during a pivotal point in their season. The defending World Series champions are 17 games back from the Yankees in the AL East and 6.5 games back in the wild card.

"It's always tough, but we've got to keep going,'' manager Alex Cora said. "We'll find out more in the upcoming days. As of now, somebody's got to step up. That's the way it works in this business.''

To fill Sale's spot on the roster, the club recalled right-hander Ryan Brasier from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias has been suspended 20 games under Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, the league announced Saturday.

Urias has said he will not appeal. He has already served five games of the suspension while on administrative leave from May 14 to 21, leaving 15 games remaining to be served.

Urias, 23, was arrested May 13 after an altercation with a woman in a parking lot of a Los Angeles shopping mall. The Los Angeles city attorney's office announced in June that it would not file charges against Urias as long as he participates in a 52-week domestic counseling program and commits no acts of violence for the next year.

The city attorney said it was deferring prosecution because Urias has no record of criminal behavior and the incident did not result in any physical injury, nor did the woman involved in the altercation indicate to police officers or witnesses that she believed she was a victim.

Urias, in a statement issued through the MLBPA on Saturday, said he's been "fully cooperating" with law enforcement officials and the MLB since May and that he accepts "full responsibility for what I believe was my inappropriate conduct during the incident."

"Even in this instance where there was no injury or history of violence, I understand and agree that Major League players should be held to a higher standard," Urias continued in his statement. "I hold myself to a higher standard as well. I have taken proactive steps to help me grow as a person on and off the field, and in my relationships."

Urias will be eligible for the postseason, which he said is a reason why he chose not to appeal.

"It is important to me not to create uncertainty for my teammates as we approach the playoffs," Urias said in the statement. "Accepting the suspension is the best path to achieve that goal."

The Dodgers issued their own statement, saying they are encouraged Urias will "learn" from this incident.

"While we are disappointed in what occurred and support the decision by the Commissioner's Office, we are also encouraged that Julio has taken responsibility for his actions and believe he will take the necessary steps to learn from this incident," the Dodgers' statement said.

Urias, who has alternated between the rotation and the bullpen for the Dodgers, has a 4-3 record with four saves and a 2.53 ERA. The right-hander has 67 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings and a 1.09 WHIP.

Hundreds are heading to Grangemouth for the national championships

More than 700 athletes will descend on Grangemouth this weekend in the pursuit of medals during what is the highlight of the Scottish track and field calendar – the FPSG Senior and U17 Championships.

The 127th edition of these Scottish Championships sees 405 entries for the Seniors events, with a host of GB and Scotland international athletes on the start-lists.

There are prize pots on offer at £2000 for athletes eligible for Scotland in the Seniors and likewise at £1000 in Para events – provided certain performance standards are met.

British discus international Nick Percy scooped that prize last year when winning gold and returns to defend his title, while Kirsty Law will be looking to finish top of the women’s podium again.

Other defending champions set to perform include Jax Thoirs, Neil Gourley, Kirsten McAslan, Chris Bennett, Jack Lawrie, Kelsey Stewart, Alisha Rees, Greg Millar and Alastair Hay.

The men’s long jump looks good with entries from a trio of U20 athletes who are GB internationals – Stephen Mackenzie, Alessandro Schenini and Calum Henderson, while the men’s 5000m features entries from Hay, Jamie Crowe, Kristian Jones, Ryan Thomson and James Donald.

Female athletes likely to contend for medals include Eloise Walker, Philippa Millage, Rachel Hunter, Anna Nelson, Sarah Warnock, Nikki Manson, Emma Nuttall, Zara Asante and Courtney MacGuire.

On the Para side, Jo Butterfield, Maria Lyle and Gavin Drysdale are expected in Grangemouth.

The Jamaican 800m runner on her breakthrough and selecting middle-distance over sprints

Natoya Goule heads to the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham fresh from winning the 800m at the Pan American Games, which came after a second-place finish at the Herculis Diamond League meeting in Monaco.

Doha will be the 28-year-old’s fourth world championships, but it is in the past two years that she’s established herself as a real contender.

The change came in 2018 when she broke 1:59 for the first time, something she attributes to a change in training.

“I started taking my long runs seriously,” the Jamaican tells me. “I used to train hard on the track but on long runs I didn’t monitor it with my watch, I just went out and ran.

“Then I started monitoring my runs and pacing myself better. That was one big change that I made. Also my diet.

“Because I’m small, people would say ‘you’ll be OK’ but even though I’m small, I’m getting older and I have to eat properly. So I started to eat properly and that also helped me to perform well last year.”

The breakthrough came when she took bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, behind Caster Semenya and Margaret Wambui.

“I barely made the final,” she recalls, “because in the heat three of us were running and the others cut in on me and I virtually had to stop and start running again.

“I came second in the heat but I almost missed making the final.

“In the final I decided just to follow Margaret Wambui. Every move she made I just followed. Then I started to kick. I almost got silver but I’m very grateful for bronze.”

In the years 2013-2017, she was in three outdoor and two indoor world championships, an Olympics and Commonwealth Games without making a final but she continued to believe in herself.

“Looking back, I see myself coming from afar because every time I was the last one to qualify for the next round. But I didn’t give up. I just had faith.

“Sometimes I felt bad, but I always tried to say ‘whenever God is ready’ because he always enabled me to run the times to get to the competitions so when he’s ready he will enable me to run the way he wants me to.”

Monaco is a favourite track. In 2018 she set a Jamaican record of 1:56.15.

“I cried after that race,” she says. “I knew I had run fast, perhaps 1:57, but I didn’t know it was 1:56. When they showed it to me I lay down the ground and started crying. I was really happy because God came through.”

This year she ran 1:57.90 behind Ajee Wilson (1:57.73) – another great result but she was not satisfied.

“I made a couple of mistakes in the race like being on the outside almost all the race and I tried to pass on the curve,” she says. “Because it’s a long curve I really didn’t know where the 150 mark was. I should have been more patient.”

I have to ask how she finished up being a middle-distance runner rather than another Jamaican sprinter?

“I honestly don’t know why Jamaica does not have many world-class 800 metre runners,” she replies. “We have lots of juniors growing up who can run the 800 but then they shy away from the event to do other distances.

“In our DNA we’re supposed to be able to run distance – 800 all the way up. But a lot of people don’t want to, they prefer to be sprinters or do shorter events.

“But based on where our DNA came from, we should be able to run distance well in Jamaica.

“A lot of our distance runners are from the country, where it is hilly. I think being from the country helped me as well.”

Having already been selected for Doha, she sees every race now as a stepping stone to the IAAF World Championships.

“But I am happy to be at the place I am where I know I will continue to strive and push forward,” she adds. “I tell myself I want to do really well this year to continue the success from last year into this year.

“My season didn’t start as I wanted it to but I think now is the right time because it’s a long season. So being at the stage I am right now, I think it is perfect.”

Stellar field features British record-holder plus Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, world champion Dafne Schippers and Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo

Dina Asher-Smith is getting ready to run ‘out of her skin’.

Returning to the scene of what she describes as one of her favourite ever races, which ended with her almost being sick on her agent’s shoes, the triple European champion will be giving it her all once again as she forms part of another fantastic field at the Müller Grand Prix in Birmingham.

That 200m in 2015 saw Asher-Smith race American sprint great Allyson Felix for the first time and her efforts were rewarded with a then PB of 22.30 as she finished third, just one hundredth of a second behind both Jeneba Tarmoh and Felix.

Since then the Briton has improved the national record to 21.89, while her fine recent form has seen her dip under 11 seconds for each of her 100m races and win two Diamond League 200m tests.

“One of my favourite races that I ever ran actually was in Birmingham when I first raced Allyson (Felix),” Asher-Smith says with a smile. “I ran a massive PB out of nowhere and I almost threw up on Ricky’s shoes afterwards – I was so dead!

“I remember running out of my skin here before and obviously I got rewarded with a massive PB so I’m coming to run out of my skin again tomorrow.

“I’m naturally quite a chilled and quiet person but I’m fiercely competitive so wherever I step on the track, every time I step on the line I step on there to win.”

Asher-Smith’s aim is to take on both the 100m and 200m at the IAAF World Championships in Doha and Sunday’s race in Birmingham will certainly provide a taste of what could be to come.

To her left will be multiple Olympic and world gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and to her right, Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

Joining them on the start line will be two-time world champion Dafne Schippers, current world No.2 Blessing Okagbare, world silver medallist Marie-Josée Ta Lou and US champion Dezerea Bryant.

“It’s going to be such a good race tomorrow. The field is packed,” adds Asher-Smith. “I’ve been fortunate to be racing around the Diamond League circuit this year with so many fantastically talented and incredible women and this race is obviously no different.

“I’m so glad to be running at home – I love running in the UK. I’m really happy that I’m getting to run in the UK later in the season, closer to the world championships. It’s not quite a final goodbye before Worlds but it’s as close as we can kind of get to that.

“I’ve had a good season so far. I don’t think I’ve had a 100m or 200m record like this before a major championships ever before. I’m just hoping that I stay healthy and fast and that the world championships will be a good one for me.”

.@dinaashersmith looks ahead to tomorrow’s stacked @BirminghamDL women’s 200m #BirminghamDL pic.twitter.com/MsqhNNX4oH

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 17, 2019

The fact that the Blackheath & Bromley sprinter is yet to peak brings a smile to the face of her coach, John Blackie, she says.

“Just to be in this position and to have opened up so quickly and still be in shape, still be fit, still be healthy and still be focused, I’m definitely taking that as a blessing,” she explains.

“After 2017, breaking my foot and then making the world champs, that taught me a lot about myself. I don’t take my own health and my body for granted. The fact that I’ve been able to stay under 11 seconds (for 100m) is great – I really want to stay sub-11.

“If next week (at the British Championships) there’s torrential rain and a headwind, I’ll be fuming, but I’ll still be going for it!”

Asked whether a win on Sunday is a real statement of intent ahead of the world championships, she replies: “Every race is a statement of intent but in all honesty, whoever wins tomorrow, it just means they are the best tomorrow. When it comes to the world championships, it’s a different kettle of fish.”

That sentiment was echoed by Fraser-Pryce.

“You can rack up a lot of wins on the circuit but when it all matters is at the world championships and that’s where my mind and my focus is,” the Jamaican told media at the pre-event press conference.

“Racing with talented athletes like Dina and Shaunae is definitely something that you can look forward to for the world championships, so there’s no surprises when you get there.”

.@realshellyannfp talks about her strong season so far and road to @IAAFDoha2019 pic.twitter.com/opwArG7DMc

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 17, 2019

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. – Tim Shaffer and his crew chief Cody Jacobs have parted ways with Demyan-Rudzik Racing, effective immediately.

Demyan-Rudzik Racing made the announcement via the team’s official Twitter account early Friday afternoon.

DR Racing and Tim Shaffer along with Cody Jacobs have mutually decided to split ways. We want to thank them for the last couple years of racing and wish them both the best in their futures.

— Demyan-Rudzik Racing (@DR_Racing) August 16, 2019

Shaffer joined Demyan-Rudzik Racing in 2016 and has scored multiple wins with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions. He also earned a $100,000 payday last year for winning the Sprint Car World Championship at Mansfield (Ohio) Motor Speedway.

The four-time All Star champion and winner of the 50th Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway has earned four wins this year aboard the No. 49x Demyan-Rudzik Racing, most recently at Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania against the World of Outlaws.

Shaffer’s last race with Demyan-Rudzik Racing was the 59th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals, where he finished 21st in the 50-lap main event last Saturday night.

When reached by phone Friday afternoon, Shaffer said he was informed of the team’s decision to part ways Friday morning.

“It was news to me at about 10 o’clock this morning,” Shaffer said. “They put in there where both agreed to part ways. Well, they agreed to part their way. I didn’t know nothing about it 10 o’clock this morning.

“It was a great four years or whatever we had. We worked so hard to build a team to be very competitive. We could go anywhere and race with anybody and go win. I thought that was pretty special. For it to just fall apart like this, I don’t understand.”

The suddenness of his departure from Demyan-Rudzik Racing leaves Shaffer unsure of his next move. With so few quality sprint car rides available, Shaffer said finding a new ride will be easier said than done.

“There are very few out there. That’s the problem now a days,” Shaffer said. “We don’t have the owners and teams out there like we use to. The teams we do have out there, these younger guys come in with money. I’m just old school. I don’t have that. It is what it is. Not sure what I’m going to do.”

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has been ruled out for Friday's La Liga opener with sources confirming to ESPN FC that the club is in advanced negotiations with Bayern Munich about a loan deal for the Brazil international.

Coutinho, who Barcelona has been looking to offload this summer after a disappointing year-and-a-half at the club, was set to be part of the squad to face Athletic Bilbao but was dropped about an hour before kickoff as a deal to the German champs inches closer.

More to follow...

Lord's day two, evening, 2009. The Oval, day two, afternoon, 2009. Lord's, day two, afternoon, 2013. Durham, day four, evening, 2013. Edgbaston, day one, afternoon, 2015. Trent Bridge, day one, morning, 2015.

Just six sessions over 10 years, but together they have been enough to more or less hand England the Ashes on three consecutive tours. Each time Australia suffered a cataclysmic batting collapse of at least six wickets in a session that either set-up or sealed a match for England, generally when clouds and pitch provided assistance for the hosts.

To that catalogue it would have been so easy to add Lord's day three, morning, 2019. Clouds overhead, rain in the air preparing to fall for the rest of the day, a pitch that had sweated under its overnight covers. These were conditions made to order for England, and it was a marked departure from the aforementioned litany that saw Australia lose only three wickets in the two hours of play that were possible prior to lunch.

Far from a strong session for Tim Paine's team, but not disastrous. As their mentor Steve Waugh observed afterwards, the potential for a match-shaping session had been avoided through some doughty batting from Steven Smith and Matthew Wade in particular. "I thought we actually did pretty well," Waugh said. "We talked before the start of the series that the key to doing well over here is to not have a disastrous session.

"You're going to lose some sessions, but just lose them closely, not by big margins. That's exactly what we've talked about and that's what the guys did really well. If you lose a couple of quick wickets there, the potential is to lose five or six or seven and then really the Test matches you're going to struggle to come back from that. We hung in there really well. I thought while Wade is 0 not out he's faced 20-odd balls. Steve Smith again looked pretty self-assured. But that was a crucial partnership, if we lost a couple more wickets there, it could've been a tough session.

For Smith (13 from 40 balls) and Wade (0 from 23 balls) the instinct for survival took precedence over their natural desire to score. "It was difficult conditions," Waugh said. "I was down on ground level and that was good quality bowling - England were very disciplined. There's a bit in the pitch, it's a bit two-paced and a bit off the seam so you have to work really hard. It's the sort of pitch where you've seen everyone who's scored runs in this Test match has scored at less than a run every second ball.

"So it's not a pitch where you're going to go out and dominate, you've got to work really hard and get through the tough periods and hopefully the ball gets soft or the sun comes out and conditions change. You've got to sum up the conditions and I guess from a bowling point of view try to seize the moment. From a batting point of view you've got to stem the blood less and hold steady."

Part of the process of staunching the bleeding was not allowing any to be spilled in the first hour, Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja did exceptionally well to see out the initial exchanges, rotating the strike and showing decent judgment of what to leave. Bancroft's efforts to get his head over the ball were sometimes to exaggerated as to give the impression he might trip directly over it, while Khawaja nailed a pair of back foot drives off Chris Woakes that got the Friday Lord's crowd purring.

However, Bancroft's tendency also to fall across his crease meant England's lbw search looked likely to be rewarded, as it was when Jofra Archer brought one back down the hill to hit him on the back pad. A review from Bancroft only confirmed that the ball was clipping the bails, and England had opened things up. They opened further when Khawaja, having left well earlier in his innings, dabbled at a Woakes delivery that, while well pitched, was fractionally wide enough to also shoulder arms.

Travis Head, so proactive at Edgbaston, immediately found himself cornered, beaten from over the wicket before Stuart Broad reverted to the line around the wicket that has so confounded the South Australian captain over the years. Crease bound in part due to Archer's pace, he was the plumbest of lbws, even if Aleem Dar initially declined the appeal for the hint of a double noise. Wade was given out before the showers arrived, also lbw, but ball-tracking revealed that Stokes angle from wide of the crease had the ball pitching marginally outside leg stump.

All the while Smith left the ball as much as he could, offering his post-leave flourishes with even more spark than usual - as though giving himself little post-delivery rewards for denying a natural instinct to get bat on ball. England, in keeping with Joe Root's assertion before this match that Smith's outlandishness can have a tendency to "put off" bowlers and captains from orthodoxy in their plans, stuck more rigorously to the region just outside the off stump and if they didn't dismiss Smith, made it far harder for him to score.

ALSO READ: Must ignore Smith's twitches and stick to plans - Root

England, too, were left with hope from the session that, while the dam did not burst this day, it may yet do so at Leeds, Manchester or the Oval. "Yeah it will happen," Broad said when asked whether he could see England scooping six or seven wickets in a session this series. "We know in England it's not necessarily the pitch that plays a huge part in that, it's the overhead conditions that you need a bit of luck when you're batting or bowling. Here at Lord's if the sun comes out you can quite easily go and get a wicketless session with the bat.

"But you know if it clouds over and the humidity rises you can get 10 wickets in a session. You need a bit of luck of when those conditions fall, and both bowling attacks I think have got a lot of confidence in taking wickets, and I think this series will be quite intriguing in periods in which batting unit can soak up the pressure and actually get through periods of good bowling, and which batting unit maybe tries to hit their way out and struggles.

"The weather's played a part in this Test match and there's still a chance of a result. I can't see too many draws coming in the next three, I think they'll be result Test matches."

Nevertheless, this was the sort of session in which the teams of 2009, 2013 and 2015 may well have lost six wickets or more. To only lose three meant that the Australians entered the final two days of a rain blighted match with a chance to wriggle their way to a more advantageous position. For the first time in at least four Ashes tours, they ended a potential banana skin of a day without having fallen on their faces.