More rain is forecast for Sunday's final day at Old Trafford and a draw would mean Australia, as the holders, retained the Ashes regardless of the result in the fifth and final Test at the Oval next week
England were 384-4 at stumps in reply to Australia's first innings 317, a lead of 67 runs in a match they must win to maintain their hopes of regaining the Ashes at 2-1 down with two to play
But when Smith takes the field at Yorkshire's headquarters on Thursday for the third match of the Ashes series he will be winning his 100th cap as arguably the outstanding batsman of his generation
Both Anderson and fellow paceman Josh Tongue have been "rested", according to an England statement issued Wednesday, with their places taken by express quick Mark Wood and seam-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey underarmed the ball at the stumps after Bairstow had left his crease at the end of an over on the final day of the second Test, which Australia won by 43 runs to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.
Pope was injured while fielding on the first day at Lord's last week and aggravated the problem after England were told they were not permitted to use a substitute fielder in the second innings
Batting in partnership with fast bowler Mitchell Starc, Lyon, playing in his 100th consecutive test match, looked like a sitting duck as he fended off some hostile bowling
Under cricket's laws, a catch is only completed when the fielder has "complete control over the ball and his/her own movement" and cannot touch the ground before then if a dismissal is to be completed
Captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook walked out to bat at Lord's on Friday with the second Test nicely poised despite a chaotic final session the previous evening but the home side slumped from 278-4 to 325 all out, giving Australia a precious first-innings lead of 91
"Hopefully I won't have to bowl too much," he told reporters, having stepped in just before the close of the second day of the second Ashes test to relieve Australia's tired fast bowlers following an injury to their regular spinner Nathan Lyon
In the latest extraordinary display of modern-day Test cricket, England enjoyed their best Ashes opening stand for 11 years and rattled to their total at almost five an over.
As commentator Daniel Norcross told the BBC: "He is the scourge of the English. He is the modern-day Bradman."
A pair of Just Stop Oil protesters ran onto the outfield from the Lord's Grandstand just before Stuart Broad bowled the second over of the opening day
The Sydneysider announced this month that he would like to bring down the curtain on his Test career in his hometown test against Pakistan but knew he would need runs in England to make sure he was still in the team come January
Head joined Smith and accelerated the scoring rate as the England bowlers tired in the final session
Just before Stuart Broad bowled the second over, two protesters from Just Stop Oil ran out of the Grandstand and onto the outfield, sprinkling the group's trademark orange powder on the square but not on the pitch
“You wonder whether or not you’ll be able to walk again, jog again, run again, play cricket again. Absolutely, those things do go through your mind,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Steven Smith has conceded the top spot in the Test batting rankings after an underwhelming display in the first Ashes Test against England in Cardiff where he made twin scores of 33 in Australia's 169-run defeat.