<p>Australia stormed to an eight-wicket victory in the second Ashes test on Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead as England succumbed on day four to a pace blitz from unlikely hero Michael Neser.</p><p>Helped by the catching magic of home captain Steve Smith, 35-year-old Neser finished with 5-42 in his first test in three years, leaving the hosts needing 65 runs to win the day-night match at the Gabba.</p><p>While Gus Atkinson grabbed two wickets, opener Jake Weatherald (17 not out) and number four batter Smith (23 not out) mowed down the target after the dinner-break, condemning England to a 15th defeat in their last 17 tests in Australia.</p><p>England seamer Jofra Archer had a heated exchange with Smith in the middle but ended up getting smashed for two fours and a six by the fired-up skipper.</p>.Ashes: Mitchell Starc shines with bat and ball to push Australia to brink of Gabba win.<p>Smith sealed the win in style, thumping Atkinson for six over deep square to trigger a huge roar from home fans in the crowd of 27,888.</p><p>"Archer was obviously bowling pretty quick and there was a short boundary behind me," said Smith.</p><p>"I thought I would try to get hold of a few, particularly as I heard there was a storm coming so I wanted to get things done.</p><p>"What I said to Archer stays on the field. It was good banter. He is a good competitor and comes hard at you."</p><p>England skipper Ben Stokes described the test as "very disappointing".</p><p>"A lot comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game," said Stokes. "(We) need to think harder mentally, and show more fight."</p><p>With Adelaide to come and three matches left in the series, Stokes will refuse to concede that the urn is lost after battling hard in a 152-ball 50.</p><p>But it would take something extraordinary to win it from here.</p><p>Only one team has ever come back from 2-0 down to win a series in nearly 150 years of test cricket - Don Bradman's Australia in the home Ashes of 1936/37.</p><p>In Brisbane, Stokes's England showed their fans little to suggest a Bradman-esque effort is within them this tour.</p>.Ashes: Weatherald, Smith lead Australian charge at Brisbane.<p>Australia, meanwhile, may only get stronger.</p><p>Their Brisbane attack was third-string at best, with the dogged but unexceptional trio of Scott Boland, Neser and Brendan Doggett supporting the outstanding Starc.</p><p>Champion quick Pat Cummins and elite spinner Nathan Lyon will likely return at Adelaide Oval from injury and non-selection, respectively.</p><p>As it was, the duo were hardly needed.</p><p>Australia's pacers did their work late on day three, leaving England needing another 44 runs to make the hosts bat again when they resumed on 134 for six.</p><p>Stokes and all-rounder Will Jacks deserved credit for batting through the entire first session and pushing England past 200.</p><p>But as the overs wore on, the Gabba wicket showed more uneven bounce, and Stokes was doubled over in agony when a Neser delivery caught an edge and cannoned into his groin.</p><p>He got up to cut a single off Doggett and raise his fifty, bringing England fans to their feet to applaud.</p><p>It took Smith to turn the match back in Australia's favour with a stunning slips catch to dismiss Jacks for 41 and trigger an England batting collapse.</p><p>Smith leapt to his left to take a one-handed screamer above the grass when the England number eight nicked Neser behind, ending a 96-run stand with his Stokes.</p><p>England duly crumbled, losing 4-17 to be all out for 241.</p>
<p>Australia stormed to an eight-wicket victory in the second Ashes test on Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead as England succumbed on day four to a pace blitz from unlikely hero Michael Neser.</p><p>Helped by the catching magic of home captain Steve Smith, 35-year-old Neser finished with 5-42 in his first test in three years, leaving the hosts needing 65 runs to win the day-night match at the Gabba.</p><p>While Gus Atkinson grabbed two wickets, opener Jake Weatherald (17 not out) and number four batter Smith (23 not out) mowed down the target after the dinner-break, condemning England to a 15th defeat in their last 17 tests in Australia.</p><p>England seamer Jofra Archer had a heated exchange with Smith in the middle but ended up getting smashed for two fours and a six by the fired-up skipper.</p>.Ashes: Mitchell Starc shines with bat and ball to push Australia to brink of Gabba win.<p>Smith sealed the win in style, thumping Atkinson for six over deep square to trigger a huge roar from home fans in the crowd of 27,888.</p><p>"Archer was obviously bowling pretty quick and there was a short boundary behind me," said Smith.</p><p>"I thought I would try to get hold of a few, particularly as I heard there was a storm coming so I wanted to get things done.</p><p>"What I said to Archer stays on the field. It was good banter. He is a good competitor and comes hard at you."</p><p>England skipper Ben Stokes described the test as "very disappointing".</p><p>"A lot comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game," said Stokes. "(We) need to think harder mentally, and show more fight."</p><p>With Adelaide to come and three matches left in the series, Stokes will refuse to concede that the urn is lost after battling hard in a 152-ball 50.</p><p>But it would take something extraordinary to win it from here.</p><p>Only one team has ever come back from 2-0 down to win a series in nearly 150 years of test cricket - Don Bradman's Australia in the home Ashes of 1936/37.</p><p>In Brisbane, Stokes's England showed their fans little to suggest a Bradman-esque effort is within them this tour.</p>.Ashes: Weatherald, Smith lead Australian charge at Brisbane.<p>Australia, meanwhile, may only get stronger.</p><p>Their Brisbane attack was third-string at best, with the dogged but unexceptional trio of Scott Boland, Neser and Brendan Doggett supporting the outstanding Starc.</p><p>Champion quick Pat Cummins and elite spinner Nathan Lyon will likely return at Adelaide Oval from injury and non-selection, respectively.</p><p>As it was, the duo were hardly needed.</p><p>Australia's pacers did their work late on day three, leaving England needing another 44 runs to make the hosts bat again when they resumed on 134 for six.</p><p>Stokes and all-rounder Will Jacks deserved credit for batting through the entire first session and pushing England past 200.</p><p>But as the overs wore on, the Gabba wicket showed more uneven bounce, and Stokes was doubled over in agony when a Neser delivery caught an edge and cannoned into his groin.</p><p>He got up to cut a single off Doggett and raise his fifty, bringing England fans to their feet to applaud.</p><p>It took Smith to turn the match back in Australia's favour with a stunning slips catch to dismiss Jacks for 41 and trigger an England batting collapse.</p><p>Smith leapt to his left to take a one-handed screamer above the grass when the England number eight nicked Neser behind, ending a 96-run stand with his Stokes.</p><p>England duly crumbled, losing 4-17 to be all out for 241.</p>