Moeen (77) figured in an eighth-wicket stand of 52 which helped the hosts to 430 all out – and then, although he drew a blank against Chris Rogers (95), saw off Australia’s world number one batsman Steve Smith and captain Michael Clarke as the tourists reached 264 for five.
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The pain was Alastair Cook’s, at slip when he took a nasty blow near his groin which let him writhing on the ground for several minutes before a few more off the pitch to recover.
England experienced an afternoon of pain and only fleeting pleasure in Cardiff as Chris Rogers’ seventh successive half-century equalled the all-time Test record sequence.
A physio came on to treat the stricken skipper, much to the amusement of Joe Root, before Cook left the field to receive further treatment, eventually returning an hour later.
It was Anderson who struck.
Stuart Broad helped maintain England’s Ashes impetus with the bat but was held up as a bowler by Australia’s openers on the second morning of the first Investec Test.
Shane Watson was perhaps marginally unlucky, pushing forward at Broad and unsuccessful with DRS after Marais Erasmus had given him out – ball-tracking demonstrating a mere clip on the top of leg-stump, enough to confirm the dismissal via umpire’s call.
When Lyth slog-swept Nathan Lyon for six, in fact, England had taken 50 runs in the first seven overs of the session.
But the shot was unconvincing with a “pull” for four off an inside-edge which just missed off-stump and sped past the wicketkeeper.
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Still, nothing was going right for Johnson – who ended up with his worst Test figures of nought for 111 and was rewarded with his share of “interaction” from the partisan crowd.
