On a breath-taking bowler’s dominated first day where 19 wickets fell, it is the visitors England who have their noses in front in this first Ashes Test match in Perth. England were on the back foot for most part of the day but boy they bounced back especially in the last session to edge ahead in the Test match. England won the toss and decided to bat first were bowled out for 172 in 32.5 overs with Mitchell Starc picking up 7 wickets while Harry Brook made a half century.
In reply, Australia struggled to get going throughout as an inspired bowling display led by England captain Ben Stokes who picked up a 5-wicket haul has restricted Australia to 123/9 in 39 overs and the Aussies still trail by 49 runs with the last pair of Nathan Lyon and Brendan Doggett batting together. In what seemed like advantage Australia, is now advantage England.
Mitchell Starc’s 3-wicket haul dents England in the morning session.Â
England won the toss and decided to bat first as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out to bat for the visitors. Mitchell Starc had ball in hand for Australia and he gave Australia the perfect start removing Crawley for a duck as Usman Khawaja took the safe catch at first slip as Crawley slashed at the ball away from the body. Ollie Pope came out to bat next. Scott Boland shared the new ball from the other end and was milked by the two batters.
Starc was too hot to handle as he bowled another maiden over. Duckett was the aggressor as he drove Boland down the ground past mid-on for a boundary. He hit Boland again for a boundary down the ground this time through mid-off. Starc continued as Duckett clipped the ball on the pads to the fine leg fence. Boland continued as Duckett hit another shot down the ground through mid-off for a boundary.
Starc struck again as he removed Duckett for 21 off 20 balls with 4 fours to his name via LBW as the batter reviewed as well and burnt it as this was plumb in front as the ball hit the front foot. Joe Root came out to bat next. Boland continued as Root survived a close run out call at the bowler’s end. Pope then drove Boland through mid-off for a boundary. Starc continued and removed the big fish Joe Root for a duck.
The good length delivery delivery angling across did the trick as Root looked to defend and played down the wrong line and got squared up to get a thick outside edge to Labuschagne who took it easily at third slip. Harry Brook came out to bat next. Brendan Doggett came into the attack on his Test debut. Doggett gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side but bowled a probing over nonetheless. Starc continued as Pope slashed and slashed hard over gully for a boundary. The 50 came up for England in 11 overs and at 50/3 we had the Drinks Break of the morning session.
Doggett continued after the break and Brook hit him by backing away and carving it over backward point for a boundary. Boland changed ends and bowled a decent over. Pope hit Doggett by flicking it away between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Boland continued as Brook drove him hard down the ground to the left of the bowler for a boundary to long-off fence. Doggett bowled a decent over. Boland bowled another good over. Doggett kept things under check.
Spin was introduced next as Nathan Lyon came into the attack. England milked him for runs at will. Cameron Green came into the attack as Pope drove him down the ground for a boundary and got a triple as well as the 50-run stand came up between the two batters. Green then removed Pope for 46 off 58 balls with 4 fours to his name. Pope fell over on the full ball trying to flick it away and missed it to be wrapped up on the pads. Appeal was given. The batter reviewed and umpire’s call meant Pope had to go although the review was retained. Captain Ben Stokes came out to bat next.
Starc came back into the attack and bowled a maiden. Nathan Lyon changed ends and bowled a decent over as England kept the scoreboard ticking. Starc came to bowl the final over before Lunch as Brook jumped outside the crease by making room and stayed leg side of the ball to whack it through extra cover for a boundary as the 100 came up for England in 22.1 overs. At the end of 23 overs, England were 105/4 as players left for the Lunch Break with Brook batting on 28* and Ben Stokes 4* with Mitchell Starc taking 3 wickets and Cameron Green taking the other wicket.
Mitchell Starc’s 7-wicket haul bowls England out for 172 in 32.5 overs; Jofra Archer removes Jake Weatherald before Tea.Â
Vice-captain Harry Brook and captain Ben Stokes resumed for England while Scott Boland had ball in hand for Australia after Lunch. Brook showed his intentions as he jumped outside the crease as he stayed leg side of the ball and lofted it inside out over extra cover for the maximum. Starc had ball from the other end and removed Ben Stokes for 6 off 12 balls.
Starc bowled a wobbled seam delivery pitching on length outside the off-stump line. Stokes on the front foot played away from the body as the ball nipped back in and castled the stumps. Jamie Smith came out to bat next. Boland continued and appealed for LBW against Smith but the ball was missing the leg stump as the Aussies burnt a review. Smith played a late dab as he waited for the ball and guided Boland between third slip and gully for a boundary.
Brook took the attack to Starc by hitting him for consecutive boundaries down the ground and through the fine leg region. Smith again spanked Boland down the ground through mid-on for a boundary. Brook carved it away over covers as the ball was cut off, but the batters ran all 4 as well. Smith then took the attack to Starc by hitting him for back-to-back boundaries first down the ground and then through deep backward square leg. Brook reached his fifty off 58 balls as this was his 14th Test fifty. Smith pulled Starc past Boland at deep fine leg for a boundary as the 150 came up for England in 29 overs.
Doggett got his maiden Test wicket as he removed Brook for 52 off 61 balls with 5 fours and a maximum to his name. The ball was short into the wicket down the leg side and it was well-directed from the bowler. Brook went for the pull shot at first but changed his mind in the end as he failed to get away from the line. He got gloves off the left hand on way to the keeper who made no mistake. The replays confirmed the same. Gus Atkinson came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Starc got his five-wicket haul as he dismissed Atkinson for 1 off 2 balls as the batter poked at the away going ball away from the body to get the outside edge as Smith took the catch at second slip. Brydon Carse came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary by guiding it through point and gully for a boundary. Doggett continued and he hit Carse on the helmet as a concussion test was done on him. Doggett got rid of Carse for 6 off 9 balls with a boundary to his name as the short ball was pulled away flat and hard square on the onside as Marnus timed his jump to perfection and took a wonderful catch. Jofra Archer came out to bat next.
Smith hit Starc for a boundary by standing tall and pulling it through midwicket region for a boundary. Starc removed Smith for 33 off 22 balls with 6 fours to his name. The back of the length ball on off-stump which Smith cleared his front leg and heaved it away on the leg side from the inner half of the bat and did not get enough elevation or distance as Cameron Green at deep square leg settled underneath it and took a good catch.
Mark Wood came out to bat and fell first ball to Starc as he made room and hit the short ball by making room to go leg side and got a top edge that went up in the air as Carey took the catch easily. Another wicket given away as England were bowled out for 172 in 32.5 overs. 7 extras given by the fielding side.
Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with figures of 7/58 in 12.5 overs. Brendan Doggett chipped in on debut with 2/27 in 7 overs. Cameron Green picked up 1/10 in 1 over. Scott Boland’s 10 overs went for 62 runs as he had an off-day.
With Usman Khawaja unable to come out to bat due to being off the field. debutant Jake Weatherald came out to bat with Marnus Labuschagne while Jofra Archer had ball in hand for England. Archer gave England the perfect start removing the debutant Weatherald for a silver duck thanks to successful usage of DRS. The ball did pitch in line and it was three reds and the umpire changed the decision. Captain Steve Smith came out to bat next as Archer started with a wicket maiden.
Gus Atkinson had ball in hand from the other end. He started with a maiden. Archer bowled another maiden over. Atkinson bowled another maiden over. Smith finally got off the mark while Labuschagne drove Archer down the ground for a boundary. Atkinson continued as Smith was hit on the elbow and received treatment from the physio. It was another probing over. Mark Wood came into the attack next as Marnus survived a run out scare at the bowler’s end with the throw missing the stumps. Wood bowled a probing over.
Atkinson bowled another decent over. Wood bowled another decent over even though he overstepped. Brydon Carse came into the attack to bowl the final over before Tea. Smith got a triple as Carse finished a decent over. Australia were 15/1 in 10 overs with Labuschagne on 6* and Steve Smith on 7* as an interesting evening session was ahead of us.
Ben Stokes’ remarkable 5-wicket haul sinks Australia to 123/9.Â
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne resumed proceedings for Australia after Tea while Jofra Archer had ball in hand for England. Archer bowled another maiden over. Carse operated from the other end as Labuschagne got a triple. Marnus survived a close caught behind appeal as a close call went Australia’s way with England losing a review. Archer bowled another probing over.
Smith hit Carse by playing the cut shot through the point region for a boundary. Smith found the gap again as he swivelled pull him between deep fine leg and deep backward square leg for a boundary. Archer provided England the breakthrough by removing Labuschagne for 9 off 41 balls with one boundary to his name. The bowler cleaned him up as the batter made an error in judgement as well. Usman Khawaja came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well.
Carse continued and got rid of captain Smith for 17 off 49 balls with 2 fours to his name. Smith looked to tackle the pace and bounce but got squared up and got the outside edge down to Brook at slip cordon. Travis Head came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Archer bowled a maiden over. Carse got another as he removed Khawaja for 2 off 6 balls. The extra bounce surprised the batter and the ball kissed the gloves through to the keeper. Cameron Green came out to bat next.
Atkinson returned to the attack as Green hit him by pressing forward and nailed the on-drive through long-on for a boundary. Carse bowled another probing over. Atkinson bowled a tight over. Mark Wood returned to the attack and gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Atkinson put down a tough chance off his own bowling as Green got a life. Wood continued as the 50 came up for Australia in 23.2 overs. Green was hit on the helmet by Wood as he went through concussion check.
Atkinson continued as Head threw his hands at it and got the outside edge down to the deep third fence. Wood continued as Green belted it down the ground over long-off for a boundary. Atkinson bowled a maiden over. Captain Ben Stokes came onto the attack next. Stokes bowled a decent over. Brydon Carse returned to the attack. Carse bowled a decent over. Stokes removed Head for 21 off 35 balls with a boundary to his name to get his first wicket. Stokes did not bowl a great ball but Head chipped it to Carse who took a good catch. Alex Carey came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Carse bowled a decent over. Stokes got another as he removed Green for 24 off 50 balls with 2 fours to his name as the away going ball got the edge through to the keeper. Mitchell Starc came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Carey tickled it away to the fine leg fence. Carse continued as Carey slapped it through covers for a boundary as the 100 came up in 33 overs for Australia. Stokes bowled a good over. Carse continued as Carey hit the ball through mid-off for a boundary.
Stokes got another as he removed Starc for 12 off 12 balls. Starc chipped it straight to mid-on. Nathan Lyon came out to bat next. Archer bowled a good over. Stokes was on a roll as he removed Carey the set batter for 26 off 26 balls with 3 fours to his name. The short and wide ball was upper cut away to Carse at deep third man who took the catch. Scott Boland came out to bat and fell for a silver duck. Boland got the outside edge as Brook at second slip leaned forward and claimed a low catch. Stokes completed his five-wicket haul.
Brendan Doggett came out to bat next. Archer bowled a decent last over as Australia finished with 123/9 in 39 overs with Lyon on 3* and Doggett on 0*. 9 extras given by England so far.
Captain Ben Stokes was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5/23 in 6 overs. Jofra Archer chipped in with 2/11 in 9 overs. Brydon Carse chipped in with 2/45 in 10 overs. Gus Atkinson bowled 9 overs for 19 runs. Mark Wood bowled 5 overs for 18 runs.
What Lies Ahead for Tomorrow.Â
England are on top despite getting bowled out for 172 as Ben Stokes has inspired them to keep Australia to 123/9. The Aussies trail by 49 runs at this stage. Tomorrow is a big day as England will get the first innings lead and try and drive home the advantage. Australia will try to take wickets when they have ball in hand. The pitch may ease out tomorrow.
Let’s see what Day 2 has instore for us in what has been a thrilling first day in Perth.
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