Ace speedster Mitchell Starc came out all guns blazing and removed the first three wickets for England after the visitors won the toss and decided to bat first. Mitchell Starc breathed fire as he removed Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Joe Root before Cameron Green late on removed Ollie Pope for 46. England have counter-attacked and reached 105/4 in 23 overs with Harry Brook on 28* and captain Ben Stokes on 4*. This partnership will be key as we enter the afternoon session of Day 1 in Perth.
Mitchell Starc’s triple strike dents England in the first hour of play.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out to bat for England while Mitchell Starc had ball in hand for the Australians. Starc made the perfect start for Australia as he removed Crawley for a duck. Starc bowled a good length delivery delivered with wobbled seam outside the off-stump line. There was no much movement on offer as it zoomed away with the angle. Crawley didn’t move his feet and slashed at the ball with an angled bat and got the outside edge down to Usman Khawaja at first slip who took a comfortable catch around thigh height. Ollie Pope came out to bat next.
Scott Boland shared the new ball from the other end. England milked him for twos and three to have a decent over. Starc bowled another maiden over. Duckett hit the first boundary of the game as he drove Boland down the ground past mid-on for a boundary. Duckett got another boundary away by drilling it down the ground for a boundary past mid-off. Starc continued as Duckett clipped it away fine towards the fine leg fence.
Boland continued as Duckett transferred his weight on the front foot and drove him between bowler and mid-off for a boundary. Starc continued and provided the second breakthrough for Australia as he removed Duckett for 21 off 20 balls with 4 fours to his name. Starc bowled it very full and close to the off-stump line. Duckett didn’t move his front foot much and got late to bring his bat down and got beaten on the inside edge as the ball hit him flush on the front foot. The umpire gave it OUT and the batter reviewed in hope and saw three reds to burn the review as well. Joe Root came out to bat next.
Root survived a run out scare at the bowler’s end as he got his bat down in time. Pope then hit Boland for a boundary by gloriously driving it past mid-off for a boundary. Starc was on a roll as he removed Root for a duck as he got him for the 9th time in Test cricket. Starc bowled a good length delivery around the middle stump line angling across the batter. Root got behind the line and looked to defend it straight. He played down the wrong line and got squared up. He got a thick outside edge and carried to Labuschagne who took an easy catch at third slip. Harry Brook came out to bat next.
The debutant Brendan Doggett came into the attack and gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side by bowling the wrong line and length. Starc continued as Brook got a triple. Pope managed to get a boundary away as he rode the bounce and slashed it away over gully for a boundary. The 50 came up for England in 11 overs. England were 50/3 in 11 overs in the first hour as we paused for the Drinks Break.
Ollie Pope & Harry Brook counterattack for England before Cameron Green removes Pope for 46
Doggett continued after the break as Brook backed away for room and exposed his stumps but opened the bat face and carved it away through the backward point region for a boundary. Boland changed ends as Pope got a triple off him. Doggett continued as Pope got his front foot away and flicked it away to the gap between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Pope got another triple away. Boland continued as Brook drove him down the ground past the bowler for a boundary. Doggett continued and bowled a decent over.
Boland continued and overstepped but bowled a decent over. Doggett bowled another decent over. Spin was introduced into the attack next as Nathan Lyon came into the attack. Lyon bowled a decent over even as England milked his bowling. Cameron Green came into the attack next as Pope presented the full face of the bat and drove it down the ground for a boundary past mid-on. Pope managed a triple as well. Green bounced back and removed Pope for 46 off 58 balls with 4 fours to his name.
Green bowled full and on the middle stump. Pope fell over while looking to flick it away and missed it to get wrapped on the front pad near the shin. Green was confident and appealed and the umpire gave him OUT. Pope reviewed after having a chat with his partner and saw umpire’s call on hitting the stumps and had to go even though the review was retained by England. Captain Ben Stokes came out to bat next.
Starc came back into the attack and bowled another maiden over. Lyon continued and bowled a decent over as England milked him for singles and twos. Starc came to bowl the final over before Lunch as Brook jumped outside the crease and make room by staying leg side of the ball to whack it over extra covers for a boundary. The 100 came up for England in 22.1 overs. They took ones and twos as England finished with 105/4 in 23 overs as players went off for the Lunch Break with Brook on 28* and Stokes on 4*. 6 extras given by the Aussies so far.
Mitchell Starc has been the pick of the bowlers for Australia with figures of 3/24 in 8 overs. Cameron Green got a wicket in his only over but went for 10 runs as he has 1/10 in 1 over. Scott Boland bowled 7 overs for 39 runs and lacked rhythm. Brendan Doggett bowled really well for his 0/17 in 5 overs. Nathan Lyon rolled his arm for 2 overs for 10 runs.
What Lies Ahead in Afternoon Session
It’s been an entertaining first two hours in Perth. Australia will be relatively pleased by getting 4 wickets after losing the toss while England will be fine with scoring over 100 runs. Australia might be the happier side at this stage thanks to a fiery spell early on from Mitchell Starc. Let’s see if England fights back in the afternoon session and in Stokes and Brook they have capable players.
An interesting intriguing session awaits us in the afternoon where pitch is expected to get better for batting. Let’s see what is ahead of us.
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