 | « Back to article | Print this article |
IMAGES from Day 1 of the opening Ashes Test played between England and Australia at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on Friday.
A superb century from Joe Root, his first against Australia since 2015, helped England race to 393-8 before declaring on the opening day of the first Ashes Test, a move that did not bear fruit as the tourists held firm to finish on 14-0 at stumps.
In a move typical of the unconventional, attacking approach adopted by skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England gave themselves four overs to bowl at Australia on Friday, without any success.
As has been the case for many years, Root steadied the ship, putting together a partnership of 121 with fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, who eventually fell for 78, to save his country in the hour of need again.
Root pulled out some outrageous shots in an incredible innings, with his century greeted with raucous applause by an Edgbaston crowd, with their former skipper raising home hopes of a first Ashes series win in eight years, finishing unbeaten on 118.
England did all they could to take a wicket before close of play, with Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson steaming in from either end, but David Warner and Usman Khawaja stood firm.
Earlier, Joe Root steadied the ship again for England as his unbeaten half century steered the hosts to 240-5 at tea on day one of the first Ashes Test, after the key wickets of captain Ben Stokes and young firebrand Harry Brook had given Australia the edge.
Brook, who had previously scored four centuries in seven matches for England and has been at the forefront of their aggressive new approach, was in good touch again before a freakish dismissal off the bowling of Nathan Lyon.
After Stokes came and went quickly for just one, Australia were eyeing the possibility of skittling England out before Root stood firm, with England's all-time leading run scorer across all forms of cricket, seeing his side through to tea without further damage, unbeaten on 66.
Brook raced onto 32 off 37 balls before he was left helpless as a blocked shot looped back over his head and onto the stumps in bizarre fashion.
Stokes's demise was all his own doing, however, as he edged one off Hazlewood, who looked the pick of the Australian bowlers on what was his fourth international test appearance in two and a half years.
With the help of fellow veteran Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, also unbeaten at tea on 33, Root, who was given out late in the session only for the Decision Review System to come to his rescue, proved the patient approach is still just as effective.
Earlier, opener Zak Crawley was out last ball before lunch to leave England on 124-3 and temper what had been a positive opening session for the hosts in the first Test of the Ashes series at Edgbaston on Friday.
With World Test Champions Australia in town, many experts predicted England may soften their aggressive "Bazball" approach for the Ashes, but such doubts were quickly put to bed as Crawley hammered a boundary off the first ball of the innings.
It was in stark contrast to the first ball of the last Ashes series, when Mitchell Starc clean bowled England opener Rory Burns, ahead of Australia's rampant 4-0 success.
The final ball of the session, however, ensured it was impossible to call who was on top in the Birmingham sunshine, as Crawley was caught behind off the bowling of Scott Boland.
The runs flowed for England early on, even after they lost opener Ben Duckett, out for 12 after Josh Hazlewood struck, with the hosts taking advantage of a defensive Australia field to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
England, who average just under five runs an over under coach Brendon McCullum in Test cricket, reached 32-1 off the first seven overs with Crawley leading the charge.
The home side moved onto 50 runs inside 50 minutes and were approaching the century mark when Nathan Lyon had Ollie Pope trapped leg before wicket for 31, following an Australian review.
Joined by captain Joe Root at the crease, Crawley moved onto his half century off just 56 balls, before hammering another boundary to take England into three figures.
Yet another successful Australian on-field review got the tourists the key wicket at a crucial moment.
