Nineteen wickets fell yesterday on an opening day of carnage in the first Ashes Test, with England’s attack led by skipper Ben Stokes bowling them into a position of strength after Australia dismissed the tourists for 172.
A rampaging Mitchell Starc took 7-58 to put England on the back foot after Stokes won the toss on a fine day at a packed Perth Stadium and chose to bat.
Harry Brook (52) and Ollie Pope (46) offered the only resistance as they crumbled after lunch, but England’s elite fast bowlers, led by an exceptional Stokes with 5-23, fought back to reduce the hosts to 123-9 at stumps, trailing by 49.
Photo: AFP
Nathan Lyon was on 3 with Brendan Doggett yet to score.
There was early drama in Australia’s reply when Usman Khawaja failed to open with Marnus Labuschagne, instead walking out with debutant Jake Weatherald.
In a brutal introduction to Test cricket, Weatherald went for a second-ball duck, left on the floor by a Jofra Archer bullet and given out leg before wicket.
Labuschagne fended off 41 balls for 9 before he too succumbed to the sheer speed of Archer, bowled by a fuller delivery, and when Steve Smith fell for 17 to Brydon Carse in the next over, caught by Brook at slip, it was game on.
Khawaja, who was feeling stiff, came in at four, but lasted just six balls, blown away by a Carse bouncer that took a nick to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, leaving Australia reeling at 31-4.
Cameron Green (24), Travis Head (21), Alex Carey (26) and Starc (12) all got starts, but in a reflection of the depth of England’s pace stocks, Stokes removed them when he brought himself on.
Starc bagged three wickets in an intimidating opening spell, including Joe Root for a duck, before returning to send Stokes packing in his first over after the lunch break, then mopping up.
All five previous Tests in Perth have been won by the side batting first, but England did their best to challenge that, getting off to a horror start.
Veteran strike weapon Starc delivered as he has so many times before, enticing a thick edge from Zak Crawley on his sixth ball that Khawaja did well to collect low at slip, the opener gone for a duck.
Starc has now taken a wicket in the first over of an innings 24 times.
At the other end, Ben Duckett settled his nerves with a textbook drive off Scott Boland to bank the first four of the series, but just as he was getting going, Starc pounced again, trapping him leg before wicket for 21 to leave England tottering on 33-2.
That brought Root to the crease in his latest campaign for an elusive first century in Australia.
He only lasted seven balls, edging a seaming delivery into the safe hands of Labuschagne at third slip.
Pope survived the furnace and was composed before Green came on and he was out leg before wicket, leaving the visitors on 105-4 at lunch.
Brook hit Scott Boland for a six in the first over after the break, before Starc again worked his magic, taking out Stokes’ stumps with an inswinger when the captain was on 6.
A fearless Brook raced to his 14th Test half-century before feathering a short ball to Carey, earning Doggett his maiden Test wicket on debut.
Starc then removed Gus Atkinson cheaply to give him the 17th five-wicket haul of his career and with Doggett they ruthlessly cleaned up the tail.
France’s Kevin Aymoz snatched the men’s title at Skate America on Saturday, winning his first grand prix title with a battling free skate, while short program leader Kazuki Tomono faltered. It was an emotional triumph for Aymoz, who made his grand prix level debut in 2017, with seven prior podium finishes, but no gold. He had struggled with a painful foot injury since a disappointing 10th-place finish at Skate Canada last month. “It was so difficult,” the 28-year-old said. “After Skate Canada I wanted to give up so much and today I’m here and it’s so beautiful to be with my friends competing
Nigeria’s soccer coach has accused the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) of practicing “voodoo” after his squad’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s FIFA World Cup ended in a penalty shoot-out loss in the African playoff final. DR Congo and Nigeria drew 1-1 after extra-time in the tie in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday and the central Africans won 4-3 on penalties to book a place in inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico in March next year. In his post-match remarks to journalists, coach Eric Chelle said a member of the DR Congo team “did some voodoo, every time, every time, every time.” “That
A start-up’s entry into prediction market trading is raising fresh questions about the involvement of NBA owners in sports betting. The start-up, Mojo Interactive Inc, was cofounded by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, the owners of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Lynx. Mojo has started trading on the outcome of sports games on the prediction market exchange Kalshi, an arrangement that is now being reviewed by the NBA. Mojo began trading event contracts tied to sports during the NFL season this fall, according to Mojo CEO Vinit Bharara. Mojo has yet to trade on any NBA games, Bharara said in
Australian cyclist Paige Greco, a Paralympic gold medalist, has died. She was 28. A joint statement by the Australian Paralympic Committee and Cycling Australia said that Greco “passed away in her Adelaide home after experiencing a sudden medical episode” on Sunday. “Paige meant everything to us,” her mother Natalie Greco said. “Her kindness, her determination and her warmth touched our family every single day. She brought so much joy and pride into our lives, and the pain of her passing is something we will carry forever, “ Natalie Greco said. “While we are devastated by her loss, we are incredibly proud of the person she
RSS