Key Points
- Mitchell Starc destroys England with a brilliant 7/58 as the visitors are bowled out for 172.
- Ben Stokes hits back with a superb 5/23 to leave Australia reeling at 123/9.
- A lively Perth pitch sees 19 wickets fall, giving England a surprise 49-run advantage at stumps.
PERTH: The Ashes began with great energy at Perth Stadium on Friday, as powerful fast bowling dominated the day and created plenty of excitement. On a lively pitch that made batting difficult, players from both teams struggled to stay at the crease while wickets kept falling one after another, thrilling the crowd of 51,531.
By the end of the action-packed day, with 19 wickets down, England unexpectedly held the advantage.
Sent in to bat, England crumbled under the ferocity of Mitchell Starc, who delivered one of the finest spells of his Test career. Starc struck off the very first over, removing Zak Crawley for a duck, and continued to decimate the visitors before finishing with extraordinary figures of 7/58 in 12.5 overs. England were bowled out for 172 in just 32.5 overs, unable to counter Australia’s relentless pace attack.
Harry Brook offered resistance with a fluent 52 off 61 balls, striking five fours and a six, while Ollie Pope contributed 46 off 58, keeping the innings alive with four boundaries. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith added a brisk 33 off 22 balls, smashing six fours in a short counterattack that helped England cross 150.
Australia, however, endured similar struggles in response. England captain Ben Stokes led a fiery comeback, ripping through the home side’s batting card with a devastating spell of 5/23 in six overs. His burst included crucial wickets of Travis Head (21), Cameron Green (24), Alex Carey (26), Mitchell Starc (12), and Scott Boland (0), putting England firmly back in the contest.
Jofra Archer complemented the attack with two early breakthroughs, dismissing Jake Weatherald for a duck in the second ball of the innings and sending back Marnus Labuschagne for 9 off 41, tightening England’s grip.
Australia staggered to 123/9 at stumps, trailing by 49 runs, as the match heads into a pivotal second day. With batters from both sides struggling against high-class pace, the stage is set for another enthralling chapter in this Ashes showdown.
