David Warner has survived his first massive problem in England after a Joe Root century allowed the hosts to declare at 8-393 late on a compelling day one of many Ashes.
Asked to navigate a difficult 20-minute interval earlier than stumps, Australia completed 0-14 with Warner twice driving arch-nemesis Stuart Broad for 4 whereas Usman Khawaja additionally survived.
It got here on the finish of a helter-skelter begin to the collection at Edgbaston, as Joe Root smashed an unbeaten 118 and Nathan Lyon took 4 wickets for Australia on Friday.
Root’s innings included two reverse-scoops for six off Pat Cummins and Scott Boland, two different maximums in the identical over off Lyon and several other reverse sweeps for 4.
Two batsmen had been out stumped charging making an attempt to hit Lyon out of the bottom, whereas England captain Ben Stokes was caught behind for one swinging laborious at a ball outdoors off.
But that’s the model of England within the Bazball period.
England hit 46 boundaries and went at a fee of 5.03 via an innings that solely contained two maiden overs in opposition to what’s normally the world’s most miserly assault.
Australia had three males on the boundary from the third over on with the quicks bowling, and had a fourth man on the rope within the first hour when Lyon entered the assault.
The manic nature of England’s cricket appeared to throw Australia barely off, with two dropped catches within the discipline and some fumbles.
Boland, lengthy considered essentially the most economical bowler on the planet, additionally went for 1-86 off 14 overs as England made some extent to make use of their toes to the Victorian and go after him.
Lyon summed up the day for Australia, who’ve maintained within the lead as much as the collection that they’re ready to go for runs if it means taking wickets.
He completed with 4-149 from his 29 overs, whereas a fit-again Josh Hazlewood additionally justified the religion of selectors with 2-61 after being picked forward of Mitchell Starc.
In Australia’s first actual introduction to England’s fearless strategy, Zak Crawley crunched the primary ball of the collection off Cummins for 4 via cowl.
The opener additionally despatched Hazlewood’s first ball to the square-leg boundary, earlier than he was caught behind for 61 earlier than lunch when Boland took his glove on the best way to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Fellow opener Ben Duckett was out early for 12, with Australia exploiting the actual fact he has left solely six balls previously yr when Hazlewood had him edging a ball nicely outdoors off.
Hazlewood additionally claimed the important thing wicket of Stokes within the center session when he had the England captain edging when he drove laborious at a ball outdoors off stump.
And after Lyon had additionally trapped Ollie Pope (31) lbw and bowled Harry Brook (32) earlier within the innings, England had been 5-176 and in a spot of bother.
But from there, Root and Jonny Bairstow stabilised.
Having didn’t convert any of his 12 half-centuries to centuries in opposition to Australia previously eight years, Root was very good.
He routinely reverse-swept Lyon, nonetheless confirmed endurance in opposition to the bowlers and waited for the unhealthy ball to assault.
The pair placed on a 121-run sixth-wicket stand, with Bairstow powering the ball via the offside as he seemed to be charging in direction of a century.
But Lyon noticed him approaching 78, had him stumped, and shortly after eliminated Moeen Ali in comparable style to make it 10 dismissals of the English spinner in 12 innings.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
