England suffered a huge batting collapse allowing Australia to take the lead in the series with a 251-run win in the first Test at Edgbaston.
England - 374 & 146 / 284 & 487-7 dec - Australia
Needing to bat out the day for a draw, England surrended to a 251-run defeat as Australia take a 1-0 lead in the series, the first time since 2005 that Australia have taken the lead in an England-based Ashes.
Given a target of 398 to win, England lost six wickets for 37 runs at one point in the day on the way to being bowled out for 146 at Edgbaston.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon benefited the most from the worn pitch, taking 6-49 while seamer Pat Cummins took 4-32 as the victory was wrapped up before tea.
The selection of James Anderson may prove to be crucial in deciding the series - apart from four overs on the first morning, he suffered from the calf injury he attained last month and could play no further part in the match, and is unlikely to for the rest of the series.
The blame can't solely be with the selectors, as there was a collapse of 4-18 on day three, poor fielding tactics on day four and a poor shot by Jason Roy that began the final day collapse at 60-1.
But the match will be remembered most for Steve Smith's highest combined scores in a Test match, making 144 and 142, rescuing his side from severe collapses in both innings.
From 17-2 and 27-2 in each innings his high scores, flamboyant leaves and nudges into the leg side sucked the life out of England from commanding positions in the innings.
He appears to have recaptured the form of Australia's 4-0 win in 2017-18, where he scored 687 runs, in his first Test since his ban all the while being taunted and booed by the Edgbaston faithful.
Among England's selection problems is the gargantuan task of getting Smith out, but England remain none the wiser about how to do so.
Smith's performances did enough to take the attention away from the opening failures of Cameron Bancroft and David Warner in both innings, but Matthew Wade was the highlight of a middle order that all contributed with pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood waiting to come in.
It is early in the series, but Australia are well-placed for a first away Ashes win since 2001 and have earned 24 points in the new International Cricket Council Test Championship.
While Lyon expertly utilised the turn on offer, England would have liked to put up a bit more of a fight on a pitch that wasn't offering much for the rest of the Australian attack.
It is hard to say whether the potency of Australia's bowling or the frailty of England's batting were the reason for the slump.
Rory Burns gloved a Cummins bouncer to point, before Roy and Joe Root made a stand of 41.
Captain Root twice reviewed correctly umpire Joel Wilson's decisions, the seventh and eighth overturned decisions made by the West Indian in the match.
Roy's one-day form had got him into the side, being encouraged to play aggressively but chose totally the wrong time to attack down the wicket looking to hit Lyon back over his head.
That ball clattered into the stumps before Joe Denly and Root were caught at short leg.
Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes never looked like stopped the slump, before the last three wickets fell for 10 runs.
England now face tough decisions about the XI to play in the next Test.
Some of England's World Cup heroes less than a month ago are struggling for form in the red-ball game.
Moeen Ali's off-spin was far from its best, and he has averaged 15 with the bat in the last 12 Tests - Jack Leach will surely be considered as a replacement for Lord's.
Bairstow has made four consecutive single-figure scores in Tests, and his position as wicketkeeper could be under threat by Ben Foakes or he could be dropped in place of an all-rounder if Buttler takes the gloves.
The loss of Anderson can't be over-estimated, though the pacey Jofra Archer is due to make his debut.
Opener Burns made his maiden Test century in this match, while there are questions over Joe Denly's place at number four.
SCORECARD
Australia won the toss and decided to bat
Australia won by 251 runs
Australia First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Bancroft: c Root - b Broad / 8 / 25 / 32.00 (2, 0)
Warner: lbw - b Broad / 2 / 14 / 14.29 (0, 0)
Khawaja: c Bairstow - b Woakes / 13 / 23 / 56.52 (2, 0)
Smith: b Broad / 144 / 219 / 65.75 (16, 2)
Head: lbw - b Woakes / 35 / 61 / 57.38 (5, 0)
Wade: lbw - b Woakes / 1 / 5 / 20.00 (0, 0)
Paine: c Burns - b Broad / 5 / 14 / 35.71 (0, 0)
Pattinson: lbw - b Broad / 0 / 2 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Cummins: lbw - b Stokes / 5 / 10 / 50.00 (1, 0)
Siddle: c Buttler - b Ali / 44 / 85 / 51.76 (4, 0)
Lyon: not out / 12 / 26 / 46.15 (3, 0)
Extras 0nb 2w 0b 13lb 15
Total (80.4 overs) 284 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Anderson: 4.0 / 3 / 1 / 0 / 0.25
Broad: 22.4 / 4 / 86 / 5 / 3.79
Woakes: 21.0 / 2 / 58 / 3 / 2.76
Stokes: 18.0 / 1 / 77 / 1 / 4.28
Ali: 13.0 / 3 / 42 / 1 / 3.23
Denly: 2.0 / 1 / 7 / 0 / 3.50
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
2-1 (3.5 ovs) - Warner
17-2 (7.3 ovs) - Bancroft
35-3 (14.2 ovs) - Khawaja
99-4 (32.4 ovs) - Head
105-5 (34.6 ovs) - Wade
112-6 (39.4 ovs) - Paine
112-7 (39.6 ovs) - Pattinson
122-8 (43.6 ovs) - Cummins
210-9 (67.2 ovs) - Siddle
284-10 (80.4 ovs) - Smith
England First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Burns: c Paine - b Lyon / 133 / 312 / 42.63 (17, 0)
Roy: c Smith - b Pattinson / 10 / 22 / 45.45 (2, 0)
Root: c & b - Siddle / 57 / 119 / 47.90 (6, 0)
Denly: lbw - b Pattinson / 18 / 36 / 50.00 (3, 0)
Buttler: c Bancroft - b Cummins / 5 / 10 / 50.00 (1, 0)
Stokes: c Paine - b Cummins / 50 / 96 / 52.08 (8, 0)
Bairstow: c Warner - b Siddle / 8 / 35 / 22.86 (1, 0)
Ali: b Lyon / 0 / 5 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Woakes: not out / 37 / 95 / 38.95 (1, 1)
Broad: c Pattinson - b Cummins / 29 / 67 / 43.28 (2, 0)
Anderson: c Cummins - b Lyon / 3 / 19 / 15.79 (0, 0)
Extras 1nb 2w 10b 11lb 24
Total (135.5 overs) 374 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Cummins: 33.0 / 9 / 84 / 3 / 2.55
Pattinson: 27.0 / 3 / 82 / 2 / 3.04
Siddle: 27.0 / 8 / 52 / 2 / 1.93
Lyon: 43.5 / 8 / 112 / 3 / 2.56
Wade: 1.0 / 0 / 7 / 0 / 7.00
Head: 2.0 / 1 / 7 / 0 / 3.50
Smith: 2.0 / 0 / 9 / 0/ 4.50
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
22-1 (7.2 ovs) - Roy
154-2 (49.6 ovs) - Root
189-3 (62.1 ovs) - Denly
194-4 (65.4 ovs) - Buttler
282-5 (97.1 ovs) - Stokes
296-6 (104.1 ovs) - Burns
300-7 (104.6 ovs) - Ali
300-8 (105.5 ovs) - Bairstow
365-9 (129.6 ovs) - Broad
374-10 (135.5 ovs) - Anderson
Australia Second Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Bancroft: c Buttler - b Ali / 7 / 31 / 22.58 (1, 0)
Warner: c Bairstow - b Broad / 8 / 8 / 100.00 (2, 0)
Khawaja: c Bairstow - b Stokes / 40 / 48 / 83.33 (6, 0)
Smith: c Bairstow - b Woakes / 142 / 207 / 68.60 (14, 0)
Head: c Bairstow - b Stokes / 51 / 116 / 43.97 (6, 0)
Wade: c Denly - b Stokes / 110 / 143 / 76.92 (17, 0)
Paine: b Ali / 34 / 44 / 77.27 (2, 1)
Pattinson: not out / 47 / 48 / 97.92 (2, 4)
Cummins: not out / 26 / 33 / 78.79 (2, 0)
Extras 6nb 3w 11b 2lb 22
Total (112.0 overs) 487-7 dec
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Broad: 22.0 / 2 / 91 / 1 / 4.14
Woakes: 13.0 / 1 / 46 / 1 / 3.54
Ali: 29.0 / 1 / 130 / 2 / 4.48
Root: 12.0 / 1 / 50 / 0 / 4.17
Stokes: 22.0 / 5 / 85 / 3 / 3.86
Denly: 14.0 / 1 / 72 / 0 / 5.14
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
13-1 (2.6 ovs) - Warner
27-2 (9.1 ovs) - Bancroft
75-3 (18.2 ovs) - Khawaja
205-4 (52.6 ovs) - Head
331-5 (85.1 ovs) - Smith
407-6 (98.2 ovs) - Wade
409-7 (99.4 ovs) - Paine
England Second Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Burns: c Lyon - b Cummins / 11 / 33 / 33.33 (1, 0)
Roy: b Lyon / 28 / 58 / 48.28 (4, 0)
Root: c Bancroft - b Lyon / 28 / 57 / 49.12 (3, 0)
Denly: c Bancroft - b Lyon / 11 / 16 / 68.75 (2, 0)
Buttler: b Cummins / 1 / 25 / 4.00 (0, 0)
Stokes: c Paine - b Lyon / 6 / 28 / 21.43 (1, 0)
Bairstow: c Bancroft - b Cummins / 6 / 8 / 75.00 (1, 0)
Ali: c Warner - b Lyon / 4 / 28 / 14.29 (0, 0)
Woakes: c Smith - b Cummins / 37 / 54 / 68.52 (7, 0)
Broad: c Smith - b Lyon / 0 / 1 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Anderson: not out / 4 / 9 / 44.44 (1, 0)
Extras 2nb 0w 4b 4lb 10
Total (52.3 overs) 146 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Siddle: 12.0 / 2 / 28 / 0 / 2.33
Lyon: 20.0 / 5 / 49 / 6 / 2.45
Pattinson: 8.0 / 1 / 29 / 0 / 3.62
Cummins: 11.3 / 3 / 32 / 4 / 2.78
Smith: 1.0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0.00
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
19-1 (9.5 ovs) - Burns
60-2 (21.2 ovs) - Roy
80-3 (25.5 ovs) - Denly
85-4 (29.1 ovs) - Root
85-5 (32.6 ovs) - Buttler
97-6 (36.6 ovs) - Bairstow
97-7 (37.1 ovs) - Stokes
136-8 (47.3 ovs) - Ali
136-9 (47.4 ovs) - Broad
146-10 (52.3 ovs) - Woakes
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| Photo from Moneycontrol |
Needing to bat out the day for a draw, England surrended to a 251-run defeat as Australia take a 1-0 lead in the series, the first time since 2005 that Australia have taken the lead in an England-based Ashes.
Given a target of 398 to win, England lost six wickets for 37 runs at one point in the day on the way to being bowled out for 146 at Edgbaston.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon benefited the most from the worn pitch, taking 6-49 while seamer Pat Cummins took 4-32 as the victory was wrapped up before tea.
The selection of James Anderson may prove to be crucial in deciding the series - apart from four overs on the first morning, he suffered from the calf injury he attained last month and could play no further part in the match, and is unlikely to for the rest of the series.
The blame can't solely be with the selectors, as there was a collapse of 4-18 on day three, poor fielding tactics on day four and a poor shot by Jason Roy that began the final day collapse at 60-1.
But the match will be remembered most for Steve Smith's highest combined scores in a Test match, making 144 and 142, rescuing his side from severe collapses in both innings.
From 17-2 and 27-2 in each innings his high scores, flamboyant leaves and nudges into the leg side sucked the life out of England from commanding positions in the innings.
He appears to have recaptured the form of Australia's 4-0 win in 2017-18, where he scored 687 runs, in his first Test since his ban all the while being taunted and booed by the Edgbaston faithful.
Among England's selection problems is the gargantuan task of getting Smith out, but England remain none the wiser about how to do so.
Smith's performances did enough to take the attention away from the opening failures of Cameron Bancroft and David Warner in both innings, but Matthew Wade was the highlight of a middle order that all contributed with pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood waiting to come in.
It is early in the series, but Australia are well-placed for a first away Ashes win since 2001 and have earned 24 points in the new International Cricket Council Test Championship.
While Lyon expertly utilised the turn on offer, England would have liked to put up a bit more of a fight on a pitch that wasn't offering much for the rest of the Australian attack.
It is hard to say whether the potency of Australia's bowling or the frailty of England's batting were the reason for the slump.
Rory Burns gloved a Cummins bouncer to point, before Roy and Joe Root made a stand of 41.
Captain Root twice reviewed correctly umpire Joel Wilson's decisions, the seventh and eighth overturned decisions made by the West Indian in the match.
Roy's one-day form had got him into the side, being encouraged to play aggressively but chose totally the wrong time to attack down the wicket looking to hit Lyon back over his head.
That ball clattered into the stumps before Joe Denly and Root were caught at short leg.
Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes never looked like stopped the slump, before the last three wickets fell for 10 runs.
England now face tough decisions about the XI to play in the next Test.
Some of England's World Cup heroes less than a month ago are struggling for form in the red-ball game.
Moeen Ali's off-spin was far from its best, and he has averaged 15 with the bat in the last 12 Tests - Jack Leach will surely be considered as a replacement for Lord's.
Bairstow has made four consecutive single-figure scores in Tests, and his position as wicketkeeper could be under threat by Ben Foakes or he could be dropped in place of an all-rounder if Buttler takes the gloves.
The loss of Anderson can't be over-estimated, though the pacey Jofra Archer is due to make his debut.
Opener Burns made his maiden Test century in this match, while there are questions over Joe Denly's place at number four.
SCORECARD
Australia won the toss and decided to bat
Australia won by 251 runs
Australia First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Bancroft: c Root - b Broad / 8 / 25 / 32.00 (2, 0)
Warner: lbw - b Broad / 2 / 14 / 14.29 (0, 0)
Khawaja: c Bairstow - b Woakes / 13 / 23 / 56.52 (2, 0)
Smith: b Broad / 144 / 219 / 65.75 (16, 2)
Head: lbw - b Woakes / 35 / 61 / 57.38 (5, 0)
Wade: lbw - b Woakes / 1 / 5 / 20.00 (0, 0)
Paine: c Burns - b Broad / 5 / 14 / 35.71 (0, 0)
Pattinson: lbw - b Broad / 0 / 2 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Cummins: lbw - b Stokes / 5 / 10 / 50.00 (1, 0)
Siddle: c Buttler - b Ali / 44 / 85 / 51.76 (4, 0)
Lyon: not out / 12 / 26 / 46.15 (3, 0)
Extras 0nb 2w 0b 13lb 15
Total (80.4 overs) 284 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Anderson: 4.0 / 3 / 1 / 0 / 0.25
Broad: 22.4 / 4 / 86 / 5 / 3.79
Woakes: 21.0 / 2 / 58 / 3 / 2.76
Stokes: 18.0 / 1 / 77 / 1 / 4.28
Ali: 13.0 / 3 / 42 / 1 / 3.23
Denly: 2.0 / 1 / 7 / 0 / 3.50
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
2-1 (3.5 ovs) - Warner
17-2 (7.3 ovs) - Bancroft
35-3 (14.2 ovs) - Khawaja
99-4 (32.4 ovs) - Head
105-5 (34.6 ovs) - Wade
112-6 (39.4 ovs) - Paine
112-7 (39.6 ovs) - Pattinson
122-8 (43.6 ovs) - Cummins
210-9 (67.2 ovs) - Siddle
284-10 (80.4 ovs) - Smith
England First Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Burns: c Paine - b Lyon / 133 / 312 / 42.63 (17, 0)
Roy: c Smith - b Pattinson / 10 / 22 / 45.45 (2, 0)
Root: c & b - Siddle / 57 / 119 / 47.90 (6, 0)
Denly: lbw - b Pattinson / 18 / 36 / 50.00 (3, 0)
Buttler: c Bancroft - b Cummins / 5 / 10 / 50.00 (1, 0)
Stokes: c Paine - b Cummins / 50 / 96 / 52.08 (8, 0)
Bairstow: c Warner - b Siddle / 8 / 35 / 22.86 (1, 0)
Ali: b Lyon / 0 / 5 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Woakes: not out / 37 / 95 / 38.95 (1, 1)
Broad: c Pattinson - b Cummins / 29 / 67 / 43.28 (2, 0)
Anderson: c Cummins - b Lyon / 3 / 19 / 15.79 (0, 0)
Extras 1nb 2w 10b 11lb 24
Total (135.5 overs) 374 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Cummins: 33.0 / 9 / 84 / 3 / 2.55
Pattinson: 27.0 / 3 / 82 / 2 / 3.04
Siddle: 27.0 / 8 / 52 / 2 / 1.93
Lyon: 43.5 / 8 / 112 / 3 / 2.56
Wade: 1.0 / 0 / 7 / 0 / 7.00
Head: 2.0 / 1 / 7 / 0 / 3.50
Smith: 2.0 / 0 / 9 / 0/ 4.50
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
22-1 (7.2 ovs) - Roy
154-2 (49.6 ovs) - Root
189-3 (62.1 ovs) - Denly
194-4 (65.4 ovs) - Buttler
282-5 (97.1 ovs) - Stokes
296-6 (104.1 ovs) - Burns
300-7 (104.6 ovs) - Ali
300-8 (105.5 ovs) - Bairstow
365-9 (129.6 ovs) - Broad
374-10 (135.5 ovs) - Anderson
Australia Second Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Bancroft: c Buttler - b Ali / 7 / 31 / 22.58 (1, 0)
Warner: c Bairstow - b Broad / 8 / 8 / 100.00 (2, 0)
Khawaja: c Bairstow - b Stokes / 40 / 48 / 83.33 (6, 0)
Smith: c Bairstow - b Woakes / 142 / 207 / 68.60 (14, 0)
Head: c Bairstow - b Stokes / 51 / 116 / 43.97 (6, 0)
Wade: c Denly - b Stokes / 110 / 143 / 76.92 (17, 0)
Paine: b Ali / 34 / 44 / 77.27 (2, 1)
Pattinson: not out / 47 / 48 / 97.92 (2, 4)
Cummins: not out / 26 / 33 / 78.79 (2, 0)
Extras 6nb 3w 11b 2lb 22
Total (112.0 overs) 487-7 dec
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Broad: 22.0 / 2 / 91 / 1 / 4.14
Woakes: 13.0 / 1 / 46 / 1 / 3.54
Ali: 29.0 / 1 / 130 / 2 / 4.48
Root: 12.0 / 1 / 50 / 0 / 4.17
Stokes: 22.0 / 5 / 85 / 3 / 3.86
Denly: 14.0 / 1 / 72 / 0 / 5.14
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
13-1 (2.6 ovs) - Warner
27-2 (9.1 ovs) - Bancroft
75-3 (18.2 ovs) - Khawaja
205-4 (52.6 ovs) - Head
331-5 (85.1 ovs) - Smith
407-6 (98.2 ovs) - Wade
409-7 (99.4 ovs) - Paine
England Second Innings
Batsman: How Out - Bowler / Runs / Balls / SR (4s, 6s)
Burns: c Lyon - b Cummins / 11 / 33 / 33.33 (1, 0)
Roy: b Lyon / 28 / 58 / 48.28 (4, 0)
Root: c Bancroft - b Lyon / 28 / 57 / 49.12 (3, 0)
Denly: c Bancroft - b Lyon / 11 / 16 / 68.75 (2, 0)
Buttler: b Cummins / 1 / 25 / 4.00 (0, 0)
Stokes: c Paine - b Lyon / 6 / 28 / 21.43 (1, 0)
Bairstow: c Bancroft - b Cummins / 6 / 8 / 75.00 (1, 0)
Ali: c Warner - b Lyon / 4 / 28 / 14.29 (0, 0)
Woakes: c Smith - b Cummins / 37 / 54 / 68.52 (7, 0)
Broad: c Smith - b Lyon / 0 / 1 / 0.00 (0, 0)
Anderson: not out / 4 / 9 / 44.44 (1, 0)
Extras 2nb 0w 4b 4lb 10
Total (52.3 overs) 146 all out
Bowler: Overs / Maidens / Runs / Wickets / Econ
Siddle: 12.0 / 2 / 28 / 0 / 2.33
Lyon: 20.0 / 5 / 49 / 6 / 2.45
Pattinson: 8.0 / 1 / 29 / 0 / 3.62
Cummins: 11.3 / 3 / 32 / 4 / 2.78
Smith: 1.0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0.00
Fall of Wicket - Batsman
19-1 (9.5 ovs) - Burns
60-2 (21.2 ovs) - Roy
80-3 (25.5 ovs) - Denly
85-4 (29.1 ovs) - Root
85-5 (32.6 ovs) - Buttler
97-6 (36.6 ovs) - Bairstow
97-7 (37.1 ovs) - Stokes
136-8 (47.3 ovs) - Ali
136-9 (47.4 ovs) - Broad
146-10 (52.3 ovs) - Woakes
The Ashes Fixtures and Results
1-5 August
First Test, Edgbaston
Australia won by 251 runs (England 0-1 Australia)
14-18 August
Second Test, Lord's
22-26 August
Third Test, Headingley
4-8 September
Fourth Test, Old Trafford
12-16 September
Fifth Test, The Oval
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