The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, first Test, day one – live

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Time to hand over to the brilliant James Wallace, who is making his Ashes OBO debut. Give him a good hand – and, if you want to get in touch, you can email him or tweet @jimbo_cricket.

Thanks for your company and emails, sorry I couldn’t round to them all.

“Sat doing admin in an empty physio office,” says James Brotherton. “My last three patients have not attended their appointments. Are they feet up following the OBO? No complaints from me, as this has allowed me to tune the radio towards the cricket.

“My only gripe is the constant mention of Bazball and it’s apparent synonyms. Every other word is Bazball-aggression-front-foot-taking-it-to-them look-at-all-the-fast-scoring-ness and intent we’re showing...

“Aussies protecting boundaries in the third over of a first Ashes Test is lovely and all, but all Bazball and Bazball Bazball makes Bazball a Bazball Bazball. Keep up the good work!”

It’s time the clown who coined such an egregious term was brought to justice. People have been cancelled for less.

Some more Ashes memories

“I was 17 in the summer of 2005, and started my second year of sixth form that September,” writes Laura Cooney. “My A-level politics teacher was an avid cricket fan and when he wasn’t teaching would have the game on patchy signal on the TV in his classroom, so during lunch or free periods those of us students who were cricket fans would head up there to watch an hour or two and chat about the game.

“I bonded with another girl in the group whilst watching the final Test, and we would talk about the series (we’re also both from Preston so obviously Freddie Flintoff was a massive local hero then) and before long that quickly evolved into talking about everything else. Eighteen years later, she’s still my best friend and we’ve been through a ton of ups and downs together, but it was that Ashes series that brought us together and I’m immensely grateful to cricket for indirectly bringing her into my life.”

What I like about this is that it was pre-Twitter, so those relatively niche shared interests were even more precious.

Lunchtime reading

And I recommend this with a heavy heart, because I’ve only just heard the news. Jeremy was a near flawless sub-editor, one of those unsung heroes who save writers from typos (and from themselves) day after day after day. No ego, no byline, just standards, professional pride and love of language. And he didn’t have a mobile phone, which made me admire him even more.

Lunch

That was a snorter from Boland, which seamed and lifted to hit Crawley’s thumb on its way through to Carey. Crawley goes for a fine, tone-setting 61 from 73 balls, but I reckon that third wicket makes it Australia’s session.

It was a fascinating start to the series, both eventful and a little cagey. Australia’s defensive tactics were questioned throughout, especially when England were milking singles with ease, but three wickets before lunch on a featherbed is an admirable effort. Duckett and Pope will feel they got themselves out; Crawley was jaffad by Scott Boland.

England won’t be too worried, especially as they are scoring at 4.65 an over and still have a lot of batting to come. Joe Root will resume on 20 not out, with Harry Brook the new batter. I can promise you it will not be dull.

WICKET! England 124-3 (Crawley c Carey b Boland 61)

He’s gone! A rare howler from Marais Erasmus – not even he is perfect - and a brilliant way for Australia to end the session.

Crawley goes for 61! Photograph: Graham Hunt/ProSports/Shutterstock

Australia appeal for caught behind against Crawley! This looks like a straightforward nick – but Marais Erasmus didn’t give it on the field.

26th over: England 121-2 (Crawley 61, Root 17) An intriguing move from Cummins, who brings Lyon back for a single over before lunch. It’s a low-key over, from which Crawley and Root milk five low-risk runs.

25th over: England 116-2 (Crawley 58, Root 15) Boland got Root four times in the Australia 18 months ago, which I must confess had passed me by. In my defence, the darts world championship was really good that year, and I’ve had a lot of therapy about the 2021-22 Ashes

The fourth ball of Boland’s over is a bit too straight, which allows Root to work his first boundary behind square on the leg side. He has 15 from 26 balls; Crawley has 58 from 70 Bazballs.

You have no idea how lucky you are to be this age at this moment in Ashes history. Savour every last Stella minute.

24th over: England 111-2 (Crawley 58, Root 10) Root is sporadically walking down the wicket to Hazlewood, which usually takes the LBW out of the equation. There is definitely some swing now, which will change the balance between bat and ball.

Five runs from Hazlewood’s over, including a pull for two from Crawley.

“So the main story in the first session is that Australia didn’t appeal aggressively enough?” says Thomas Atkins. “I bet that wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card.”

23rd over: England 106-2 (Crawley 56, Root 7) Okay, Tim de Lisle (17th over) isn’t at Glastonbury, mainly because the festival isn’t till next weekend.

Boland replaces Cummins; you’d expect him to bowl well to Root as well given his ability to nick the ball back from a length. Root, who has made an entirely orthodox start to his innings, cuts a couple and then works a single behind square on the off side.

Crawley is then beaten on the inside, driving extravagantly at a big inducker. There has been a hint of movement in the last couple of overs.

Edgbaston looks resplendent. Photograph: Stu Forster/ECB/Getty Images

22nd over: England 103-2 (Crawley 56, Root 4) Smith shrieks for LBW when Root, pushing forward to Hazlewood, squeezes the ball between bat and pad. I’m pretty sure it was pad first, but he looked outside the line. Nobody else seemed too interested, and replays confirm Root was indeed outside the line.

It was good bowling though, and that is how Hazlewood will try to get Root, by working him across the crease and then nipping one back. Later in the over Root’s head falls over a touch and he gets a leading edge that lands safely on the off side. For a man who has played so little Test cricket in recent times, Hazlewood’s rhythm looks absolutely fine.

21st over: England 102-2 (Crawley 56, Root 3) A short ball from Cummins is slugged to the midwicket boundary by Crawley. Doesn’t look like there’s much value in the short ball on this pitch. Cummins has been pretty expensive: 7-0-32-0. Only once in his magnificent Test career, at Dharamsala in 2016-17, has he had a higher economy rate. Long way to go, I realise.

“Hi Rob, thanks for the reply, but I feel a bit of a seamer would be a real worry for some of our batsmen,” says Scott Campbell. “And I absolutely agree some of the pitches in Australia have not been a real bat/ball contest. (Hobart last ashes, Brisbane versus SA last season).”

I agree. But, as the last Ashes showed, they’d be an even bigger worry for the England batters! In 2015, slow seamers made perfect sense and helped England win the Ashes. This year it feels different; I’m not sure England can beat Australia on such pitches.

20th over: England 96-2 (Crawley 50, Root 2) Pat Cummins hooks Nathan Lyon, who took the wicket of Pope with the last ball of his previous over. And with good reason. Josh Hazlewood, who along with Cummins has a fine record against Root, is back in the attack. Eventually he’ll try to trap Root LBW, but for now he’s working him across the crease. Root opens the face to steer another single.

It’s an odd thing to say when the run rate is nearly five an over, but this has been a fairly cagey morning session. Fascinatingly so, I must stress.

“Glorious weather, exciting cricket, and I’m enjoying it parked in front of the telly in London,” writes Sarah Bacon. “Australia DO need a wicket right now -- thanks, Tubs -- but I’m just letting all this Bazball vs Aussie-tactics deliciously wash over me. I’m in for the long haul though! Sarah, Aussie in Ingerland. Still.”

19th over: England 93-2 (Crawley 50, Root 1) Root is beaten by his first ball from Cummins, almost yorking himself as he walks down the pitch. Mark Taylor wondered if there was an edge but I don’t think so. There was a similar incident at the start of his innings on the first day in the 2015 Ashes, when he edged Starc and was dropped by Haddin, except nobody noticed the edge.

I’m rambling. Root gets off the mark with a steer to third man.

Fifty for Crawley!

18.2 overs: England 92-2 (Crawley 50, Root 0) Crawley pushes Cummins for a single to reach a charming half-century from 56 balls. He’s had a couple of moments of fortune – of course he has – but he has also played some storming shots. And if England do win this series, his belting cover drive off the first ball of the series will go into Ashes folklore.

Zak Crawley brings up his half century. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

18th over: England 92-2 (Crawley 49, Root 0) “Why has England served up an Australian pitch/road in England?” says Scott Campbell. “Us Aussie fans like to see conditions where batters are challenged by the moving ball not having the keeper stand up to a fast/medium bowler on the first morning of a much anticipated Test match!”

They think it’s their best chance of winning/entertaining. It’s notable that the pitches in the last two Ashes series have almost been the wrong way round – some very lively seamers in 2021-22, and now a load of roads.

WICKET! England 92-2 (Pope LBW b Lyon 31)

Three reds and Pope is on his way, swishing his bat in disgust because it was an avoidable dismissal. Australia needed that wicket. It was a really good ball from Lyon though, which turned a fair way and skidded on to hit the pad.

Pope, who had driven the previous ball through mid-off for four, goes for 31 from 44 balls.

Ollie Pope walks off, furious at himself. Photograph: David Davies/PANathan Lyon has Ollie Pope lbw! Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Lyon got one to straighten sharply from round the wicket to Pope, who missed an attempted work to leg. I can’t see much wrong with this.

Australia review for LBW against Pope! This looks really close to me.

17th over: England 84-1 (Crawley 46, Pope 26) Cummins replaces Boland, whose figures of 4-0-23-0 should have a one in them, and I’m not talking about a maiden. The defensive fields continue, and Crawley plays a couple of confident drives for two and one. The first was made possible by a misfield from the sub Josh Inglis (I think).

Tim de Lisle, who will be part of our coverage later in the series (I think he might be at Glastonbury) points out that this is already in the top 25 per cent of Crawley’s Test innings.

In other news, this pitch looks seriously flat.

16th over: England 79-1 (Crawley 43, Pope 24) A few more low-risk singles off Lyon. It was worth a look from Cummins, but I’m not sure it’s working.

“Can I just say,” begins Romeo, “that Brian Withington is not only an old friend to the OBO, he is a very kind, generous and good person.”

You can indeed. That County Cricket Live! community you have is in danger of giving the internet a good name.

Hang on, Crawley was caught behind but Australia didn’t appeal! UltraEdge shows that he nicked that jaffa from Boland in the previous over, but nobody appealed. Crawley turned straight on his heels and smiled broadly.

15th over: England 75-1 (Crawley 41, Pope 22) Carey stands back again for Boland, so Pope charges him and carves the ball past point for a single. Boland digs one in to Crawley, the first short ball of the match from memory, but Crawley has plenty of time to sway out of the way.

It’s a flat pitch, I know, but Zak Crawley is batting delightfully at the moment. He slams a back cut for four more to bring up the fifty partnership, his first with Pope apparently, in 10.5 overs. But then he gets a big carried away, trying to whip Boland to leg on the walk and missing completely. It was a cracking delivery which bounced more than expected. Funnily enough, that extra bounce might have saved Crawley from getting a leading edge.

“On the subject of first days, in 2006 at the Gabba my wife and I had a great one,” writes Dan Johnson. “We managed to miss Harmy’s first ball due to the usual faffing around with getting through the turnstiles (so that was good) then heard about a local brew-your-own place doing free beer, which we spent the lunch break drinking (even better). Then, likely due to the free beer, we found ourselves in a sort of chant-based Barmy Army ceilidh in the car park at some point after the match, which ended up on local TV.

“We went back to the brewery for liquid lunch on days two and three, but then they asked us if we were actually going to BUY anything; we hadn’t realised it was only free to try if you committed to brewing 72 bottles of the stuff. Bit difficult to take back to our apartment in Sydney so we had to go and buy some beer after that, terrible.”

The fifty partnership comes up for Pop and Crawley. Photograph: Graham Hunt/ProSports/Shutterstock

14th over: England 69-1 (Crawley 36, Pope 21) “It’s fantastic to see Australia so defensive,” says Kevin Pietersen, starting his stint with the commentary equivalent of a slog-sweep for six. A Red Bull single would’ve sufficed Kev! In fairness, his fellow commentator Mark Taylor concurs that Australia went on the defensive too early and that England have adjusted their approach well. Three more singles from Lyon’s over, including a confident reverse-sweep from Pope.

“Knocking off singles against the spinner,” says Jonathan Wood. “I do hate these boring middle overs.”

13th over: England 66-1 (Crawley 35, Pope 18) The first bit of swing for Boland, though Crawley offers no stroke outside off stump.

Both sides have taken a backward step of sorts, which in many ways has made the first hour even more intriguing. England haven’t hit that many boundaries of late – three in the last nine overs I think – but they are milking the bowlers well enough to still be going at five an over.

Hang on, make that four boundaries in the last nine overs: Crawley has just driven Boland’s last ball magnificently through extra cover. That’s drinks.

12th over: England 59-1 (Crawley 30, Pope 17) Lovely bowling from Lyon, who gets one to turn sharply into Crawley from around the wicket. Crawley inside-edges onto his pad, with the ball rebounding past off stump and between Carey’s legs. He almost caught it in his pads, but he had no chance of taking an orthodox catch.

“It’s all very well to call for off-the-wall discussions in the OBO,” says John Starbuck, “but if the A.N. Onymous Whimsy had had his/her name included, we wouldn’t have to debate the probity or otherwise of nameless contributors.”

Ach, it was our old friend Brian Withington. I’ve amended it now.

Apologies for the absent scoreboard, which has now been digitally erected. You may have to press F5 though.

11th over: England 55-1 (Crawley 28, Pope 15) Pope charges Boland but is unable to do much with the ball. A single to third man brings up the fifty in the 11th over. “Slow going for them…” deadpans Nasser Hussain on Sky.

Carey comes up to the stumps for Boland to stop England’s batters walking down the pitch. Crawley stands tall in his crease and bashes the next ball to the extra cover boundary. He’s playing ever so well and has reached 28 from 31 balls.

At this stage in 2005, since you asked, England were 50 for none.

10th over: England 47-1 (Crawley 22, Pope 13) Nathan Lyon is coming on for a bowl. I really like this move from Pat Cummins, because Pope has had trouble with offspin in his Test career – especially Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Lyon starts around the wicket to Pope, who does well to keep out a grubber. “Just like Adelaide boysssss!” barks somebody behind the stumps. After a few singles, two of them reverse swept, Crawley drives through extra cover for four. That’s another beautiful shot from Crawley, who has started very fluently.

“John Dalby mentioned Edgbaston 97, and that brings back fond memories for me,” writes Steven Pye. “I was young, I was in love, I had hair, and the Ashes were coming home!”

We’ll always have Adelaide. Photograph: Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images

9th over: England 40-1 (Crawley 17, Pope 11) This is a big moment: Scott Boland (Test average: 14.57; Ashes average: 9.55) replaces Pat Cummins. He doesn’t do looseners, so Crawley has no chance of hitting his first ball for four as he did against Cummins and Hazlewood.

Crawley does crash the fourth ball through extra cover, with the sweeper Head running round the boundaries to save two runs. Boland responds with a textbook delivery that straightens to beat the edge. He’d find seam movement on the M4.

“Amongst all the analysis of the strengths and potential pitfalls of the Brave New World order, I have seen no recognition of one of the sadder casualties of unrelenting all-action Test cricket,” writes Brian Withington. “I refer of course to the demise of the occasionally heated OBO threads of yore on esoteric topics like number theory (and cricket-themed cocktail design). These helped to while away the quieter passages in play that were such a feature of cricket in the BB era.

“When again will we be able to discuss at length why 0.999… recurring and 1.0 are exactly the same number? Or explain that the range of potential cricket averages is countably infinite, whilst between any two such averages, however close together, there exists uncountably infinitely many other numbers that can never be expressed as an average? I ask you (for a friend).”

Can’t you save these emails for a more sedate format? England start their 50-over series against New Zealand on 8 September.