Guerilla Cricket Live Blog
This page will update live with the latest relevant news, no need to refresh the page!
An arch rivalry, a zesty pitch, and a capacity crowd – the stage is set for a blockbuster opening act as the highly-anticipated Ashes series kicks off at Optus Stadium. Australia have been a force to reckon with in Tests in recent times, but remember England fought back valiantly in the 2023 edition after conceding a 0-2 lead. They left these shores dejected back in 2021 however, do the reinvigorated Three Lions have the wherewithal to turn around their fortunes Down Under?
Stumps have been drawn to cap off a frenetic day’s play. The Ashes have commenced at warp speed. The pace merchants had a field day in their den, the Perth stadium, claiming all 19 wickets to have fallen. Starc, leading an attack missing Cummins and Hazlewood, was on the money, finishing with a maiden 7-fer to skittle the visitors out for just 172.
England got the start the doctor ordered as Jofra Archer needed only two deliveries to outsmart debutant Weatherald. He struck soon thereafter to clean up Labuschagne. Brydon Carse was hugely supportive from the other end, adding two to his kitty. Then, in a six-over burst of control and creativity, the England captain registered a five-wicket haul that mauled Australia’s middle order and flipped the narrative on its head.
The Kangaroos trail by 49 runs with just one wicket in hand, a proposition they wouldn’t have envisaged before their openers took guard.
The talisman shows the ball around the Perth Stadium. England were in hot water after being bowled out for 172 but their chief is leading from the front once again. Back of a length delivery, whooshing in, holds its line, Boland is caught in the crease and has a tentative waft, the outside edge goes low to second slip and Brook bends down to scoop it before it makes contact with the ground.
You live by the sword, you die by it. Fullish delivery and Mitchell Starc’s eyes lit up, he looks to bash this tempter down the ground but ends up dragging it off the inner half of the willow to mid-on, another easy catch for Carse.
Edged and gone! Second wicket for Stokes, who has made an instant impact. Australia in deep trouble now. Both their set batters have perished in a jiffy.
While Head didn’t bother to keep the flick down and paid the price, Green was drawn into an ill-fated drive. They have failed to convert their starts and England are back into the contest and how!
Both Cameron Green and Travis Head are batting on 21 runs. The England skipper is a shrewd operator and has a knack of producing beauties out of nowhere. It is the need of the hour for his team as the left-right combination finds their bearings.
Length delivery homing in and straightening a tad, Green tries to tuck it around the corner but gets a leading edge back towards Atkinson. He gets low on his followthrough but fingertips it down to the turf. He didn’t anticipate a return catch and it also came at a slower pace than he expected.
Incredible turn of events in Perth as Carse, in a very short span, manages to inflict a whole lot of misery on the hosts. Smith was getting squared up all innings, and his shot control percentage bore testimony. Pokes at a short of length delivery and Brook is up to the task at second slip.
Carse is generating heaps of bounce and Australia have found themselves in a tizzy. Usman Khawaja was looking to sway away but couldn’t in the nick of time as the ball crinkles the shoulder of the bat on its way to the wicketkeeper.
The Australian captain hit fours on either side of square against Brydon Carse and the hosts finally seemed to be getting a move-on but England have struck again. Archer rushes Labuschagne with extra bounce, a characteristic of this pitch, and scalps his second wicket. He shoulders arms, the ball hits the right arm and falls on the stumps.
We’re back on after the interval and the Barbados-born pacer is posing some serious questions. A blow to the index finger on the right hand after an impact on the forearm. This makes it the third time Smith has copped a body blow in this short innings so far.
Another scintillating over from Mark Wood. He is getting revved up nicely here. Expect some more scorching heat from the right-arm speedster.
Meanwhile, it is important to note that both Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse are not in Archer or Wood’s category in terms of speed. Atkinson and Carse in the high 130s, while Wood and Archer in the high 140s.
It is Tea time too at Perth. Enthralling and engrossing ten overs of play that. England fighting back with ball through their quartet of pacers. Challenging times for partners-in-crime Labuschagne and Smith.
That was an express over from Mark Wood. Constantly bowled in the high 140s, as he usually does, while hitting the right areas too. Good stuff from the wholehearted character!
Smith is hit on the right arm. He is in pain. The ball grazed the elbow. A short of length delivery, zoning in towards Smith’s body who shuffles across to defend but is squared up and beaten. Calls for the physio right away. A painkiller or two and some liquid on to his left hand before he puts on his gloves.
An agonizing second-ball duck for Weatherald on debut. He has been floored, literally and metaphorically! Archer’s thunderbolt swung in late and rapped him low on the pads. Crashing straight into middle and leg. Umpire Adrian Holdstock refuted the appeal but the third umpire overruled his decision. The perfect start for England after a lukewarm show with the bat.
Marnus Labuschagne seemed to have misjudged a catch a deep backward square leg but he recovers well to send Brydon Carse packing. The short ball ploy is doing wonders for Doggett and Australia.
Jamie Smith follows suit. The keeper-bat had to take on the bowling owing to the decline of the innings and he perishes as a result. Length delivery on off and middle, Jamie Smith actually times the heave, but picks out deep square-leg. Green makes no mistake with the reverse-cup.
Mark Wood doesn’t last long either as Australia put a full stop to an underwhelming first innings from England. Starc leads the team off the field, soaking in the thunderous applause.
Australia have gone bang bang here. They devised a short-ball trap for Brook and it worked like a charm. The ball brushed the top hand glove and technology revealed a clear spike.
Having broken his flourishing alliance with Jamie Smith against the run of play, Australia saw the back of Gus Atkinson thanks to Mitchell Starc, who picked up his fifth wicket in what has been an exemplary display of fast bowling.
In an over replete with boundaries, all coming from the bat of Jamie Smith, Brook chose the less glamorous way to attain his fifty, pulling the ball along the carpet for a single. His magnificent run in Tests continues! Raises the bat and the England supporters in the crowd are up on their feet.
There’s that sharp inward swirl again and Stokes is foxed. Fourth wicket for the rampaging Starc and he is really charged up! 140.9kph length delivery in the channel, cuts back in after landing, Stokes tries to drive on the rise but leaves a bat-pad gap and the ball burgeons through to crash into middle and off. Starc has dismissed Stokes for the tenth time in Test cricket. Loose shot from the England captain.
Australia will be happier team returning to the pavilion. They have been on top of the proceedings, with England losing three wickets in the first hour itself. Brook and Pope counter-attacked in typical English style of late, but the departure of the latter close to Lunch swung the pendulum back in Australia’s favour.
The lunch break is round the corner but Brook doesn’t care a jot. He’s put his dancing shoes on and given the on-song pacer the charge, smacking him over extra cover. Audacious play from the England wunderkind.
The 55-run partnership between Pope and Brook comes to an end. The former walked across his stumps as part of his usual trigger movement but fails to connect the whip, and it’s umpire call on leg stump. Huge breakthrough in the context of the game because Pope was moving England’s innings forward in a dismal situation. First Test wicket for Cameron Green since March 2024, and it’s an important one.
Was that a run-out chance? No, Brook is home. Short of length delivery, Brook rides the bounce and pats it in front of cover. He wants a quick single but Pope is not interested. Marnus swoops down and under-arms a throw, but Brook turns around and dives in to make his ground. They eventually get the single as the throw is off target.
Lovely shot! There’s a long-off in place but he had no chance. Umpteenth half-volley around off, Brook allows the ball to come to him and creams the drive past the certified metronome who is not living up to his billing today.
Brendan Doggett has cut Pope into half a couple of times with menacing induckers but this time around the diminutive right-hander flicks well to collect four. He is looking in fine fettle, having scored heavily in the shadow match before the tour commenced.
Both the young men are exhibiting a positive body language even as Australia dictate terms in Perth. What an eventful start to this Ashes series! England would have felt that they won a good toss on a dry-looking surface but Mitchell Starc has been all over them like a rash. He has bowled with rapacious intensity and earned the rewards.
21st bowler overall and the first left-arm seamer to get to the milestone. His strike rate of 44.8 is the best ever among these 21 bowlers.
