Starc takes four to give Australia the edge on Day 1

Day one of the final Test of the 2023 Ashes had as many twists and turns as you would expect with England delivering another wildly entertaining innings with the bat. Led by Harry Brook’s 85, the hosts smashed their way to a first-innings score of 283 in tricky, overcast conditions, while Australia managed to finish the day with a slight advantage despite dropping five catches.

Mitchell Starc took four wickets to lead the visitors’ charge with the ball before Usman Khawaja took Australia to 61 for 1 at stumps, reducing England’s lead to 222 runs.

Having called right for the first time this series, Pat Cummins opted to bowl under cloudy London skies. The skipper’s decision initially looked like a questionable one as England started aggressively against the new ball, with openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley wiping the shine off the cherry, scoring 62 in 11.5 overs.

However, Mitchell Marsh found the breakthrough for Australia in the 12th over, with Duckett gloving a faint edge down the leg side off Mitchell Marsh. Australia capitalised on that initial scalp as Cummins prised an edge out of Zak Crawley, while Hazlewood had Joe Root chopping onto his stumps, leaving England in a precarious position at 73 for 3.

Harry Brook dug England out of the hole with some aggressive batting. The number five enjoyed a slice of luck early on as Carey spilled a chance behind the stumps but grew in confidence after a shaky start to stamp his authority in the morning session, racing away to a 44-ball fifty. Brook shared a century stand with Moeen Ali on either side of Lunch before the all-rounder, who pulled up with a groin injury while running a single, was finally cleaned up by Todd Murphy on 34.

Ali’s dismissal was a catalyst for another flurry of wickets through the middle as Mitchell Starc removed Ben Stokes with a jaffa before Bairstow dragged on against Hazlewood. Starc also ended Brook’s stay on 85, with the right-hander edging a wide one to Smith at second slip. Chris Woakes and Mark Wood added another invaluable stand of 49 to take England past 250, but Starc and Murphy wrapped up the tail after Tea to end the hosts’ innings on 283.

In reply, David Warner and Usman Khawaja led Australia’s rebuttal, adding 49 runs against the new ball before Warner was dismissed by Woakes, edging to the slips. At stumps, Australia trailed by 222 runs, with Khawaja and Labuschagne still at the crease.