Published: Jul 11, 2013, 02:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 11, 2013, 02:57 PM (IST)
England picked up four Australian wickets for 75 runs © Getty Images
Jul 11, 2013
Australia reached 75 for four after bowling out England for 215 on Day One of the first Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. The visitors trail England by 140 runs and with Steven Smith at the crease, they would hope to overhaul the total soon.
It was a gripping day of Test cricket where the crowd were treated to the fall of as many as 14 wickets. The match was poised at an even 98 for two at lunch after England won the toss and opted to bat first on a pitch that would be difficult to manoeuvre batting last. Australian skipper Michael Clarke remarked that he wouldn’t mind bowling first as it was a bit overcast. However, even he wouldn’t have envisaged what would happen over the three sessions of the first day.
The sell-out crowd oohed and aahed as England slumped to 185 for six at tea before being bowled out for a miserable 215, putting the tourists firmly in the driver’s seat. Peter Siddle, Australia’s most experienced bowler with 42 caps in a team of youngsters, was the wrecker-in-chief as he provided England a déjà vu of Brisbane 2010-11, where he took six for 54 on the first day of the first Test, including a hat-trick.
James Pattinson (three for 69) and Mitchell Starc (two for 54) shared the other five English wickets and bowled out their supposedly superior opposition, if pre-match analyses were to be believed, for a total their batsmen and captain would have gladly taken after losing the toss. None of the England batsmen managed a half-century, with Jonathan Trott scoring the highest of 48 before even his unyielding tenaciousness was to be breached by a short and wide Siddle delivery that was deposited in the hands of cover.
England 215 (Jonathan Trott 48; Peter Siddle 5 for 50, James Pattinson 3 for 69) lead Australia 75 for 4 (Steven Smith 38*; James Anderson 2 for 25, Steven Finn 2 for 37) by 140 runs.
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