BIRMINGHAM, England: Australia won the first Ashes test by a huge margin of 251 runs on Monday after dismissing England for 146 in its second innings on the final day.
Offspinner Nathan Lyon was often unplayable with 6-49 and passed 350 test wickets in a remarkable turnaround for the Australians, who had been reduced to 122-8 in their first innings at a hostile Edgbaston.
“It’s disappointing,” England captain Joe Root told the BBC. “We got ourselves in a really strong position.”
Allrounder Chris Woakes provided England’s top score with a defiant 37 at No. 9 after the hosts crumbled from 60-1 to 97-7. Woakes was the last man out in the 53rd over to Pat Cummins (4-32), sending the ball to Steve Smith in the slips as England collapsed in the afternoon.
England had resumed after lunch on 85-4. Jos Buttler (1) went in the first over, bowled by Cummins, and Jonny Bairstow was then caught by Cameron Bancroft off Cummins for his 100th test wicket. In what has been a nightmare test at times for the umpires, Bairstow opted to review Joel Wilson’s decision but he was unsuccessful, leading one BBC pundit to exclaim “Joel’s got one right!“
Lyon reached the 350-wicket landmark when Ben Stokes (6) was caught behind.
The spinner went on to dismiss Moeen Ali for his five-for and had Stuart Broad caught by Smith for a golden duck. Jimmy Anderson came out to bat despite lingering injury concerns — he bowled only four overs in the entire test — and denied Lyon his hat trick.
Rory Burns (11) was the first man out Monday — caught by Lyon off Cummins — when England had added only six runs after starting on 13-0, and Root (28) was the last man out in the morning, visibly angry with himself after tamely sending the ball to Bancroft at short leg off Lyon.
Lyon had come on to bowl after an hour’s play and proved the threat that England feared with three wickets before lunch. Lyon also soon settled a big question of the day: Could white-ball specialist Jason Roy patiently stay in without taking risks in smashing quick runs? That was answered in Australia’s favor when the explosive opener, playing only his second test, needlessly advanced down the wicket against Lyon. The ball turned and clattered into the stumps. Roy was out for 28 after sharing a 41-run partnership with Root and England on 60-2.
Bancroft caught Joe Denly (11) at short leg after Lyon struck again to leave England 80-3 before Root was dismissed.
England’s instinctive batting aggression paid huge dividends in its Cricket World Cup title last month, including a semifinal win over Australia in Birmingham, but the switch from white to red ball is proving a tough challenge so far against its well-prepared opponent.
Australia even had the luxury of declaring at 487-7 in its second innings on Sunday to set England an unlikely winning target of 398.
“I love playing cricket here in England. The atmosphere’s always amazing, and the boys turned up and played a really good game of cricket,” man-of-the-match Smith said. “To go 1-0 up in the series is a big boost.”
England had taken a 90-run lead after the first innings with 374 in reply to Australia’s 284. But Smith’s centuries in each innings (144 and 142) proved far too much for a humbled England, especially without its record test wicket-taker Anderson able to bowl after the opening session.
Root said it was easy to be wise in hindsight and that Anderson had gone through the normal selection process and passed a fitness test. Root called it “part and parcel of test cricket, sometimes things go against you.”
And Root should know. He had survived a scare on 4 when he was given out by Wilson leg before wicket against pacer James Pattinson. He went for review and the ball was shown to be missing.
Play was briefly held up by a malfunctioning stump mic before Root was given out again by Wilson for lbw when on 9, this time off Siddle. Root immediately reviewed and was shown to have clearly got his bat to the ball first.
The second of five tests starts at Lord’s on Aug. 14.
Australia wins 1st Ashes test by 251 runs, Lyon takes 6-49
Australia wins 1st Ashes test by 251 runs, Lyon takes 6-49
- Offspinner Nathan Lyon was often unplayable with 6-49 and passed 350 test wickets in a remarkable turnaround for the Australians
- Australia even had the luxury of declaring at 487-7 in its second innings on Sunday to set England an unlikely winning target of 398
England comeback win against New Zealand gives Pakistan last shot at T20 World Cup semifinals
- Pakistan have to beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or chase down the co-host in 13.1 overs
- England have already qualified but completed Super Eights three-for-three unbeaten
COLOMBO: New Zealand failed to clinch a Twenty20 World Cup semifinals place when it lost to England by four wickets on Friday, leaving Pakistan a last chance to qualify.
New Zealand looked set to join England in the semifinals when it reduced England to 117-6 in the 17th over in pursuit of 160. But big hits by Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed got England over the finish line with three balls remaining in a thriller.
“Would have made our lives easier if we won,” New Zealand captain Mitch Santner said. “We played a pretty good game. Credit to England. Jacks and Rehan with the finishing touches, it was a good bit of batting.”
The odds still favor New Zealand going through from the Super Eights but Pakistan has a last-ditch chance on Saturday against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.
Pakistan has to beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or chase down the tournament co-host in 13.1 overs.
England had already qualified but completed the Super Eights three-for-three unbeaten.
That record was in jeopardy for much of the chase.
Phil Salt was out in the first over and fellow opener Jos Buttler for a two-ball duck in the second over. Buttler has only 62 runs in seven matches and his 10th career duck set the all-time record for England in T20s.
“He’s played 150 games for England,” captain Harry Brook said of Buttler, “and people need to take a little step back. He’s probably the best white-ball player to play the game. He’s in a rut but it’s exciting to know what he could produce in the next few games.”
Brook and Jacob Bethel were gone inside nine overs then Tom Banton and Sam Curran struggled to share 42 runs in 35 balls. England was left needing 43 runs off 19 deliveries with four wickets on a used pitch that was turning.
Ahmed replaced Jamie Overton because of the pitch and took 2-28, and he made his bat also count.
He sent the second ball he faced over the long-on fence as he and Jacks turned the game with 22 runs in the 18th over bowled by Glenn Phillips. They plundered 16 runs from the 19th bowled by Santner and cruised home.
Jacks was unbeaten on 32 including a six and four boundaries. Ahmed faced seven deliveries for 19 which included two sixes and a boundary.
“Having gone out on a knife edge I’m over the moon,” Jacks said after his fourth player of the match award in the tournament. “Rehan played a brilliant innings. Everyone struggled to get going on that pitch and the six he hit second ball got them rattled and I fed off him.
“Feel confident right now, calm in the middle. That can be vital. We’re going in the right direction, three wins in the Super Eight, we’re very happy.”
Santner chose to bat first, as both teams wanted, and his team made 159-7.
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen opened with 64 in seven overs but they lost wickets frequently from then on. Phillips top-scored with 39. New Zealand scored only 24 runs in the last three overs.
Spinners Jacks, Adil Rashid and Ahmed took two wickets each.
