England and Australia delivered a gripping opening to the Ashes in Perth on Friday, when captain Ben Stokes claimed five wickets after England were bowled out for 172 and Australia slipped to 123 for nine on a ferocious first day.
Winning the toss and choosing to bat, England’s approach backfired on a fast and bouncy surface. Mitchell Starc was irresistible in taking seven for 58, beginning with the dismissal of Zak Crawley for a duck from the sixth ball of the series. Harry Brook’s 52 and Ollie Pope’s controlled 46 were the only significant contributions as England lost their final five wickets for 12 runs, ending their innings after only 32.5 overs, the shortest Ashes first innings in Australia for more than a century.
England’s response with the ball was immediate and hostile. Jofra Archer set the tempo with an opening burst that regularly exceeded 90 miles per hour, while the tourists’ five seamers maintained relentless pressure. Archer had Jake Weatherald lbw with a delivery that knocked the left hander off his feet and later bowled Marnus Labuschagne via the inside edge. Brydon Carse removed Australia captain Steve Smith, who edged to second slip, and Gus Atkinson unsettled the middle order even if his figures did not fully reflect his threat.
Stokes, returning to Test cricket after a shoulder injury suffered in July, used himself as the fifth seamer and broke any hint of resistance. He dismissed Travis Head and Mitchell Starc on the leg side, then had Cameron Green and Scott Boland edging behind before Alex Carey guided a catch to third man. It was Stokes’ second five wicket haul in as many Tests, signalling both fitness and intent at the start of the tour.
A crowd of more than fifty thousand added intensity to a day shaped by pace and bounce. The pitch offered consistent carry, and both attacks exploited it, echoing last year’s Test at this venue when 17 wickets fell on the opening day. This time, the tally reached 19 as England secured a lead of 49 by stumps.
Australia’s innings also reflected the disruption to their top order. Usman Khawaja, who spent time off the field during England’s innings, was forced to bat lower and later gloved a rising ball. Head and Green briefly counter-attacked but neither could push Australia into positive territory.
England’s batting, by contrast, was marked by misjudgement. Ben Duckett played across the line to be lbw, Joe Root edged to third slip without scoring and Stokes left a sizeable gap between bat and pad. Starc later returned to take three more wickets, including Jamie Smith and Mark Wood with short balls, and Atkinson offering a simple catch.
Brook’s innings provided rare fluency, highlighted by a clean strike over extra cover for six, while Pope produced his highest Ashes score before misjudging Green and falling lbw. Once Brook gloved a short ball to give Brendan Doggett his first Test wicket, England’s collapse accelerated, with five wickets falling in 19 balls.
By the close of play, the series had already delivered its first major statement. England’s bowlers had dragged them back into the contest after a faltering start, leaving their batters with a platform to build on during day two.
