Australia close on 123-9 after England skittled for 172: Ashes first Test, day one – as it happened

10.52am GMT I think we all deserve a lie-down, don’t you? I’ll leave you with Ali Martin’s report from Perth Stadium, where 19 wickets fell in a coruscating start to the 2025-26 Ashes. See you tomorrow for the second, probably penultimate day. Don’t be late! Related: Brydon Carse hails ‘relentless’ England pace attack after thrilling Ashes start Related: Ashes begins with a bang after 19 wickets on dramatic day one give England early edge Related: Starc showed Australia they didn’t need the Big Three – the Big One would do | Geoff Lemon Related: Sign up for the Spin newsletter: our free cricket email Sign up for The Spin newsletter Updated at 12.05pm GMT 10.29am GMT This is a bit of a weird statgasm: the fastest innings in Ashes history (where the batting team was bowled out) 5.49 runs per over England 592 (107.4 overs) v Australia, Old Trafford, 2023 5.24 England 166 (31.4 overs) v Australia, Sydney, 2013-14 5.23 England 172 (32.5 overs) v Australia, Perth, 2025-26 5.17 England 283 (54.4 overs) v Australia, The Oval, 2023 5.13 England 407 (79.2 overs) v Australia, Edgbaston, 2005 Australia’s highest is 4.77 runs per over, when they made 327 from 68.3 overs at The Oval in 1934, though they have scored faster while chasing targets. Updated at 10.50am GMT 10.24am GMT The opening day of this Ashes series has set an absurdly high bar for what is to come. England played their supporters back at home, a collapse to 172 all out like waking up to a horse’s head in the bed, only for Ben Stokes and his stable of quicks to deliver a more telling statement of their own. If they did not know it before, Australia are now well aware that this is a very different England side to those of the past. The fast forward but fragile batting was a known quantity, granted. But it now comes with a pool of high-octane seamers who will test techniques and tickers in equal measure. Related: Ashes begins with a bang after 19 wickets on dramatic day one give England early edge 10.16am GMT Most wickets on day one of an Ashes Test 25 2nd Test, Melbourne, 1901-02 22 2nd Test, The Oval, 1890 20 Only Test, The Oval, 1882; 2nd Test, Melbourne, 1894-95; 4th Test, Old Trafford, 1909 19 1st Test, Perth, 2025-26 18 Only Test, Sydney, 1887-88; 1st Test, Lord’s, 1896 10.07am GMT More from Brydon Carse It was brilliant. The atmosphere was electric; the energy right through the day was awesome. [On defending 172] Stokesy kept it really simple and just told the bowlers to give everything. I thought the way Gus Atkinson and Jofra started was phenomenal. [On Ben Stokes] As Ducky (Ben Duckett) said a couple of weeks ago, he’s in Beast Mode at the moment. Hopefully that pays off for him throughout the series. Stokesy came up with that idea (for the whole squad to walk onto the field together) last night. Luckily we came in at about 8.30. I think if it’d been half an hour later we might have got more stick from the Aussie fans! The guys who got runs today took the positive option. Even at the end, Alex Carey put us under pressure by being proactive. I thnk our batters will know what gameplan to go with. Updated at 10.36am GMT 10.00am GMT The longest partnership all day was 14 overs between Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. It was dizzingly eventful. It feels like five minutes ago that we weer wondering why Ben Stokes hadn’t brought himself on to bowl; now he’s got five wickets to his name. England are in a good position but Australia know that third-innings horror stories are a feature of the Ashes, particularly when England tour Australia. The most famous of all, Adelaide 2006, isn’t a relevant precedent here – but Brisbane 1990 could be. I doubt Ben Stokes will be off to Kerry Packer’s casino tonight though. Related: The night Kerry Packer took David Gower to the casino 9.56am GMT Brydon Carse's reaction What a day. Everyone who came to watch got value for money with nineteen wickets. Fantastic last session from everyone and it’s put us in a good position going into tomorrow. [On Ben Stokes] He’s amazing: his character, his resilience… it’s everything this team strives to be and that was a game-changing spell. There’s enough assistance with the pace and the bounce. I tried to hit the wicket as hard as I could throughout the day. There were a couple of balls in there that was pretty delighted with. It’s always nice to get one of the best players in the world out. 9.53am GMT Thoughts at this difficult time with those who don’t appreciate Test cricket. The first day of the Ashes was one for the books, with wickets falling throughout. Let’s hear what Brydon Carse made of it. Related: Sign up for the Spin newsletter: our free cricket email Updated at 9.54am GMT 9.52am GMT Stumps: England lead by 49 runs 39th over: Australia 123-9 (Lyon 3, Doggett 0) Nathan Lyon sees out the final of the day from Archer, clipping a couple of runs through midwicket off the last ball. The players stroll off the field while the rest of us trying to work out what the hell just happened. Updated at 10.34am GMT 9.51am GMT Nineteen wickets have fallen, the most on the opening day of an Ashes Test since 20 were taken at Old Trafford in 1909. And I was there! 9.48am GMT 38th over: Australia 121-9 (Lyon 1, Doggett 0) The umpires checked whether it was a clean catch. It was – Brook has become such a reliable slip fielder – and Stokes held the ball up to the crowd in celebration of his five-for. 9.47am GMT Five wickets for Ben Stokes! WICKET! Australia 121-9 (Boland c Brook b Stokes 0) Ben Stokes can do anything. Sod the Ashes, get him on world peace. He has bulldozed a five-for, his first against Australia since 2015, in just six overs. Boland was squared up and edged low to second slip, where Brook took a smart low catch. Updated at 9.53am GMT 9.44am GMT WICKET! Australia 121-8 (Carey c Carse b Stokes 26) There goes the eighteenth wicket of the day. E-I-G-H-T-E-E-N. Carey makes room to uppercut Stokes straight to Carse on the boundary at third. Not sure what Carey was trying to do there, especially as he looked in total control playing orthodox cricket. Four wickets for Stokes, three of them caught by his Durham mate Carse. 9.40am GMT 37th over: Australia 120-7 (Carey 26, Lyon 1) Archer returns for the last knockings of a pulsating day’s play. A lot goes on but nothing happens. “Has anyone talked about the quality of the pitch?” says Andy Flintoff. “Seventeen wickets falling on the first day anywhere but Australia would be followed by howls at its unfairness.” I’d like to let it marinate before offering a judicial verdict but right now I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the pitch. There hasn’t been much sideways movement and the bounce has been consistent (if extravagant). A par score is probably closer to 250. 9.35am GMT 36th over: Australia 118-7 (Carey 25, Lyon 0) “Such a shame about the booing of players on both sides,” writes Ian Sargeant. “Just about the only blot on the day’s play. I know it’s pantomime season and that’s what the lagered few will be saying it is – but it does annoy me. Smith has done his time and is one of the modern greats. Stokes and Carey have done nothing wrong. Let it go and enjoy what’s in front of you.” I guess it doesn’t help that many of the crowd have been drinking pints of Booing Juice since 10am. 9.35am GMT WICKET! Australia 118-7 (Starc c Carse b Stokes 12) Mitchell Starc’s run-a-ball cameo ends when he drags Stokes straight to Carse at mid-off. Ben Stokes, a bowler reborn in 2025, has his third wicket. 9.29am GMT 35th over: Australia 112-6 (Carey 22, Starc 9) Carse has an LBW appeal caught in the throat when Carey inside-edges onto the pads. Starc edges a big flash just wide of the diving Duckett in the gully. Carey, such a busy, purposeful player, drives Carse superbly through mid-off for four. He has 22 from 21 balls and Australia trail by 60. 9.25am GMT 34th over: Australia 103-6 (Carey 16, Starc 7) Starc, who might not be the player who scored 99 all those years ago but is still a quality lower-order batter, thumps Stokes through extra cover for three. It feels like this game is moving inexorably towards a one-innings shootout, give or take maybe 20 runs either side. The run rate has increased dramatically in the last hour. Australia scored 49 from the first 23 overs; they’ve added 54 from the last 11. They’re playing Bazball! 9.21am GMT 33rd over: Australia 104-6 (Carey 16, Starc 7) Starc spoons Carse over Archer at mid-off for a couple. That was an odd shot, a check drive with his weight going all the wrong way. Nothing odd or unconvincing about Carey’s second boundary, a zesty slap through extra cover for four that brings up the Australian hundred. At the same stage of their innings, England were no longer batting: their 172 all out came from 32.5 overs. “No one really talked about Cummins’ batting, did they?” says Phil Harrison. “But England are one wicket away from Nathan Lyon.” A few people talked about it; I only know this because I’ve listened to approximately 491 Ashes podcasts in the last fortnight. Jonathan Howcroft also mentioned it earlier in the day. We sometimes forget that Boland and Lyon scored vital runs that famous Edgbaston victory two years ago. Not that I’d fancy their chances tonight. Updated at 9.26am GMT 9.14am GMT 32nd over: Australia 91-6 (Carey 11, Starc 1) Carey tickles Stokes down the leg side for four, though it wasn’t far wide of the diving Smith. Two left-handers at the crease now, so it might be time for Jofra Archer to come back. “I know I’m a luddite who hasn’t got over the boundary no longer being a rope,” writes Mojo Wellington, “but looking at that photo of Archer and Stokes, it is really disheartening to see yet another brand logo snuck on to the England shirt. There is now (at least) four different company logos whacked on there. How long before England cricketers resemble Formula 1 drivers?!” I thought you needed speed to win in Australia? Hang on, I’m confused now. 9.11am GMT WICKET! Australia 83-6 (Green c Smith b Stokes 24) Stokes strikes again! Green will feel it was a loose shot but it was beautifully done by Stokes. After bowling everything back of a length, he went slightly wider on the crease to bowl a fullish delivery that straightened off the seam. Green, who couldn’t resist the drive, snicked it to Smith and Stokes punched the air with a knowing certainty. Updated at 9.23am GMT 9.08am GMT 31st over: Australia 83-5 (Green 24, Carey 4) Carse falls over in his follow through, which enables him to inadvertently block a straight drive from Carey. It whacked him between the shoulder blades and he bounced straight to his feet. 9.03am GMT 30th over: Australia 79-5 (Green 23, Carey 1) Alex Carey is booed to the crease by the Barmy Army. Ach, let it go, he’s done his time – and he didn’t really do anything wrong in the first placee. Carey has been in career-best form in the last 18 months, specialising in tough runs when Australia really need them. Updated at 9.08am GMT 8.59am GMT WICKET! Australia 76-5 (Head c Carse b Stokes 21) How many bloody times? Ben Stokes, the man who makes things happen, has made something happen just when England needed it. It was a nothing delivery, in truth, good line and just short of a length from around the wicket.Head flick-pulled straight to Carse at midwicket and walked off shaking his head. That’s a biggie for England. Updated at 9.02am GMT 8.58am GMT 29th over: Australia 76-4 (Head 21, Green 21) As Brydon Carse returns to the attack, Tim de Lisle writes in with a typically brilliant stat: in his fledgling Test career, Carse averages 60 at home and 19 away. Four runs from his first over back, including a thick edge from Green that drops short of Duckett and then gets through him for a couple. “Dear,” writes Fabrice H. “We are looking for reliable supplier partners to meet our request. Your products interest us, could you provide us with a catalog of your products? We work with payment deadlines of 7 or 14 days by bank transfer after delivery of the goods. We would like to start a long-term collaboration with you and create a partnership. Looking forward to reading you.” What do you reckon? Is this my IPL deal or what? 8.53am GMT 28th over: Australia 72-4 (Head 20, Green 18) Ben Stokes comes on for Mark Wood (5-0-18-0). He almost golden-arms Green with his first ball, which is short, wide and somehow evades Green’s attempted violence. A more measured drive from Green brings three runs through mid-off. This partnership is now worth 41, the third highest of the day. “Morning Rob,” says Phil Sawyer. “Morning Everyone, morning the Creeping Fear, morning… England taking some wickets? Hang on, I might have to take this Creeping Fear back to the shop, it doesn’t seem to be charging up properly.” Hmm, I’d give it another hour. 8.49am GMT 27th over: Australia 69-4 (Head 20, Green 15) Atkinson continues. His line has been superb and I suspect he has made the batters play more than any other England bowler. He’s made them miss a fair bit too; Head is beaten when he tries to cut a scrambled-seam delivery. This first day has almost been a mash-up of Lord’s 2005. England’s quicks beat Australia up, the tourists bat first and are rolled for less than 200, then the home side lose their top order in a hurry either side of tea. What could it all mean? 8.43am GMT 26th over: Australia 69-4 (Head 20, Green 15) Green pushes Wood nicely through the covers for a couple, then clips him through midwicket for two more. A handsome drive through mid-off for four completes a good over for Australia. I’m loath to say batting is getting easier, as it’s barely 10 minutes since Green almost ate a short one from Wood, but it’s fair to say runs are coming more freely now: 49 from the first 23 overs, 20 from the last three. It’s also worth nothing that Wood’s pace hasn’t been quite as volcanic in this second spell – nearer 90mph than 95 I think. Memo to Ben Stokes: it’s time for Ben Stokes. Updated at 8.44am GMT 8.40am GMT 25th over: Australia 61-4 (Head 20, Green 7) Head drives Atkinson through mid-off and cover for consecutive twos. He follows that with his first boundary, slashed semi-deliberately over the slips. This guy, as Richie Benaud used to say, is a dangerous customer. 8.35am GMT 24th over: Australia 53-4 (Head 12, Green 7) Green is okay to continue and sees off the last two balls of Wood’s over. As tough as this has been for Australia, they’re only 119 runs behind. We could be in for a low-scoring classic. “Atkinson has quietly been the pick of the bowlers, absolutely superb,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “Sort of reminds me of Ryan Harris with a low centre of gravity and the way it skids onto the batter. “I actually can’t believe (can and totally expected) the selectors picked Cameron Green over Beau Webster, who is a superb cricketer and has already produced some match-saving displays for Australia. “For all his talent and price tag, Green has a fair bit to prove in this series. Needs his engage his cricket brain and not just the brawn.” 8.33am GMT There are still 33 overs remaining. Realistically we’ll get maybe half of those before the close at 5.50pm local time/8.50pm AEDT/9.50am GMT. 8.30am GMT Green hit in the face by Wood 23.4 overs: Australia 53-4 (Head 12, Green 7) WOW. W O W. A brutish short ball from Wood hits Green flush on the grille. He staggers backwards and does really well to veer away from his stumps. Green will need a concussion test so the umpires call for drinks. Updated at 8.48am GMT 8.26am GMT Green dropped by Atkinson on 5 23rd over: Australia 49-4 (Head 9, Green 6) Down! Green gets a leading edge back to Atkinson, who crouches puts down a relatively straightforward chance in his follow through. No caught and bowled is easy but I reckon Atkinson would take that eight times out of 10. If Green goes on to make a big score, Atkinson may need to find a local pastor. He has bowled superbly in both spells and deserves a wicket. “I’ve had an interesting day,” says Phil Withall. “Family commitments, locked doors, vaulting fences, angry dogs. Just a normal day off really. Anyway, because of all that I have only managed sporadic updates with the cricket and it seems to be a continuation of the chaotic day I’ve enjoyed. Madness...” 8.21am GMT 22nd over: Australia 48-4 (Head 9, Green 5) Mark Wood replaces Brydon Carse, who bruised Australia in a spell of 6-1-20-2. This is a slight risk; Wood’s extra pace might get Australia going and Stokes himself might have been a better option. Save Wood for the tail and all that. His first ball to Head is too straight and flies away for four leg-byes. Jamie Smith appeals for a catch down the leg side when Green pushes around his hip; there was a deflection but it came off the hip rather than the bat. 8.17am GMT 21st over: Australia 42-4 (Head 8, Green 4) Travis Head is whacked in a delicate area by Atkinson, then inside edges past the stumps wth one hand coming off the bat. He’s all over the show – but in some ways that makes him more dangerous for England. At some stage in this series Head will come off, and chances are when he does he’ll play a matchwinning innings. England won’t even look at the box seat until they get rid of him. “Woke up, checked the score,” begins Matt Dony. “Read back through the day’s play so far, felt the familiar wave of disappointment. Ah well. Won’t be long until the next series. Got ready for work, defrosted the car, checked the score again, four wickets down! What on earth? If day one is a tone-setter, this is going to be exciting…” Updated at 8.21am GMT 8.12am GMT 20th over: Australia 41-4 (Head 7, Green 4) Head larrups Carse over the cover fielders for three – not perfectly timed but a statement of counter-attacking intent. Carse almost nips that in the bud with successive beauties to beat Green. Never mind all the talk about pace, it’s Carse’s bounce that is terrorising Australia. 8.08am GMT 19th over: Australia 38-4 (Head 4, Green 4) So close to a fifth wicket! Atkinson, on for Archer, went straight round the wicket to Head and found a leading edge that looped tantalisingly over the leaping Pope in the gully. The next ball also teased the fielders behind square on the off side before dropping short. Australia look a bit shell-shocked; they have to find a way to put pressure back on England. Cameron Green shows the way by driving Atkinson handsomely through mid-on for four to get off the mark. That’s a beautiful shot, played with a serenity that belies the predicament his team are in. 8.04am GMT 18th over: Australia 31-4 (Head 1, Green 0) Australia have got to start punching back. Easier said than done, I know, but they’re going nowhere and have allowed England’s bowlers to settle into a rhythm. Now, this is interesting – Usman Khawaja’s hand may have been off the bat when he gloved Carse through to Smith. I guess he’d have no idea, given he was trying to protect life and limb, but had he reviewed it the third umpire may well have given him not out. Echoes of Michael Kasprowicz at the end of Edgbaston 2005. 8.01am GMT England are all over Australia like a cheap cliche. Carse went round the wicket to the left-handed Khawaja and rammed in a vicious delivery that climbed to kiss the glove and fly through to Jamie Smith. Fourteen wickets have fallen in barely 50 overs: it’s Perth 2024 all over again. 8.00am GMT WICKET! Australia 31-4 (Khawaja c Smith b Carse 2) An absolute snorter from Brydon Carse gets rid of Usman Khawaja! 7.59am GMT 17th over: Australia 31-3 (Khawaja 2, Head 1) Head is beaten by successive deliveries from Archer. The first was short and trampolined past Head’s attempted uppercut; the second was a textbook length deelivery to the left-hander. A maiden from Jofra Archer, who has delicious figures of 7-4-7-2. England were 77 for 3 after 17 overs of their innings. “Steve Smith has started, now he’s finished,” says Steven Pye. “Honk!” I love a self-honk. 7.54am GMT 16th over: Australia 31-3 (Khawaja 2, Head 1) Buckle up, buttercup. Travis Head is the new batter, and he won’t score at two an over. It was his sizzling counter-attack, remember, that won the first Test of the 2021-22 Ashes. Updated at 7.57am GMT 7.53am GMT Beautiful bowling from Brydon Carse to take the Brobdingnagian wicket of Steve Smith. It kicked from a length, maybe straightened a touch, and Smith could only fence it to Harry Brook at second slip. He took a smart catch with the minimum of fuss. In truth Smith did well to make 17 because he was beaten maybe 10 times, hit on the elbow twice and again on the hand. 7.51am GMT WICKET! Australia 30-3 (Smith c Brook b Carse 17) Told you Brydon Carse bowled wicket-taking deliveries. Ahem. Updated at 7.57am GMT 7.48am GMT 15th over: Australia 29-2 (Smith 17, Khawaja 1) Usman Khawaja, who was unable to bat earlier due to the time he spent off the field during England’s innings, is beaten by his first ball. When he gets off the mark, Smith is beaten for the umpteenth time. Hot stuff from Jofra Archer, who has marvellous figures of 6-3-7-2. All those lonely hours of rehab, all those long nights of the soul spread across three or four years, were for moments like this. Updated at 7.48am GMT 7.45am GMT WICKET! Australia 28-2 (Labuschagne b Archer 9) A batter’s strength can also be a weakness, even when that strength is leaving the ball. Labuschagne shapes to play Archer, then changes his mind and tries to pull his bat out of the way – but he’s a split second too late and deflects the ball down onto the stumps. England needed that. Updated at 7.49am GMT 7.41am GMT 14th over: Australia 28-1 (Labuschagne 9, Smith 17) A poor over from Carse. He starts with a short ball that Smith cuts for his first boundary, then feeds him another to hook for four. Carse will always bowl potential wicket-taking deliveries, and he beats Smith later in the over, but right now England need him to be more disciplined. If I were Ben Stokes, I’d be tempted to bring on Ben Stokes at this end. 7.39am GMT This is terrific stuff, not least because of the contrast in styles. England’s innings was played at 3x: after 13 overs, they were 59 for three. 7.38am GMT 13th over: Australia 20-1 (Labuschagne 9, Smith 9) Smith has another windy woof at a very wide delivery from Archer. He’s struggling, more so than Labuschagne. Stokes moves Pope to short leg and almost gets an instant reward when Smith fences a short ball in the air to his right. Labuschagne shoulders arms to a nipbacker from Archer that barely misses off stump. A good leave, ultimately, but for a split-second Labuschagne’s heartbeat will have turned into a drum and bass track. “Hello Rob,” says Krishnamoorthy V. “When you say bruises the first image that comes to my mind is that of Phil Edmonds showing off his bruises in a typical James Bond on the beaches style during the 1986 West Indies tour! THAT is the standard.” Ah yes, a gift from Patrick Patterson. I think the picture is somewhere near the bottom of this piece. Related: The scariest Test England ever played: terror at the hands of West Indies 7.34am GMT 12th over: Australia 19-1 (Labuschagne 9, Smith 8) Carse gives Labuschagne a serve at the end of the over; Labuschagne walks after him to give a bit back. It’s getting hot out there. 7.33am GMT Labuschagne is not out There’s a murmur on Snicko, nothing more, as the ball passes the bat – but the third umpire decides that’s not enough to overturn the decision. That’s fair enough, even if some of the Barmy Army aren’t entirely in agreement with the adherence to protocol. 7.31am GMT England review for caught behind against Labuschagne! A full delivery from Carse is laced through extra cover for three by Labuschagne. Maybe that’s why Jofra hasn’t pitched it up too often. Carse beats Smith with an excellent good-length delivery. England go up for caught behind but it’s not a convincing appeal and Stokes decides not to review. The ball hit the flap of the pad rather than the edge; Smith was already in position to review if the umpire gave him out. There’s plenty happening for the England bowlers. Smith is surprised by a delivery that climbs from nowhere, then Labuschagne survives a big appeal for caught behind. This time England do go upstairs. I think it might be a wasted review. 7.27am GMT 11th over: Australia 15-1 (Labuschagne 6, Smith 7) The rest of the over passes without incident. Archer has bowled well but, if you’re being picky, his length has been fractionally short. 7.25am GMT 10.2 overs: Australia 15-1 (Labuschagne 6, Smith 7) Archer’s first ball hits Smith on the back elbow, the second time he’s been struck there in this innings. His second rams into the right hand and Smith calls the physio onto the field. He’s okay to continue but he’ll have a few bruises when he wakes up tomorrow. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with the odd bruise if you get it doing the thing you love. Updated at 7.26am GMT 7.22am GMT The players are back on the field. And Jofra Archer is back in the attack. “Smith and Marnus have already faced more balls... than every England batter other Brook and Pope,” notes Rown Sweeney. “Madness.” Updated at 7.22am GMT 7.06am GMT Teatime reading If you only buy one cricket-themed Christmas present, make it Steven Finn’s new book. The prologue alone made me want to punch the air and weep like a baby. It’s an unmitigated triumph, one of the best books on the mental side of sport I’ve ever read. Related: Steven Finn: ‘Saying I was not selectable was clumsy language and it damaged me’ 7.04am GMT “Morning from Kigali,” writes Liam Taylor. “If anyone out there is looking for the Test Match Special overseas link, it doesn’t appear to be available for this series. You can still listen to TMS abroad by downloading the Cricket Australia app, which also lets you listen to a range of Australian commentary. Hope this helps anyone looking for it – in the time that it took me to find it, three England wickets fell...” Crikey, you are quick. 7.04am GMT Tea 10th over: Australia 15-1 (Labuschagne 6, Smith 7) Brydon Carse, my outside bet for player of the series should England win, replaces Atkinson after a fine spell of 4-3-2-0. His second ball is too full and driven crisply through the covers for three by Smith, who is starting to look good after a scratchy start. A snarling, seaming lifter from Carse beats Labuschagne outside off stump. The rest of the over passes without incident and the players walk off for tea. It’s been Australia’s day so far – they trail by 157 runs after Mitchell Starc razed England for 172 in just 32.5 overs. Time for me to find a coffee shop that is open; we’ll be back for an extended evening session. 6.58am GMT 9th over: Australia 12-1 (Labuschagne 6, Smith 4) Wood hits 151 kmh (94 mph) with the first ball of his second over. But so far the Aussies have looked relatively comfortable against his extreme pace – there have been a couple of thick edges but no more than that. Wood has made them play at almost every delivery in the first two overs. “I thought Australia were a bit sloppy this morning,” writes Chris Paraskevas, “and even Mitchell Starc didn’t really hit his previous heights with those spells. “I also don’t think the England batters being proactive was such a bad idea, and the total isn’t a complete disaster. “The one thing I did notice was that none of the batters seemed willing to build a partnership, unlike their opening bowlers, who complemented each other with bounce v skid. Perhaps only Pope and Brook, with one a little more withdrawn and the other expansive. “Undoubtedly Weatherald was thrown by having another partner, so the dynamic of batting/bowling of pairs across the series will be crucial, noting both teams are prone to collapse.” It was a strange innings, wasn’t it? England were rolled for 172, which looks pathetic and familiar, but at times they treated the Australian bowlers with contempt. I’m still trying to make sense of it. That said, there’s no doubt it’s a below-par total. Updated at 7.09am GMT 6.53am GMT 8th over: Australia 9-1 (Labuschagne 5, Smith 3) As well as England have bowled, they have got to break this partnership quicksmart because Labuschagne and Smith know exactly how to navigate a situation like this. If they are together after 20 overs, Australia will be in a healthy postion – even if they’re still scoring at one run an over. “I was given the choice of going to watch Carlisle United at Boston or the Ashes at Perth,” writes David Stoddart. “It was a difficult choice.” (David has also attached an envy-inducing pic of himself, in Carlisle United garb, overlooking the action at the Optus. No time to upload it, alas, but I can confirm his view is better than mine and probably yours.) 6.49am GMT 7th over: Australia 7-1 (Labuschagne 4, Smith 2) Smith fences Wood’s first ball behind square on the leg side. Pope collects near backward square leg and misses a run-out chance with Labuschagne short of his ground. Labuschagne is beaten twice later in the over, the second an old-fashioned bit of chin music. Wood hasn’t bowled in a first-class game since August 2024 but his pace is already up at 93mph. He is – and I say this with nothing but love – an utter freak. 6.45am GMT 6th over: Australia 6-1 (Labuschagne 4, Smith 1) Smith misses a woolly hook at Atkinson, then survives a big shout for LBW. Ben Stokes calmly motions that it’s too high – but it was a cracking delivery that came back to beat Smith on the inside. Replays confirm it was going over. Apparently the first six overs weren’t exciting enough, because here comes Mark Wood. 6.43am GMT “Morning Rob,” says Guy Hornsby, and I was tempted to give the old Chappelli reply until I realised Guy hadn’t actually said good morning. “We’ve seen this one before, eh? The last time I checked the score before my alarm we were 100-odd for 4. Having seen some of the sub-optimal shots we played in the latter part of that innings, 172 feels apt, really. It doesn’t seem that – in the face of some excellent bowling – we came with our heads totally screwed on. Still, long way to go, and our attack, as it often is, needs to pull us back into the game. One down...” At the risk of being the grown-up in the room for the first time in my life, I think we should reserve judgement on England’s performance until the end of the game. Okay, fair enough. Till the close of play? Updated at 6.56am GMT 6.40am GMT 5.4 overs: Australia 5-1 (Labuschagne 4, Smith 1) Smith is hit painfully on the right elbow by Atkinson, who is bowling beautifully. There’s a break in play while he receives treatment. 6.38am GMT 5th over: Australia 5-1 (Labuschagne 4, Smith 1) Smith pushes Archer into the covers for the first run of the innings, then Labuschagne times a sweet boundary through mid-on. That’s the risk of going fuller. “I was expecting England to fare slightly better against a depleted Aussie attack but their gung-ho approach - Smith and Brook’s counter-atrack was fun to watch - was always going to lead to trouble against the ever-lethal Mitchel Starc,” writes Colum Fordham. “When Brook was out, surely Atkinson and Carse needed to buckle down and help Smith get a hal-decent score. But no, Bazball at all costs.” The ease with which the lower order was wiped out is a concern for England. There was an assumption they would score runs, and they can all bat, but Australia routinely detonate England’s Nos 8-11 in their own conditions. Even Chris Woakes, probably England’s best long-term No8, had to fight tooth and nail to average 21 in Australia. Updated at 7.05am GMT 6.32am GMT 4th over: Australia 0-1 (Labuschagne 0, Smith 0) Labuschagne bat-pads Atkinson on the bounce to Pope at short leg. He’s leaving on length as much as possible but looks tentative when Atkinson draws him forward. As I type that, Atkinson is squared up by a good one that zips past the edge. He can maybe afford to go a bit fuller – but then England are building pressure by joining the dot balls. In fact they’re joining the maidens: that’s four in a row to start the innings. They’ve beaten the bat at least eight times in those four overs, possibly more. I knew I should have brought my abacus. 6.28am GMT 3rd over: Australia 0-1 (Labuschagne 0, Smith 0) Smith has an almighty wipe at a very wide ball from Archer, making contact only with the still Perth air. That’s the sixth play-and-miss in the first 15 balls to go with the wicket of Weatherald. Another maiden from Archer, not quite as menacing as the first but still extremely encouraging for England. Australia just need to get through this spell because life will get easier. “However the rest of this Test goes, I think it’s pretty clear that England are going to win the run-rate battle,” writes Thomas Jenkins. “Who cares about the war when you can win the battle?” 6.24am GMT 2nd over: Australia 0-1 (Labuschagne 0, Smith 0) All that talk about why Marnus Labuschagne had to bat No3 and here he is opening on day one of the series. He leaves the second ball from Gus Atkinson, which zips over the top of off stump. Plenty of excitement behind the stumps but it was a safe leave on length, something Labuschagne does so well in Australia. He’s beaten by a cracker next ball, pushing tentatively at a fuller one that whooshes past off stump, and then plays and misses at an even better delivery that snarls off the seam. England’s bowlers have started with ferocious purpose. “Is this the one-day Ashes?” asks Sandy C. “Just tuned in after a long day here on the west coast and England have already ‘completed’ their first innings?! What?! I initially thought the match had been delayed upon seeing the small number of overs bowled - but oh wow, England were a little too keen to get back to the dressing room! Hoping Australia can close the gap in the next four hours which is as long as I can be awake.” Updated at 6.25am GMT 6.20am GMT 1st over: Australia 0-1 (Labuschagne 0, Smith 0) Smith is beaten twice in the first four balls, once on either side of the bat. A storming start from Archer, who gets a pat on the back from almost every England player at the end of a wicket maiden. 6.16am GMT WICKET! Australia 0-1 (Weatherald LBW b Archer 0) Jofra Archer strikes second ball! He eats left-handers for breakfast, lunch and tea. Weatherald fell over a full, straight delivery and was sent flying when the ball hit the pad. What a start. Steve Smith is the new batter. He and Jofra have met before. Updated at 6.59am GMT 6.15am GMT This looks really close… 6.15am GMT England review for LBW! Jofra Archer starts the innings with an excellent delivery that beats a nervous, crooked poke from Weatherald. Archer has such a good record against left-handers – and he thinks he’s got another when Weatherald is knocked off his feet by a full delivery that hits him on the pad. It’s given not out but Ben Stokes goes upstairs. I think it pitched outside leg. If not, Weatherald is toast. Updated at 6.58am GMT 6.12am GMT The debutant Jake Weatherald walks out to bat alongside the stand-in opener Marnus Labuschagne. As Martin said, Usman Khawaja was off the field for too long during the England innings so he will bat later in the day. Updated at 6.17am GMT 6.11am GMT India were bowled out for 150 on day one of last year’s Perth Test and went on to win by 295 runs. But that pitch was more moist, much tougher for batting on day one – and Jasprit Bumrah bowled one of the greatest spells of the 21st century. England need something Bumrah-adjacent, probably from Jofra Archer. 6.11am GMT Thanks Martin, hello everyone. If anyone can explain what we’ve just watched, I’m all ears. England scored at 5.23 per over - the third fastest completed innings in Ashes history – yet they didn’t even reach 200. The main reason was a career-best performance from Mitchell Starc, who took 7 for 58 and made hamburger out of England’s much hyped batting line-up. In the circumstances, particularly the absence of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, it was a staggering display. 6.08am GMT England have paid a huge price for some outlandish batting but Mitchell Starc deserves all the credit that comes his way. The left-armer finishes with his best figures in a Test innings with seven for 58. And on that note, let’s all take a moment to catch our breath as Rob Smyth prepares to take the new ball for Australia’s innings. Updated at 6.13am GMT 6.04am GMT Usman Khawaja spent quite a bit of time off the field during the England innings – and with a collapse of five wickets in three overs the veteran will not be able to open for Australia. After all the conjecture over Marnus Labuschagne’s role in the batting lineup, in the in-form, designated No 3 will presumably now open alongside debutant Jake Weatherald. 6.02am GMT England all out for 172 Mitchell Starc finishes with seven for 58 – and will begin the second innings on a hat-trick – as Mark Wood swipes at a short ball and skies a top edge for Alex Carey to claim with the gloves. Perhaps harsh on a No 11, but that sums up the England collapse of five for 12. 6.00am GMT WICKET! Smith c Green b Starc 33 (England 172-9) England’s hopes of putting together a competitive total now rest with Jamie Smith but the keeper-batter can’t resist a shorter ball from Mitchell Starc and is caught at deep midwicket. Common sense appears to have been checked-in at Heathrow and lost somewhere in transit. Starc has six for 58. 5.57am GMT 32nd over: England 168-8 (Smith 29, Archer 0) Oh, my! Brydon Carse cops a bouncer smack bang on the grille. It barely moves him, on the outside at least, but that is enough to shake any batter. A quick check and Carse is back into action. But Brendan Doggett has shown that he has a mean shorter ball and the right-hander is caught on the boundary a few balls later with a frankly ridiculous attempt to respond. 5.55am GMT WICKET! Carse c Labuschagne b Doggett 6 (England 168-8) Brydon Carse is crunched by a bouncer that he sees too late, then hoicks a shorter ball later in the over straight down Marnus Labuschagne’s throat at backward square. It’s a good catch on the move from Labuschagne, but a silly shot to begin with. 5.50am GMT 31st over: England 167-7 (Smith 28, Carse 6) Australia have been able to strike whenever England look like working their way back into the game. That’s Starc’s fifth five-wicket haul in the Ashes. Brydon Carse shows more intent with a boundary at third man but a swing and a miss is more in keeping with the times as Starc returns to his familiar line just outside off. 5.47am GMT WICKET! Atkinson c Smith b Starc 1 (England 161-7) Mitchell Starc has a five-for. Gus Atkinson dabbles outside his off-stump with no real intent. The nick carries to Steve Smith at second slip and the left-armer has England in all sorts. 5.45am GMT 30th over: England 161-6 (Smith 28, Atkinson 1) Brendon Doggett makes his mark in just his sixth over in Tests with the critical wicket of Harry Brook. The Brook-Smith partnership ends on 45 runs from 30 balls. Steve Smith sends a bat pad in for the final delivery to Gus Atkinson as Australia smell blood only 30 overs into the series. 5.42am GMT WICKET! Brook c Carey b Doggett 52 (England 160-6) Brendan Doggett has his first Test wicket and what a time to grab it. Brook swings half-heartedly at a shorter ball down the legside, there is a noise on the way through and Carey and Smith are especially keen to review the decision. Doggett is less certain but is hardly going to argue. Brook makes his way from the field before the inevitable arrives and Australia have the wicket they surely wanted most. Updated at 5.55am GMT 5.38am GMT 29th over: England 152-5 (Brook 50, Smith 22) Smith’s turn to crunch back-to-back boundaries as he initially punishes a tiring Starc for bowling too full. The left-armer overcorrects and Smith pulls him to the backward square boundary. Harry Brook brings up his half-century from 58 deliveries with one six and five boundaries, before Smith finishes the over with another boundary. Boland dives to – unsuccessfully – prevent the ball reaching the rope at fine leg, but hits the turf heavily and is forced to hobble off the field. 14 runs from the over. 5.32am GMT 28th over: England 138-5 (Brook 49, Smith 9) Jamie Smith is the latest England batter to take a fancy to Scott Boland’s bowling with an unconventional straight drive that rockets to the rope. Brook ends the over with four – all run – as he again steps back and unleashes a drive through cover but the ball rests a few centimetres from the boundary. Updated at 5.36am GMT 5.28am GMT 27th over: England 129-5 (Brook 45, Smith 4) Back-to-back boundaries for Brook who is the only England batter yet to be troubled by Starc. The swashbuckling right-hander clips off his hip for four to fine leg then hammers a straight drive back past the bowler. 5.24am GMT 26th over: England 121-5 (Brook 37, Smith 4) REVIEW! Boland angles the ball into right-hander Jamie Smith who is yet to trouble the scorers. The Australia quick and captain Smith are reluctant to review but with England five down, they roll the dice and send the decision upstairs. Ball tracking shows that the delivery was doing too much and missing leg stump, as Australia waste a review. Smith gets off the mark by guiding the ball through the cordon for four. (Thanks to Stephen Hodson for the reminder that England didn’t waste their earlier reviews that went with “umpire’s call”). 5.17am GMT 25th over: England 115-5 (Brook 36, Smith 0) A Mitchell Starc masterclass puts England on the ropes. The left-armer chips away back of a length just outside Stokes’ off-stump before throwing in an inswinger that has the England skipper misreading the line. 5.13am GMT WICKET! Stokes b Starc 6 (England 115-5) Mitchell Starc strikes again and the England captain is on his way. A straighter ball from around the wicket, scrambled seam but nothing out of the ordinary, as Stokes plays around it and is clean bowled through the gate. A horror shot, really. Updated at 5.32am GMT 5.08am GMT 24th over: England 113-4 (Brook 36, Stokes 4) SIX! Harry Brook does the timewarp with a jump to his left, a step back and to the right to give himself room, and a lofted but controlled drive over cover. It inevitably looks like a dangerous shot as Brook’s stumps are exposed, but he has the eye to pull it off. If England’s plan to attack Boland is genuine, it has paid off so far – the Australia quick has 0 for 47 from eight overs. 5.04am GMT The players are back on the field at Perth Stadium for the second session. Scott Boland marks out his run with Harry Brook taking the two-centres – not that he seems to worry about it much from there. Here we go … 5.00am GMT A hundred runs in a session is below par for the modern-day England as they reach 105-4 at the first break on day one in Perth. But Australia have only managed to bowl 23 overs in their two hours, leaving the tourists with a more familiar run-rate of 4.56. 4.53am GMT Australia had the better of the first session with Mitchell Starc running riot. But reputations appear not to interest Harry Brook, let alone what he sees from the non-striker’s end or the stands. And we all know Ben Stokes will relish the opportunity to lift England up off the turf and to a competitive total after making the out-of-character call at the toss to bat first at Perth Stadium. Ali Martin considered, before a ball was bowled in these Ashes, what could well be Stokes’ denouement on Australian soil. Watching Ben Stokes go about his work remains a sight to behold, no stone left unturned and a high bar set for the squad at large. He was last to leave the lanes on Monday, his only real inconvenience being an eye-watering blow to the box from Josh Hull [the left-armer part of the Lions tour but roped in to replicate Mitchell Starc’s angle]. A couple of weeks ago David Warner was naturally asked about the potential for sledging during this Ashes series and, while he expected the odd flare‑up, the former opener warned against aiming any jibes at Stokes. “If we can sort of not poke that bear and get him up and about, I think that will help the Australians enormously,” Warner said. Related: Ben Stokes the thunder god primed for Ashes series that may change his Australian legacy 4.43am GMT Brian Withington is still lapping up Mitchell Starc’s opening over – and, I’d hope, his entire spell – while writing headlines for Fleet Street to consider running in the UK morning. “Starc starts series shabbily but successfully with sixth ball scrambled seam shocker!” 4.37am GMT Mixed emotions feeding through. “England, overconfident and underprepared,” Peter Morris from Brisbane says. “If the MCC has a procedure manual for touring Australia, I suspect Andrew Strauss was the last person to read it.” Alex Thomas has just woken up in Almaty, Kazakhstan and has picked up the pace of the ball immediately: “Why did England choose to bat first in this green top? Was this to negate the threat of Nathan Lyon in the fourth innings of the pitch breaks up?” 4.30am GMT Lunch: England 105-4 Well, that lived up to the hype! Mitchell Starc (three for 24) ripped through England’s top order with Zak Crawley setting the tone with a loose drive in the opening over, Ben Duckett trapped in front, and Joe Root squared up and caught off an edge for a duck. Ollie Pope (46) led the rearguard before missing an inswinger from Cameron Green and wasting a review for lbw, but with the ever-audacious Harry Brook (28no) and captain Ben Stokes (4no) still at the crease there are likely plenty of twists and turns to come. 4.24am GMT 23rd over: England 105-4 (Brook 28, Stokes 4) CRACK! Brook charges Starc again from the first ball of the over and smacks the left-armer to the rope at long-off. The shot of the day welcomes the last over before lunch. Stokes picks up a couple more with a straight drive as England move into three figures but with four wickets already down. 4.20am GMT 22nd over: England 98-4 (Brook 23, Stokes 2) Nathan Lyon replaces Cameron Green immediately after the all-rounder takes a wicket. Strange call. Ben Stokes gets off the mark with an all-too easy single with a nudge towards a vast gap at cover. Brook eases the off-spinner off his pads for a pair of singles. 4.18am GMT 21st over: England 94-4 (Brook 21, Stokes 0) Starc has already taken three wickets in six overs and the lunch break is within sight. Yet Brook charges the left-armer, steps back to give himself room and looks to uppercut the ball over point or whoknowswhere. The No 5 is fortunate to only barely be beaten by the bounce. Where is the balance between playing a natural game and simple game sense? A maiden over. 4.11am GMT Mitchell Starc returned for the start of Cameron Green’s over and is ready to take the cherry as Australia – and captain Steve Smith – go for the jugular with Ben Stokes joining Harry Brook at the crease. Another wicket before lunch would have the hosts well and truly on top. 4.09am GMT WICKET! Pope lbw b Green 46 (England 94-4) Cameron Green breaks through in his opening over – and first in a Test for more than 18 months – when trapping Ollie Pope in front. The ball swings into and across the right-hander, straightens up just enough, and crashes into the pads. Pope reluctantly reviews, there is no signs of bat on ball, and the decision goes to umpire’s call for hitting leg stump. 20th over: England 94-4 (Brook 21, Stokes 0) Updated at 4.12am GMT 4.06am GMT 19th over: England 84-3 (Pope 38, Brook 19) Nathan Lyon comes on for his first over since being left out of Australia’s last Test in the Caribbean. After a sighter for Brook, the No 5 and Pope work Lyon around the field with a single, single, two, single, single on the offside. Easy runs! 4.03am GMT 18th over: England 78-3 (Pope 36, Brook 15) Mitchell Starc has removed himself from the action after stumbling while fielding a ball in the previous over and appearing to roll his left ankle. He grabbed at his lower leg straight away. One run from the Doggett over as Brook clips a straight ball to square leg. 3.58am GMT 17th over: England 77-3 (Pope 36, Brook 14) A tighter and quieter over from Scott Boland to Harry Brook with only a no-ball added to England’s score. That’s until the last ball when Brook sets off for a quick single, Marnus Labuschagne pounces and the No 5 has to dive back into his crease. A single is added as the throw edges past the stumps but that was a close call. Updated at 4.03am GMT 3.50am GMT 16th over: England 75-3 (Pope 36, Brook 13) Doggett continues and the England pair look comfortable with the pace dropping closer to 130km/h. Four singles from the over as the Australia field begins to spread with the run-rate beyond 4.5. Updated at 3.51am GMT 3.46am GMT 15th over: England 71-3 (Pope 34, Brook 12) High risk, high reward from Harry Brook as the powerful No 5 looks to attack Scott Boland. Brook counts his blessings as an outrageous swing and a miss fails to connect with a ball outside offstump, then pulls out a classic straight drive to the rope. Updated at 3.53am GMT 3.43am GMT 14th over: England 66-3 (Pope 33, Brook 8) Doggett begins by bending Pope over with a delivery that nips off the seam and back into the right-hander. The England No 3 responds by punishing a fuller delivery with a clip off the pads past mid-on for four, and adds three more with a mis-timed square cut through point. Pope is going at a strike-rate above 75 with little effort. 3.38am GMT 13th over: England 59-3 (Pope 26, Brook 8) An Indigenous Australian bowls from each end for the first time in Tests as Scott Boland replaces Mitchell Starc. After an untidy opening spell the Victorian is back on the money from the opposite end - he has a remarkably better average bowling as first change rather than when taking the new ball. Ollie Pope takes one step forward and punches a straight drive back past the bowler for three runs. And while Starc has a breather, here is the wicket that become his third of the day and 100th in the Ashes. Mitchell Starc has claimed his 100th wicket against England! #MilestoneMoment | #Ashes | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/vItwfdCK3X— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 21, 2025 Updated at 4.01am GMT 3.33am GMT 12th over: England 56-3 (Pope 23, Brook 8) Brendan Doggett continues but without quite the same fire that accompanied his first over in international cricket. Harry Brook has quickly made his intentions clear despite England being on the ropes with three wickets down, and ends the over by dancing around the crease to give himself room and caressing a boundary through point. 3.28am GMT Thank you Jonathan. And thank you to the Ashes for an hour of high drama that more than lived up to the hype. The fine wine of fast bowling that Mitchell Starc has become ripped through England’s top order with 3 for 17 from six overs, while Australia have been reminded of the gulf in class between the members of their usual “Big Three” and the next tier. But Brendan Doggett sent down a lively first over, and with drinks now consumed, takes the ball again. 3.23am GMT 11th over: England 50-3 (Pope 22, Brook 3) Lol. Harry Brook’s second delivery: skipping down the pitch and out to the legside to give himself room to slash a mistimed drive for three through the covers… against the triple-wicket rockets of Mitchell Starc… with England 43-3. Starc is wider to Pope, who is in turn more circumspect, until the line is straight enough to uppercut over the slips for four. England delivering on all metrics so far. And that’s drinks. Time for me to hand the reins back to Martin Pegan. Thank you for your company, I’ll see you again during the series. Updated at 3.36am GMT 3.17am GMT 10th over: England 43-3 (Pope 18, Brook 0) Excellent start from Doggett, finding a line and length from the outset, getting a hint of movement in off the pitch, drawing Pope off his length and testing the inside edge. One wayward delivery clips the pads on its way to the fine-leg fence, but that’s a promising start nonetheless. 3.14am GMT First bowling change of the series with debutant Doggett replacing the ineffective Boland… and his opening delivery is almost a wicket! Right-arm over to Pope, perfect line and length, drawing the batter forward, ducking inside the gate and grazing the bails as it hurries through to Carey. 3.12am GMT 9th over: England 39-3 (Pope 18, Brook 0) No Cummins, no Hazlewood, no problem. Mitchell Starc: five overs 3/10. 3.11am GMT Apologies England fans staying up, or just waking up, this is the nightmare scenario. Updated at 3.30am GMT 3.11am GMT WICKET! Root c Labuschagne b Starc 0 (England 39-3) Starc is too wide to Root for a few deliveries before the Yorkshireman tries his trademark backfoot punch, but the ball gets big on him and it all becomes a bit ungainly. Then Starc finds another beauty out of nowhere to land on middle, on a good length, draw the shot, and induce a leading edge that carries at speed to Labuschagne at third slip. Joe Root goes for a duck! Updated at 3.16am GMT 3.08am GMT “As ever my coping mechanism for dealing with Crawley is to get on Statsguru,” emails Ian Truman. “His batting average is now officially closer to that of Ashley Giles than it is of his opening partner. If that’s an unfair standard, then he’s also closer to James Tredwell than he is to Andrew Strauss. Anyway, I’m not sure my coping strategy is working.” “The primary quality in an opener is to get stuck in and weather the storm, run the “pitch count” up, expose a few vulnerabilities, and make the statement: “Bring it on mate, we’re ready”. Zak Crawley will never ever be a quality opener. He’s the wrong guy.” Ben Barclay there with a not uncommon opinion. 3.06am GMT 8th over: England 39-2 (Pope 18, Root 0) Boland has not settled with the new ball, struggling for line and especially length. Again he’s too full and Pope – batting out of his crease and inching forward with his trigger movement – is onto in a flash, driving through mid-off for four. “How predictable. Sir Geoffrey is right about Crawley,” emails Peter Metcalfe. “He should not be a Test opener. Apart from being a technically terrible shot, it is just so arrogant and entitled. And massive pressure on the rest of the side.” 3.04am GMT No… but that was close! Full and straight from Boland, met with a firm push from Pope back down the ground. The big Victorian got a fingertip to the shot to deflect it onto the non-striker’s stumps. Root was alert enough to turn and jab his bat down before the bails came off. Yowza! 3.03am GMT Has Root been run-out backing up? 3.02am GMT Half-an-hour gone, time for some brief reflection. The pitch: no demons, true bounce. The ball: doing nothing laterally. The bowlers: aside from Starc’s first over, wayward, struggling to find that very precise length. The batters: as expected, playing their shots, without always looking assured. 3.02am GMT 7th over: England 33-2 (Pope 12, Root 0) In comes Joe Root, the key protagonist in the series? And after an easy leave he flashes and misses a Starc stock ball angling across him. Replays of the wicket ball show a skerrick of in-swing that turned a half-volley on Duckett’s pads into a wicked delivery. Classic Mitchell Starc. Without Cummins and Hazlewood he was required to step up as the leader of the attack and that’s exactly what he’s done. 2.59am GMT WICKET! Duckett LBW Starc 21 (England 33-2) Pope works a two then a single without much fuss, which brings Duckett on strike. Starc then pulls a classic full, straight, missile, out of nowhere to thunder the new ball into the England opener’s pads bang in front. Very very plumb. Unless there’s an inside edge? Duckett reviews, on the off-chance, but no dice. Starc has two, and years of Bazball preparation is being unstitched in Perth. Updated at 3.06am GMT 2.53am GMT 6th over: England 30-1 (Duckett 21, Pope 9) England are not going to die wondering. Not for the first time today Pope throws his hands at a delivery outside off stump without finding the middle of the bat for a couple. To be fair, it was a bad delivery from Boland that warranted attacking, but the spectacle did not reveal a batter in complete control of his game. Two deliveries later another drive on the up earns a further single, but it excites Ricky Ponting on commentary for being the nick-shot on this kind of surface. Boland has not settled into that nick-length consistently yet, struggling with the right-left combination and he is punched down the ground for the most handsome boundary of the innings so far when he overpitches once again to the confident Duckett. The bowler almost exacts his revenge by dragging his length back and inducing a cramped cut shot that almost feathers an edge. 2.48am GMT 5th over: England 23-1 (Duckett 17, Pope 6) Now it’s Pope’s turn to get to the pitch of the ball and hit through the line. He only earns three from it, but it’s a nice drive through the covers to a Starc delivery angling across him. Starc responds by wobbling a beauty past Duckett’s outside edge with the opener trapped on the crease. But that line doesn’t persist as the bowler searches for swing, only to leak onto Duckett’s pads and be tickled fine for four more as the scoreboard continues to tick over. Duckett then upbraids himself for missing out on a short and wide delivery that was begging to be cut. He connects firmly with the final delivery but his muscular drive is straight to wide mid-off. “What the Eff was Zak playing at with that shot?” asks Outolokowsji. “After so long a build up, and he wafts at a bit of eighth stump filth. As an avowed follower of Kent, all I can say, after the months and months of overblown hype is: Zak, what the eff!? Head in hands.” Updated at 3.15am GMT 2.43am GMT 4th over: England 16-1 (Duckett 13, Pope 3) Duckett backs up that punchy boundary with a similar shot for two through the off side. It’s an indication of how full Boland is bowling, searching for the rash drive that elicits an outside edge. After 11 deliveries bowling around the wicket, angling into the England left-hander, Boland moves over, and is immediately clubbed through mid-off for a second boundary of the over. Overpitched and dispatched in customary fashion. Risk-reward cricket from both teams. Updated at 2.54am GMT 2.40am GMT The first boundary of the Ashes arrives off the 19th delivery. A fraction too full from Boland and Duckett is into position early to execute a compact straight drive that gives mid-on no chance. 2.39am GMT 3rd over: England 6-1 (Duckett 3, Pope 3) Following the change of spikes Starc loses his line and ends up too straight or legside to Pope, then overcorrects harmlessly outside off. This waywardness helps identify the absence of any swing for Starc, which England’s top order must be pleased about. Mike Elcock is watching from Canada. “Cousin of the (very) late Alf Gover & captain of the Edinburgh Academy team that put on 225 for the first wicket in York (of all places) against Bootham School. My pal Nick is watching this in Paris. Jerry who got 157 of that score is watching in England. Here am I on the far west coast of Canada (Victoria, Vancouver Island) waiting for the bloody game to start. If it’s not on soon I’ll have to watch the Vancouver Canucks vs Dallas in tonight’s ice hockey game. Nonetheless, despite Aussie missing Hazelwood & Cummins, I’m for the underdog . . . England!” 2.35am GMT “Sitting here at home in the Perth hills, I have a really bad feeling about this,” emails Richard Pearce. “Is it just because I am, by nature a pessimistic POM? Is it because I have had so many years of disappointment that it is intrinsically ingrained in my psyche? Or is it because we are actually overconfident and under prepared? As a nation England seems to have collective amnesia when it comes to touring Australia. In general, we get obliterated on the rocks of Aussie cricket, I don’t see this being any different to be honest. Ah well, off to watch the first ball with hope in my heart and trepidation in my brain.” 2.34am GMT 2.2 over: England 6-1 (Duckett 3, Pope 3) Yikes! Pope gets lucky with a cue end cut shot that he’s onto late, sending the ball on the bounce to Smith at second slip. That looked very ugly. Then there’s a slight delay as Starc changes his spikes. 2.32am GMT 2nd over: England 6-1 (Duckett 3, Pope 3) Replays do no favours to Zak Crawley’s dismissal. No footwork, trying to drive on the up through the covers to a length delivery with a new ball on a Perth pitch. All the planning, all the backing-in, all the positive vibes, and then that. Meanwhile, after his initial escape, Duckett nudges a single to get England moving, then Pope gets a thickish outside edge to run three. Boland never backs up his excellent start and ends up leaking a couple more runs on Duckett’s pads to end the over. 2.28am GMT Boland’s first delivery to Ben Duckett is a jaffa! From around the wicket it angles in, pitches just outside off stump and seams away, beating the edge. 2.27am GMT Scott Boland, not Brendan Doggett, will share the new ball. 2.27am GMT That was exactly what England fans feared might happen. And exactly what Mitchell Starc was born to do. 2.26am GMT WICKET! Crawley c Khawaja b Starc o (England 0-1) Tempting line and length from Starc from the off, bowling his left-arm missiles from over the wicket to the right-handed Crawley. The English opener got forward comfortably to the first, left the second with aplomb… then aimed a massive windy whoosh to the third that gets nowhere near connecting and beats the outside edge. Sensibly, Crawley goes back to leaving the fourth delivery on length. Starc, pushing the ball fuller, is then met with a compact drive but it’s straight to mid-off. The bowler persists, the batter can’t rein himself in twice in a row and slashes an ugly flat-footed drive to first slip where Khawaja clings on at the second attempt, tumbling backwards, and Australia are in dreamland! 1st over: England 0-1 (Duckett 0, Pope 0) Updated at 2.54am GMT 2.22am GMT The first ball of the Ashes… is a length delivery from Starc met with a solid forward defensive into the covers by Crawley. 2.20am GMT The tall right-handed Zak Crawley whirls his arms over as the diminutive left-handed Ben Duckett scoots sideways across the boundary rope and into the middle. Opening over specialist Mitchell Starc is marking out his run. If you’re not excited now, I fear you never will be. 2.18am GMT This is not a drill. The 2025-26 Ashes is about to get under way. Related: The Spin | Why the first ball of the Ashes is both an end and a beginning 2.17am GMT Plenty of travelling English fans in the crowd lend their voices to God Save the King. Far more locals harmonise Advance Australia Fair. 2.14am GMT Umpires today are Adrian Holdstock (South Africa) and Nitin Menon (India). Sharfuddoula (Bangladesh) is the TV umpire. Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka) is the match refree. 2.13am GMT Alastair Cook and Justin Langer walk to deep mid-off and place the Ashes crystal vase onto a plinth before the two sets of players are invited to line up for the national anthems. 2.11am GMT “Of course, I don’t know them personally,” emails Gary Naylor, “but the Australian Men’s Cricket Team (certainly in the excellent The Test Season 2) come across as a mix of pleasant young men laced with a little eccentricity, working together under Patrician Pat. Scott Boland appears to be such a nice guy that I almost want him to succeed tonight - though ‘almost’ is doing a bit of heavy lifting there. England, a feeling underlined by Ben and Baz interviews on BBC radio today, seem stocked with outwardly polite gentlemen who hide a fist of steel in the velvet glove of their soft voices and media training homilies. Would Lillee and Thommo feel more at home in the England sheds these days? And does it even matter?” Based on my personal interactions with Thommo, the answer is, and will forever be, categorically no. 2.10am GMT The teams are making their way out to the perimeter of the oval ready to enter the field of play for the pre-match formalities. 2.09am GMT Welcome to Andrew Bartlett in Brooklyn, DJ Melhuish in the Philippines, and Scotty from the Midlands, who has my commiserations after just being sacked. “Long boring story and completely unjustified but hoping the cricket will cheer me up. Looking forwards to pretending to job hunt for the next ten weeks.” 2.06am GMT 15 minutes to go… 2.04am GMT Speaking of Mitchell Starc, he is taking a lowkey approach to the start of the Ashes while speaking with Fox Sports, almost like he’s been here before, though he is excited to see Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett making their Test debuts. “It’s another game. I actually said this not long ago to Alyssa [Healy], a few months ago I was playing a test match in the West Indies, I didn’t have a single message. This week I’ve had about 55, so what’s the difference? It’s the same sort of game.“The circus, as you can see, there’s a lot of people on the ground. It’s great that Test cricket’s been the talk of the town for six months and it will be for the next eight or so weeks as well. “[Weatherald and Doggett] are two guys that have played a fair amount of domestic cricket. I haven’t seen a lot of Jakey or had a lot of time around him, but Brendan I saw many years ago on an Australian tour, so I’m really excited to see him get his chance. They’ve both plied their trade in domestic cricket for a while now, done really well, deserve their chance and hopefully it’s a fantastic week for them.” 2.03am GMT Just a note about the two sides that I don’t feel has been spoken about much this week: England’s tail now looks considerably stronger than Australia’s. Nathan Lyon lining up at No 9 is not a great indication of the technique of Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett behind him, while Mitchell Starc at No 8 only has one Test 50 since 2019. Gus Atkinson (8) and Brydon Carse (9), by comparison, have both shown themselves to be handy lower order batters while both Archer and Wood are capable of nuisance value at the death. 1.59am GMT Australia XI Australia go in as expected, bookended by debutants Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett. Cameron Green has a crucial role to play as the allrounder while Steven Smith has the burden of captaincy to accompany his status as his country’s standout batter. “I would have had a bat as well,” Smith said at the toss. “Hopefully it seams all over the place this morning now. I think the cracks will come into play. They seem to every year.” Australia 1 Jake Weatherald, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Lyon, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Brendan Doggett 1.54am GMT England XI As expected, Shoaib Bashir misses out and England go with a five-man pace attack. That means Jofra Archer and Mark Wood in tandem, and no frontline spinner for the fourth innings. Ben Stokes is confident both pacemen are fit enough to lead the attack. Woody obviously had a bit of time out with the injury, but he got over that, worked incredibly hard over a very long period of time. He’s absolutely raring to go out here. As are Jofra and the rest of the boys this week. England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Jofra Archer Updated at 1.56am GMT 1.51am GMT England win the toss and will bat Ben Stokes called correctly and the tourists will get first use of the Perth pitch. 1.50am GMT Time for the toss… 1.49am GMT Peter MacIver is from the Victorian town of Bendigo (birthplace of Don Blackie, who played three Tests as an off-spinner in the summer of 1928–29, debuting at 46 years 253 days of age - the oldest debutant in Australian Test cricket). “I might have been imagining it, but sure I saw a mention of Jonny Bairstow and his stumping early on in one of your posts. Thought it worth mentioning that something very similar happened in the 1882 game which created the legend of The Ashes. Sammy Jones thinking the ball was dead wandered out of his crease to do a bit of gardening. W G Grace who was holding the ball walked to the stumps and knocked the bails off. Bad sportsmanship and rightly condemned, but Jones was out according to the rules just as Bairstow was in modern times. Hoping for an exciting series. I reckon Australia 3 to 1.” 1.45am GMT Thank you all for your correspondence: Martin in Illinois, Julian in Sweden, and Neil, tuning in from Sanirajak, Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic! 1.43am GMT Australia have just completed their new cap presentation ceremony. David Warner handed Jake Weatherald his baggy green, and very poignantly, Jason Gillespie and Scott Boland were on hand to introduce Brendan Doggett to a very exclusive club. Related: Scott Boland seeks to inspire next generation as Indigenous history beckons in Ashes opener 1.41am GMT The excellent Trent Copeland is doing some TV work beside the Perth pitch. He’s commented on the healthy covering of grass and greenish tinge. There’s definitely going to be something in it early for the new ball bowlers and it does not look like it’s going to break up like WACA wickets of old – especially with the weather forecast set mild for the weekend. 1.38am GMT For the next couple of hours please direct your correspondence to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com. Alfie Sparrow has already dropped me a line. “I was born in London but moved to Australia at three months old, where despite my dad’s love of cricket, I never caught the bug. Moving back to the UK in 2017, I finally fell in love with cricket in the 2019 Summer with Ben Stokes’ heroic displays. That was the summer that I was awaiting my A-Level results and I was lucky enough to end up at my dream uni. Roll on the 2021/22 Ashes, I was at Durham University. I was up for the first ball seeing Burns dismissed and albeit it being an awful result by the end of the series, I was able to introduce so many people to test cricket. My best friend - Robbie - and I had promised each other when I was 15 and he was 17 that we’d be each other’s best men at our weddings. That ended up happening with him asking me to be his best man shortly before the 2023 ashes. The stag we went on consisted of watching the 4th test at headingley. He got married in august of 2023 and being his best man was and still is the greatest privilege of my life. I’m now residing in London, loving the job I’m working, living with three really close mates, and not living far away from Robbie, who’s coming round mine for the second session to watch together. There’s no way to describe the way test cricket - the ashes in particular - has shaped my life; it’s ineffable. I’m sure I’ll create some more unforgettable memories this ashes, and I hope you all do too.” 1.35am GMT Team news is imminent but there’s a strong rumour England are going with an all-pace attack. 1.35am GMT Thank you very much Martin. What a treat this is. The first day of the Ashes, and perhaps even more crucially, the end of all the pre-series guff that makes me despair about our industry. As I type, Channel 7 is showcasing random podcast excerpts from lord only knows where, designed to make this series seem like some kind of WWF rage in the cage. Do better everyone. 1.32am GMT Thanks for following along so far. Jonathan Howcroft will take us through the rest of the build up, into the toss and team news, and across the first hour of play. An ideal time for me to present my case one last time on why Australia will win the Ashes. Related: Why Australia will win v why England can win: two Guardian cricket writers make their Ashes cases 1.25am GMT This the first men’s Ashes Test in Perth since 2017-18 – when Australia comfortably won by an innings at the Waca – and England’s red-ball debut at Perth Stadium. Australia won the first four Tests at the new Perth venue before being defeated by India this time last year. Curiously, especially with the toss not too far away, all five men’s Tests played at Perth Stadium have been won by the team batting first. Brendan Foster has a wonderful tale about the first time he saw Australia play England in a Test at Perth. The crowd started hooting and jeering, a grim blend of unrest and hostility, convinced that their beloved, heroic fast bowler was part of some daring, honourable deed. I was genuinely terrified and desperate to escape. Suddenly, every member of the moustached-clad, marauding mob behind me looked like villain Lee Van Cleef in the Italian epic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Luckily, the early morning revellers’ rage hadn’t yet been fuelled by lukewarm Swan Lager. Had the incident occurred later in the afternoon, it might have been a different story. Related: Memories of a first England Test in Perth: a terry towelling hat and Lillee’s aluminium bat | Brendan Foster 1.13am GMT The entries are piling up for the coveted Most Exotic Ashes Viewing Platform award, with Chris Fagg also watching in Bermuda: “I don’t know Seth Levine, but he should have been drinking Dark & Stormys, in this cricket-loving island. Unforgivable. Looking forward to this series almost as much as our beloved annual Cup Match game.” Sam Kelly throws a hat in the ring from “somewhere off the coast of Guyana”. Sam is suffering from a heavy dose of the familiar pre-game feels: “working opposite shifts with an Aussie, and really hope that he’s not going to come down at the start of his shift, half an hour before the lunch break, with the series already feeling dead.” Paul Moody has quickly recovered from a momentary lapse in his loyalties to place a special request: “I’m a former pom, still am, living in Brazil, but am wanting England to start well at least / most, and the game to be played in good spirit, with dramas natural. Any radio links appreciated.” On a similar theme over listening devices, Sam is following along from Vancouver: “I feel like these Ashes have snuck up on me a bit. Excited to get home and put on Willow, our streaming service for the cricket out here in Canada. In the meantime, is the TMS overseas link still a thing and available to share?” 1.03am GMT Geoff Lemon will be following the Ashes for Guardian Australia, while Ali Martin and Simon Burnton are visiting from England to join the press pack in Perth and further into the series. To help us warm up, Geoff looks at whether age might now be more than just a number for Australia as injuries mount up and the ever-present cliff edges a year closer. For two or three years there has been mounting fascination with the age of this team and especially the bowling attack. It is unusual to have almost every player near a Test side being over 30, aside from novelty-sized mascot Cameron Green and custody-weekend visitor Sam Konstas. But it didn’t logically follow that greater age was a problem: a Test team boasting a four-man attack with 1,568 wickets between them is hardly a disadvantage, and it stands to reason that all of those bowlers are deep into their careers. Related: Australia enter Ashes series with transition abruptly forced upon an ageing squad | Geoff Lemon 12.53am GMT Apologies to all the Seths out there, but one of my great Ashes memories, if you’ll allow me to indulge, is finishing my own milestone birthday dinner early and cramming my visiting father and approximately 20 friends into our typically tiny loungeroom in Streatham Hill, London to watch the first ball of … the 2006-07 Ashes. Roll the tape … 12.46am GMT Seth Levine seems to be bearing the scars of Ashes past with a heavy dose of “Bah Humbug” (Seth’s words) thrown on the idea of a Happy Ashes Day. We have a new contender for the prestigious Most Exotic Ashes Viewing Platform award though. “I was in the festive spirit, looking forward to a reasonably civilised 22.20 start here in Bermuda. Until my formerly good friend Jake sent me the following message, to recall this moment 4 years ago, when we were watching together at a late hour: ‘Old Fashioneds, hubris and Rory Burns being skittled first ball’ was his painful but wholly accurate summary.” 12.43am GMT The all-too predictable pre-Ashes banter turned personal as former England spinner Monty Panesar went to relatively tame and tiresome lengths to inject himself into the conversation – and just like a medium-paced half-tracker drifting on to his pads, Steve Smith could not help but take the bait. The back n’ forth unfortunately overshadowed the confirmation that Jake Weatherald would debut at the top of the order for Australia, and that Brendan Doggett would become just the third Indigenous cricketer to play in the men’s Test team. Related: ‘I made mistakes on TV, he made his on a field’: Panesar strikes back at Smith’s Mastermind jibe 12.35am GMT Day one at Perth Stadium is sold out with limited tickets available for day two and the rest of the first Test. Dave Laybourne appears to be one of the lucky few thousand who have travelled from the Old Dart to join the fun and festivities. “Day one of the first Test, in Perth and it’s my brother’s 50th birthday. Had to come out for it really. He lives here and tells me that his usually incredibly friendly work colleagues have definitely turned a bit chippier this week. They’re confident the Aussies will prevail but then again, they’re confident that Australia will win at pretty much everything, everytime. Guess we’ll see!” 12.29am GMT T-minus two hours! More than enough time to reflect on cricket being an individual game played within a team environment. And to ponder the head-to-head battles that add spice to any Ashes contest and could define this series. To Bradman v Larwood, McGrath v Atherton, Broad v Warner, and, urgh, Warne v Waugh, let us add the following: Travis Head v Harry Brook Pat Cummins v Joe Root Jofra Archer v Usman Khawaja England v five-match Test series Related: Ashes 2025-26: key battles that could decide the urn’s next destination 12.16am GMT ‪Phil Dean‬ is on Bluesky dropping truth bombs. “Interesting that Gus Atkinson seems to have gone under the radar. England’s best bowler for the last two years, 63 test wickets at 22. Reckon he’s gonna surprise a few Aussies.” FWIW, I’m with you, Phil. For all the hype around Archer and Wood, their fragility remains a huge concern and I expect Atkinson to have as big, if not bigger, say across the five Tests. And Jamie Smith is another who is surely creeping up on us. 12.08am GMT To help keep the mind limber, especially for those ticking over into the AM in the UK, it feels like a good time to test your cricket knowledge, vocabulary and jargon with a quick quiz on the positions in the field. Not sure if I proved, or otherwise, my OBO credentials with a score of 14/15. Related: Silly point or square leg: how well do you know your way around a cricket field? 12.00am GMT Another Ben, this time Mimmack, wins the early nod for the most exotic place – and the ideal timezone – to be following along from, as he wishes us all “Happy Ashes Day!”. Right backatcha, Ben. “There are many good things about living in Texas (yes, really) but right now, the best must be that the first ball will be bowled at 8.10pm and I can conceivably watch the whole first day and still get a few hours sleep. My boys have been promised they can stay up late to watch the first few overs. These are the good times before all the optimism gets crushed. Happy days.” 11.57pm GMT Ben H from Worcestershire is the first to get in touch and I suspect, for the most part, he’s saying what we’re all thinking. I can assure you, Ben, that the excitement levels are similarly off the scale here in Sydney … “I’m so excited, staying up determined to watch the first hour until I fall asleep on the sofa and wake up to the blur of the Australian habit of presenting the score the wrong way around. However, I can’t help but feel that this is not only the Ashes, and everything it brings, but also the culmination and final baddie test of Bazball. They’ve been deliberately building to this series for 3.5 years, while Australia have had the WTC and India at home. I really don’t want to think about what it might mean for the experiment if we lose the series. Come on England!” 11.51pm GMT The current cricketers have done well to keep quiet and give past players and the punditariat plenty of room to have their say – and, oh my, haven’t they filled it. The Guardian has been no exception, and we’ll get to much, much more of that soon, but to kick off here are nine writers’ thoughts and predictions on everything from the series winner and score, to the most memorable moment and the biggest flop. We also asked what the keen observers are most looking forward to – which is where you, dear reader, can also jump in … Related: Ashes 2025-26: Guardian writers’ predictions for the series 11.40pm GMT Weather check: A typical day is forecast in Perth with a relatively cool morning – it is 20C at 7.30am AWST – and mostly sunny conditions expected on the way to a high of 28C. The wind will pick up in the afternoon. Though England players and onsite fans might be surprised to learn that the famed Fremantle Doctor – the sea breeze that rolls across the city most afternoons – has limited impact at Perth Stadium. A petition for a plaque at the Waca commemorating the best of the game’s swing bowlers starts here. 11.23pm GMT Preamble Good morning, Australia. Good evening, England. Hello to everyone checking in from other parts of the globe. Because, finally, it is time to end the jibes and banter and contentious countdowns. To put the squad analysis and injury news and tasty press conference nuggets to one side. To give the rewritten histories space to evolve and fresh origin stories room to grow. To put the pre-series speculation out of sight and the bold predictions out of mind. For the phoney war has been declared a nil-all draw. The build up is all but done. And after 844 days without the oldest rivals in the game flinging a red sphere at each other across 22 yards, we have reached day one of the first Test of the 2025-26 Ashes. Seven weeks of storylines that are yet to be written. Countless controversies that are yet to be dissected and debated. New heroes and villains that are yet to be created, celebrated and, quite possibly, farewelled. It will begin, where it hasn’t already, when the first ball is bowled at 10.20am in Perth / 1.20pm AEDT / 2.20am GMT. For all the talk there has been leading into this eagerly anticipated series – and there could hardly have been any more – there has been next to none about how the Ashes might save Test cricket. The longest form of the game is well and truly alive and kicking. Yet the Ashes always breathes fresh life into the game, at least across the four-year cycle when it is played in England and the two teams meet on more even terms. That is usually far from the case when the arch-rivals meet in Australia, where the hosts are undefeated across three series and have won 13 of the past 15 Tests. But, dare we say, this time it could be different. An emboldened England with an express-pace attack that complements their aggressive batting and general approach to the game faces its greatest test – and opportunity – of the Stokes-McCullum era as they come up against a weakened Australia. It is, after all, “the biggest series of all of our lives”, at least according to England head coach Brendon McCullum. Fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will, presumably, play in the same Test team for just the second time. Harry Brook can show just why we should believe the hype. Joe Root might, finally, cement his legacy as one of the greats of modern batting. And Ben Stokes can confirm his place as not just an all-rounder – but also a leader – for the ages, by becoming just the second captain to lead England to an Ashes series victory in Australia in almost four decades. For Australia, the stakes feel as high as they always do for an Ashes series, if not necessarily life changing. The expectation is for the hosts to deliver more of the same. For a side that has found success in all formats through knowing when to play slow and steady, and when to turn the screw, to again prosper on home soil. The absence of captain Pat Cummins would be a blow to any team, for his leadership as much as his ability to change a game with the ball and occasionally with the bat. Josh Hazlewood’s injury is another huge hit that will take away Australia’s greatest strength – their bowling attack – and test their depth. A pair of debutants in Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett give the side a fresh look, but it is the familiar faces – Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, and stand-in skipper Steve Smith – who are more likely to determine whether or not Australia retain the urn. With a few hours still to go before the toss and confirmed teams, we have more than enough time to hear and share your thoughts and predictions – drop me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. And we’ll delve deep into the Guardian archives to remember what our writers and the key Ashes protagonists – the actual cricketers – have had to say in the recent days and weeks leading into what feels like Cricketmas morning. Yes, it is now no more sleeps – happy Ashes day one to all those who celebrate.