Thursday 1 August 2019 19:34, UK
Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes shared seven wickets as England dominated the opening two sessions of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Australia limping to 154-8 at tea.
Having removed David Warner and Cameron Bancroft in a superb opening spell, Broad dismissed Australia skipper Tim Paine and James Pattinson after lunch while Woakes accounted for Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Matthew Wade.
Steve Smith (66no) provided the only sustained resistance and shared a stand of 64 for the fourth wicket with Head as the tourists initially recovered from 35-3 but once the latter departed, Australia capitulated to 122-8 before Peter Siddle (7no) joined the former captain and helped restrict the damage.
Australia had earlier won the toss in front of a full house in Birmingham and Paine opted to bat but they were soon in trouble and were fortunate not to lose Warner before a run had been scored.
Jimmy Anderson - who has since left the field and gone for a scan after feeling tightness in his calf - bowled a maiden to Bancroft before Broad started with a down the legside to Warner, who tried to flick it away. There was a noise as the ball passed the bat but England's appeal was turned down and after a short discussion they chose not to review. There was a smirk from Warner and UltraEdge showed why, there was a faint edge.
Three balls later after losing a review for contesting a 'not out' lbw decision against the left-hander, Broad got his man with a fuller delivery that appeared to hit Warner plumb in front. The Australia opener clearly thought so as well and walked off without reviewing and he was no doubt as surprised as anyone when DRS indicated the ball would have missed leg stump.
The crowd gleefully waved Warner back to the dressing room and Bancroft received the same send-off as he departed having nicked Broad to first slip, where Root held on to a low catch.
Smith was booed to the crease as he walked out with the task of rebuilding for Australia but another review, successful this time, cost him his partner. Khawaja on his way having feathered one through to Bairstow off Woakes. England were convinced and quickly went upstairs after their initial appeal was rejected.
Smith and Head recovered the situation somewhat with a useful partnership either side of lunch but just as it appeared the pair were leading their side out of trouble, Woakes struck. It took another review but ball-tracking confirmed the ball would have thumped in middle-and-off had Head's pad not got in the way.
It was much the same story for Wade, rapped on the pad by Woakes, not out on the field but on his way after another England review.
The Aussie captain came in hoping to steady the ship but proceeded only to push an already rocking boat that bit closer to capsizing as he pulled a bumper straight to Rory Burns at deep backward square to hand a disbelieving Broad his third wicket.
He didn't have to wait long for his fourth as two balls later he arrowed the ball into Pattinson's pad. The umpire's finger went up and there was no thought of a review, although the ball was shown to have been missing leg.
Ben Stokes got in on the act when he trapped Pat Cummins lbw with a big in-swinger to which the Australia No 9 offered no shot.
After Siddle successfully overturned an lbw decision against him, the fourth on-field call reversed inside two sessions, Smith reached his half-century from 119 balls and the pair gritted it out until tea.
Watch continued live coverage of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Sky Sports The Ashes.
