Harry Brook smashes 11 boundaries and two sixes in 91-ball 85; England bowled out for 283 despite Australia dropping five catches; tourists close on 61-1, trailing by 222 runs; watch day two live on Sky Sports Cricket on Friday from 10.15am (first ball at 11am)
Friday 28 July 2023 17:15, UK
England were bowled out for 283 on another eventful day of Ashes cricket, with Australia closing day one of the fifth Test at The Kia Oval on 61-1 in reply.
The Ashes already retained but eyeing a first series win in England since 2001, Australia's decision to bowl first in helpful overhead conditions was fully justified as Pat Cummins' side dismissed their hosts shortly after tea, but they were also uncharacteristically wasteful and sloppy at times in the field.
Australia dropped as many as five catches, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey's error in putting down Harry Brook on five the easiest and most glaring of the missed opportunities as the England batter would go on to belt 85 from 91 deliveries.
Brook's sizzling century stand for the fourth wicket with Moeen Ali (34) across the lunch interval was a real highlight of the day but two sizable batting collapses by England either side of the partnership derailed the innings.
After cracking fifty inside the opening 10 overs of the morning, Ben Duckett (41) and Zak Crawley (22) fell within four balls of each other, while Joe Root (5) departed cheaply, chopping on onto his stumps from Josh Hazlewood (2-54).
The wicket of Moeen, meanwhile, was the first of four to fall for 28 runs as England slipped to 212-7 in the early afternoon before a couple of aggressive cameos from Chris Woakes (36) and Mark Wood (28) added some gloss to the score.
Chasing victory to draw the series and with the prospect of rain later in the Test, the early end to England's innings could possibly have played into their hands, with conditions still very favourable for bowling on a green pitch and under the floodlights, but they picked up only the wicket of David Warner (24) - well caught at second slip by Crawley off Woakes (1-8) - by stumps.
Despite putting England in after Cummins won his first toss of the series, his seam attack were poor to start the morning, allowing Duckett and fourth Test-centurion Crawley to quickly get their eye in.
Both still offered up early opportunities, with Duckett dropped on 30 by Warner, who seemed to struggle to pick up the ball in the early-morning gloom as it burst through his hands at slip. Crawley, meanwhile, earned a reprieve on 11 as Steve Smith couldn't cling on to a terrific one-handed effort diving to his right at second slip.
The pair wouldn't make the most of the added lives, with Duckett the first to depart for a run-a-ball 41 when, after not being given out on field, DRS showed him to have gloved a Mitchell Marsh (1-43) delivery behind.
Crawley then perished in the next over to Cummins (1-66), with Smith this time snaffling up a simple chance off a leading edge from the opener.
Brook joined Moeen out in the middle after Root quickly came and went and he too looked edgy to start his innings, twice fortunate to find a gap in the slips in addition to the early dropped chance by Carey.
It prompted a change in approach from the Yorkshireman as he looked to hit his way into form, and he succeeded in doing so by smashing seven boundaries and two sixes in the run-up to the lunch interval, moving to within two runs of his half century off just 41 balls.
His fifty was swiftly brought up in the second over back after the break, albeit a direct hit from Cummins would have seen him run out not long after when attempting to scamper through for a quick single.
Greater concern for England, however, arrived in the form of a groin injury picked up by Moeen after another sharply-taken single between the pair.
With his movement restricted, Moeen took on the role of the aggressor in the partnership, heaving the first of two sixes away off Cummins as 19 runs were plundered from one over and the century stand duly followed off just 102 balls.
But Moeen would play no further part in the day's play after being bowled by Todd Murphy (2-22) - the Australian off-spinner back in the side in place of all-rounder Cameron Green - and it's not yet known how much, if at all, he can play of the remainder of the Test.
Ben Stokes (3) was next to fall after a circumspect 16-ball knock, bowled by a beauty from Mitchell Starc (4-82), as the ball began to do more than at any other point in the day.
Jonny Bairstow (4) was also cleaned up by Hazlewood, dragging onto his stumps, while Brook's knock was then ended as he edged a flashed drive to Smith at second slip who took a strong catch wide to his right.
It brought Woakes and Wood together in the middle and prompted a sudden burst of boundaries by the dynamic duo leading into tea as England nudged up to 250.
Australia put down two further chances after the break - Woakes dropped in the slips by Marsh on 19 and by Murphy off his own bowling on 25 - before his fun was ultimately ended, as well as the England innings, when holing out to deep backward square.
The first ball of Australia's first innings brought with it a huge lbw shout from Stuart Broad against Usman Khawaja which was ultimately sliding down leg, while the England quick was convinced he had Warner for an 18th time in Tests in the seventh over, but his 'nick' behind proved to be just a deflection off his forearm on review.
Warner did depart late in the day, but to Woakes, as England earned some reward for their probing efforts with the ball, but Khawaja (26no) and Marnus Labuschagne (2no) stubbornly dug in through to the close without further loss.
England's Harry Brook, who top-scored with 85:
"I think we have had a good day in the end. We were speaking about 250 being a good score about lunchtime so to end up getting 280, we are pretty happy.
"Australia are so persistent in their lengths, especially Pat Cummins. When he gets a bit off the pitch, he is very tough to face. I felt like I got battered on the inner thigh pad all day!
"The way we're playing, we're always going to try to take them off their lengths. It's challenging but those are the little risks you have to take I guess.
"We've been so chilled over the past 12 months, why change it now for the last Test of the summer? There's no point."
Sky Sports Cricket's Nasser Hussain:
"It could have been a lot better, but could also have been a lot worse [for England].
"If Australia had taken their catches, England could have been rolled over for 200. Brook was dropped on five and went on to get 85.
"Cummins was brilliant today as captain and as a bowler. Your stats sometime don't show your impact on a game; he's only got one wicket but when he came on it looked a completely different pitch.
"Moeen Ali's injury was a big turning point. He might have been able to swing hard for five overs, but maybe he should have gone off and tried to get a bit of treatment as they lost three quick wickets after he got out.
"It's a concern looking further ahead in the game as we all think this pitch is going to spin. And second time round who bats at three for England? They don't want to move Harry Brook up the order, so maybe Joe Root or Ben Stokes has to."
Watch day two of the fifth Ashes Test live on Sky Sports Cricket on Friday. Build-up starts at 10.15am with the first ball at 11am. Stream The Ashes and more with NOW.
