The Ashes: First Test, Day One
With the counting down finally done with, the 2015 Ashes series got under way at the SWALEC ground, Cardiff and after a few suspect showers around in the morning, the ground staff managed to clear the playing area and proceedings got under way at 11:15, after anthems and other necessities had taken place.
Alastair Cook of England won the toss and elected to bat. Although there was cloud coverage and spots of rain, Cook was looking down at the pitch when he made his call, saying the pitch looked dry and flat, with the chance of doing something later in the match.
The choice to bat first looked a strange one when Adam Lyth was walking back to the pavilion in the second over, having mistimed a Josh Hazelwood delivery straight to David Warner at gully. Ballance and Cook then prodded onwards facing last series chief-in-tormentor, Mitchell Johnson, who was causing problems early on with his pace, especially with Ballance. The pair managed to contain the threat of Johnson up until drinks, only for Cook to take a cut at a Nathan Lyon off-break, edging behind to Brad Haddin who took a smart catch behind the stumps. Things then got worse for England as shades of the series against New Zealand crept back in, with Bell falling early, LBW to a Starc in-swinger for one.
Most spectators must have thought “here we go again!” when England were 43-3, but as per usual, golden boy Joe Root came to England’s aid. At his fast, counter-attacking pace, Root set up, putting the undisciplined Australian bowlers to the sword to make a swift century in the process. Balance was then trapped plumb LBW to Hazelwood for 61, leaving England perched precariously on 196-4.
Stokes joined Root in the aggressive approach; something that comes naturally to the fiery left-hander. Both men went about pummelling the Aussie attack milking the runs and in turn, turning the game in England’s favour. Root was the next man out, becoming Starc’s second victim. Root had played with his usual style and grace, showing all the strokes and batting with maturity which would usually be associated with someone a lot older and with more caps than the young Yorkshire batsman.
Stokes pushed on and reached his half-century in good time, before being bowled by a beauty from Starc, who made sure to give his latest victim an appropriate send-off. Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali both kept a positive mind-set towards the end of play. Unfortunately, Buttler couldn’t last the duration and was the final wicket of Hazelwood’s. This left Ali and Broad to finish off before stumps: the two men not out on a day where momentum swayed between both teams. After electing to bat first, Alastair Cook will undoubtedly be the happier of the two captains at the end of the day’s play. And with day two set in the balance, he will be hoping for more of the same from his team.
