A record-breaking morning of cricket saw Australia demolished for 60 by Stuart Broad (8-15) and England’s other fast bowlers, before Joe Root (124*) and Jonathan Bairstow (74) put on 173 for the fourth wicket to give England a remarkable 214-run lead after the first day of the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
After Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bowl, there were murmurs about how well England would be able to cope with the absence of the injured James Anderson on a pitch that looked tailor-made for the Lancashire swinger. Within the first over those fears had started to evaporate, when the England captain took a catch in the slips to dismiss Chris Rogers for his first ever Test duck.
Before Broad’s opening over was finished, top-ranked Test batsman Steve Smith was also heading back to the pavilion after a thick edge flew to Joe Root. David Warner’s stay at the crease was also a short one, as Mark Wood’s second ball from the other end found the inside edge, which in its turned found the gloves of Jos Buttler.
Under-fire Australia captain Michael Clarke dropped down to five in the order to give himself a little more protection against the new ball, but he was walking to the crease before the third over had begun. Before the third over was finished, he had lost another partner as Shaun Marsh was drawn into playing a seaming delivery from Broad and found Ian Bell at second slip.
Adam Voges’ miserable slump in form continued in somewhat unfortunate fashion. He pushed hard at another full delivery from Broad, and the edge flew past Ben Stokes at fifth slip. Somehow, Stokes managed to cling on to the ball in mid-dive, and Australia were 21-5.
Clarke was one of only two batsmen to reach double figures in the innings, but he perished shortly after Voges, slashing wildly at the first ball he faced from Broad to Alastair Cook.
Peter Nevill showed no footwork as he was bowled by Finn, and Broad claimed the tailend wickets of Johnson, Starc and Lyon to finish with figures of 8-15 in less than ten overs. Australia were 60 all out well before lunch. Extras had top-scored with 14, and England hadn’t missed a trick in the slips.
Adam Lyth and Alastair Cook saw England through to the break, and Lyth appeared to be gaining confidence after a difficult series so far. After lunch, however, he was dismissed by a good ball from Mitchell Starc. Ian Bell was out lbw for one, the eighth time in 14 innings he has lost his wicket for one or no runs.
Cook and Root set about punishing the Australian bowlers for the transgressions of the batsmen, and they took England past the visitors’ total with ease. Their partnership passed 50, but Starc pinned Cook in front of his stumps for 43 with a straight ball to claim his third wicket.
It was Joe Root who led the way from there, accompanied by his Yorkshire colleague Jonathan Bairstow. Both men are in the form of their lives, and Root’s timing and aggression heaped the pressure back on Australia’s overstretched four-man attack. Mitchell Johnson proved costly as his workload increased, and Josh Hazlewood’s control erred at times to present the batsmen with scoring opportunities.
Bairstow was given his 50 by the umpire, who mistakenly believed that he had got bat on a wayward ball that went for four. It was a small piece of deserved luck in a fine innings that proved the Yorkshireman deserves his place in the Test side.
Joe Root does not just deserve his place in the Test side; he deserves his place in the annals of Test cricket. When an exasperated Michael Clarke turned to the part-time medium pace of David Warner to chew up some overs, Root punched him confidently backward of point to bring up his 8th Test century and his 14th international century – one more than Donald Bradman achieved by his 25th birthday.
With the lead and their confidence growing, Root and Bairstow put on a masterclass of Test batting as Australia’s attack wilted. They pushed singles and twos hard, they found gaps in the field, and struck boundaries with attractive elegance and class. Root slog-swept Nathan Lyon for six once the lead passed 200, and Bairstow proved that he is capable of translating his incredible form for Yorkshire (he averages over 100 in the County Championship) into runs at the highest level of the game with a fine 74.
Bairstow’s innings ended with a chip to Chris Rogers at square leg, but Root and nightwatchman Mark Wood saw the day through to stumps. England ended the first day in pole position to regain the Ashes, and extend Australia’s wait for a series win in England to 18 years: there is still a way back for Darren Lehmann’s men in this Test, of course, but at present it seems an improbably long way off.
