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England lost the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston after a middle-order collapse on the final day saw Australia inflict a crushing 251-run defeat on the hosts.
It was always more likely to have been a case of whether England could bat out the the final day, a feat they had failed to achieve at any point during Trevor Bayliss’s tenure as head coach, rather than chase the improbable target of 398.
And so it proved again as Australia’s attack, led by Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon – who picked up their 100th and 350th Test wickets along the way, respectively – tormented England’s batsmen to give the tourists a 1–0 lead in the series.
Lyon was the pick of the bowlers, taking six wickets for 49 runs on a turning wicket as England were bowled out for 146.
Having lost four wickets in the morning session, England quickly unravelled. Jos Buttler was first to go in the opening over after lunch, swiftly followed by Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes with only 12 runs being added. When Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali came together at the crease the score England were 97-7.
While Woakes offered some resistance to the tumble of wickets, top scoring with 37, he then lost Moeen and Stuart Broad in successive balls at the hands of Lyon. And although Jimmy Anderson came out to bat having not bowled in Australia’s second innings, he was clearly struggling with his calf injury. By 3.12pm BST, the match was over when Woakes was undone by a lifting Cummins delivery.
Australia head for a tour match in Worcestershire later this week with the second Test beginning at Lord’s on 14 August.
• Vic Marks’s report from Edgbaston to follow …
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