"The opening day of this Ashes series has set an absurdly high bar for what is to come. England played their supporters back at home, a collapse to 172 all out like waking up to a horse's head in the bed, only for Ben Stokes and his stable of quicks to deliver a more telling statement of their own. If they did not know it before, Australia are now well aware that this is a very different England side to those of the past."
"The fast forward but fragile batting was a known quantity, granted. But it now comes with a pool of high-octane seamers who will test techniques and tickers in equal measure. That test was failed first up, Mitchell Starc's career-best seven for 58 including Zak Crawley with the sixth ball of the match followed by the hosts subsiding to 123 for nine by stumps."
"There were two strikes apiece for Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse, a sparkling five for 23 from Stokes, while the wicketless Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson ensured no let-up. This fast bowling festival meant just 71.5 overs were sent down but anyone claiming to be short-changed beyond those with day three tickets was howling into the void, frankly. Those inside Perth's space age coliseum were witness to a warp-speed experience, with runs at a premium on a bouncy pitch that returned 19 wickets"
Opening Ashes day produced a frenetic, low-scoring spectacle dominated by pace bowling. England collapsed to 172 all out, then faced a relentless seam attack led by Ben Stokes and his fellow quicks. Ben Stokes returned five for 23, with Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse taking two wickets apiece while Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson maintained pressure. Mitchell Starc claimed a career-best seven for 58, removing Zak Crawley with the sixth ball and reducing the hosts to 123 for nine by stumps. The match saw only 71.5 overs bowled on a bouncy pitch that yielded 19 wickets and several bruising dismissals.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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