1st Test: England v Australia at Birmingham, 5-9 Jul 2001 CricInfo Live Report

1st Test: England v Australia at Birmingham, 5-9 Jul 2001
Kate Laven

Australia 1st innings: Stumps - Day 1,
Pre-game: Pre-match - Day 1,
England 1st innings: Lunch - Day 1, Tea - Day 1, Third session - Day 1,

CROWD REVEL IN DAZZLING BATTING DISPLAY

England’s last-wicket pair, Alec Stewart and Andrew Caddick, provided the Edgbaston crowd with an exhilarating floorshow but the Australians responded in equally dazzling style to hold the advantage on the opening day of the First npower Ashes Test.

By the close, England had finally broken the first-wicket partnership between Michael Slater and Matthew Hayden who blasted their way to 98 from 97 balls and finished the day on a high by despatching the in-form Ricky Ponting for 11.

The powerful Queenslander departed eight overs from the end when the ball left his bat like a bullet and headed for mid-wicket where Craig White, diving to his left, took a breathtaking one-handed catch.

Ashley Giles made the breakthrough after England’s pace attack had failed to penetrate the Australian order with the new ball though Slater was lucky to survive a half chance on 42 when Usman Afzaal leapt high to get an outstretched finger to the ball but was unable to retrieve it as he fell to the ground.

Darren Gough had an appeal against Slater rejected after umpire Steve Bucknor no-balled him but then quickly scooped the wicket of dangerman Ponting by trapping him lbw and at stumps, the tourists were 133 for two, 161 runs behind England.

England started the fireworks earlier when Stewart and Caddick blitzed the attack to add 103 for the last wicket. Caddick was one short of his maiden Test 50 when his partner was adjudged leg before to McGrath for 65.

With an average of 3.56 from his last 18 innings, it was a thrilling exhibition by the tailender who faced 40 balls and boosted England’s first innings total to 294, after they had been 191 for nine.

In all, 236 runs were scored in the final session at 6.84 runs an over and the average rate for the entire day was an astounding 4.93 an over.

LAST-WICKET STAND REVIVES ENGLAND

Alec Stewart and Andrew Caddick produced an explosive and record-breaking partnership to give England a major late-innings boost in the First npower Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

They came together with the score 191 for nine and in ten overs added an unbeaten 93 runs to set a new tenth-wicket record for England against Australia at Edgbaston.

After losing six quick wickets in the afternoon session, England saw more havoc wreaked by Shane Warne immediately after tea when Ashley Giles was caught behind attempting to cut him to the boundary.

Darren Gough faced two balls and with the third could not resist trying to pull Warne over mid-wicket but the ball went straight to Jason Gillespie on the boundary.

The wicket handed Warne his fifth wicket of the innings. It was his fifth five-for against England and his 17th in Test cricket.

Gough’s departure saw the arrival of Caddick who signalled his intent by lifting Warne over the mid-wicket boundary for a big six. He followed it with a stream of immaculately well-timed straight drives to advance to a remarkable 48 off 33 balls.

The innings ended on 294 when McGrath trapped Alec Stewart lbw for 65 with Caddick left stranded on 49.

AFTERNOON OF AGONY FOR ENGLAND

The scourge of England’s batsmen, Shane Warne, came back to haunt them at Edgbaston this afternoon triggering a six-wicket collapse to leave Australia in a commanding position after two sessions of the First npower Test.

Warne started his campaign with Mark Butcher’s wicket just before lunch. He continued with a well-judged catch at first slip off Jason Gillespie to dismiss Michael Atherton after the England opener had made a dogged 57 from 107 balls.

The score was 123 for three but in the next hour to tea, with temperatures soaring and a capacity crowd in quieter mood than earlier, the wickets tumbled.

Australia’s fielding followed the pattern of the morning when Ian Ward was dropped at third slip while on six. But next ball, the error was put right when Glenn McGrath had Nasser Hussain leg before, failing to play a shot.

Ward produced a couple of well timed off drives off Warne and looked untroubled for the best part of an hour but, attempting to drive at a lifting delivery from McGrath, he played on and was on his way for 23, with England’s score 159 for five.

Debutant Usman Afzaal was bowled by a ball from Warne that turned a foot and the Australian leg-spinner struck again in his next over having Craig White lbw for six from eight balls.

At tea, Alec Stewart was unbeaten on 19 batting for the eighth wicket with partner Ashley Giles but from their promising position at lunch when the score was 106 for two, England were in trouble on 191 for seven on a pitch that looks ideal for batting.

Warne bowled unchanged throughout the session finishing with 3-36 from 13 overs while McGrath was 2-51 from 14 overs.

ATHERTON AND BUTCHER REPAIR THE DAMAGE FOR ENGLAND

Michael Atherton and Mark Butcher took advantage of some rare Australian errors at Edgbaston this morning to give England a promising start in the First npower Ashes Test.

At lunch, England were 106 for two after a morning of mixed fortunes for both sides. It started with disaster for England when opener Marcus Trescothick edged Jason Gillespie to first slip, having faced just two balls. Shane Warne took his first catch of the series and England were two for one after only four minutes of play.

Atherton, who scored off the first ball of the day from Glenn McGrath after Steve Waugh won the toss and put England in, was joined by Mark Butcher, one of two batsmen called up late on Tuesday to replace the injured Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan.

Butcher made a century against Australia at Brisbane during the 1997-98 Ashes tour and is enjoying one of the best seasons of his county career. From the outset today he appeared confident and cool despite the sultry conditions and high pressure situation.

In the fifth over, he hooked McGrath through mid-wicket for four and played an assured game to complement the cautious Atherton who survived a chance on 25 when Australian 'keeper Adam Gilchrist failed to hold on to an edged ball from Brett Lee. Gilchrist had also scuppered a wicket chance in the second over when he reached for a ball that would have carried to first slip.

Butcher and Atherton took the total to 106 when Warne was introduced into the attack for the first time. The effect was immediate and Butcher pushed tentatively at his second delivery to see the ball pop up to silly point where Ricky Ponting took a superb catch diving forward.

The Surrey opener made 38 from 71 balls scoring four boundaries. His partnership with Atherton added 104 for the second wicket and gave England a solid platform after their shaky start. Captain Nasser Hussain joined Atherton and saw out the rest of the Warne over safely with Atherton going to lunch unbeaten on 48.

ENGLAND BAT AFTER AUSTRALIA WIN THE TOSS

Australia captain Steve Waugh won the toss and invited England to bat in the first npower Ashes Test Match at Edgbaston this morning.

Ashley Giles was named in the final England XI after making a full recovery from the tonsilitis that had made him doubtful and Nottinghamshire’s Usman Afzaal, who was called up to cover for the injured Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan, was set to make his debut.

Clouds over Birmingham were starting to disperse as the 11am start approached, though the humidity was likely to make life uncomfortable for both the batsmen and a capacity 19,000 strong crowd.

England: Michael Atherton; Marcus Trescothick; Mark Butcher; Nasser Hussain; Alec Stewart; Usman Afzaal; Ian Ward; Craig White; Ashley Giles; Darren Gough; Andrew Caddick.

Australia: Matthew Hayden; Michael Slater; Ricky Ponting; Mark Waugh; Steve Waugh; Damien Martyn; Adam Gilchrist; Shane Warne; Brett Lee; Jason Gillespie; Glenn McGrath.