England vs Australia – The Ashes LIVE: Crawley falls on stroke of lunch after hitting classy 50

Follow Mail Sport’s live blog as England and Australia go head-to-head on Day One of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.  

Host commentator

Host commentator

Mail Sport’s Aadam Patel has given his thoughts on what was an intriguing first session of the Ashes.

What a shame for Crawley and England. An enthralling session comes to an end, and perhaps it’s honours even. England have scored quickly, but Australia will be pleased with three wickets.

The ball has flicked Crawley’s thumb and he is out right on the stroke of lunch. That’s a huge blow for England.

Has Crawley nicked behind right on the stroke of lunch?

The Aussies think so and have reviewed.

Again, the field is spread and it’s far too easy for England to pick the gaps. This time, Crawley picks up two on the leg-side.

Five off the over.

Lyon back on just before lunch for Hazlewood.

Boland just goes a little too straight and Root clips it away to fine leg for his first boundary.

Boland then over-compensates and goes a little wider, allowing Root to dab the ball into the off-side for a single.

Root plays his signature dab down to third man and places it perfectly to get a couple.

Root then hits a lovely straight drive, but mid-off just gets down in time to stop the boundary – his parry allows a quick single.

Hazlewood drops short and Crawley pulls it into a gap for two more. 

Root doesn’t quite look settled yet as he inside edges one onto his pad, drawing groans from the Aussie slip cordon.

That’s better from Root as he tucks into a wide one and gets two through the off-side, once again the boundary fielder preventing four runs.

Root gets another single, and then Crawley plays a wild drive that goes past his inside edge but misses the stumps. A rare error of judgement from Crawley today.

Boland replaces Cummins after the captain’s short burst.

Australia go up for an lbw against Root, but he looked well outside the line of off-stump. May not have even hit pad first. Not a lot going for it.

Root then squirts one into the off-side for a single. Not where he intended but all runs count.

Tidy over from Hazlewood, just one from it.

Cummins tests Crawley out with a short ball, but the opener gets on top of it and pulls the ball imperiously through mid-wicket to the boundary. 100 up for England!

He and Root then help themselves to a single each before the end of the over.

Even with Root new to the crease, the field is still spread out. He helps himself to another single, before Crawley does the same.

Lyon got the wicket of Pope, but he is replaced by Hazlewood who will now get a go at Root.

Root gets off the mark with a dab down to third man.

Crawley goes to 50 with another dab into the off-side. Excellent innings so far, he will really want to cash in now. Took him only 56 balls as well.

That’s also the end of the over. Root arrives at the crease.

It looked out straight away and the review proves it was hitting middle and leg. Pope has to go. He will be kicking himself as he was looking so good.

Pope finds the boundary with a lovely drive, but he’s now been trapped on the crease and this looks very close. It’s given not out, but the Aussies review.

Cheers all around Edgbaston as the ball is misfielded down at fine leg. Crawley and Pope are ticking along nicely, with the former now approaching 50.

Well, well, well. UltraEdge has just shown Crawley nicked one behind in the last over, but no one appealed. How bizarre!

Four more runs off Lyon’s latest over.

Pope advances down the pitch once more and gets a single into the off-side. They consider a second after a misfield, but wisely decide against it.

First short ball from Boland, and Crawley leaves it alone. The next ball is also short, but it’s wide and Crawley cuts it away to the point boundary.

Crawley picks up another single off the final ball.

No change to the field after the drinks break. Pope helps himself to another single down the ground. 

Crawley brings out his reverse-sweep again and gets another single to third man. Pope finishes the over with another clip for a single.

Crawley’s cover drive has been the shot of the morning so far.

A thoroughly entertaining first hour. 

Time for a quick drink.

Australia have three fielders on the boundary so there’s plenty of room for singles. Pope helps himself to another with a dab into the off-side.

Are these negative tactics from Australia? They seem very concerned about conceding boundaries, but England are having little trouble keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

No stopping that one. Possibly the shot of the morning as Crawley laces the ball through the field with a lovely cover drive.

The field is really spread inside the first hour today. Crawley hammers one down the ground, but it’s just a single to long-on.

England are going through their full repertoire of shots as Pope sweeps away for another run, before Crawley tucks the ball to square-leg for a single.

Pope gets another single and then Crawley nearly chops onto his own stumps, but it just goes past his off stump. Nervy moment there.

50 up for England as Pope and Crawley get three singles between them off the first four balls of Boland’s over.

Carey wants to stop England’s batters advancing down the wicket and comes up to the stumps. Crawley stays in his crease and plays a delightful cover drive to the boundary. The next shot is also well-timed, but picks out the fielder and it’s just a single.

The Aussies are already reminding Pope of his struggles Down Under against spin 18 months ago as one keeps low and nearly gets past his defence.

He plays a reverse-sweep to the next ball and gets a single, before Crawley does exactly the same – deep third man stopping the boundary.

Pope clips one off his pads for another single, and then Crawley rounds off the over with a lovely cover drive to the boundary.

Indeed we are. Lyon replaces Hazlewood.

Boland is straight on the money as he has been throughout his Test career so far. He just bowls one slightly wider with his fourth ball, though, and Crawley drives through the covers for two. Boland then gets one to go past Crawley’s outside edge.

Nathan Lyon is just going through some stretches, could we see some spin soon?

Boland replaces Cummins at the Pavillion End.

Pope advances down the pitch and clips the ball away nicely, but mid-wicket gets down well to prevent a run.

Hazlewood then drops short and Pope cuts the ball away beautifully to the rope. He clips the next ball off his pads for a couple.

Crawley plays his first false shot of the innings as he nicks a good delivery from Cummins, but it falls just short of second slip.

He advances to the next delivery and gets another single into the leg-side. England are picking the gaps nicely, this time Pope dropping and running for another run. There’s more to Bazball than boundaries!

Crawley moves down the wicket again and clips Hazlewood to mid-wicket for a single.

Hazlewood has got the ball tailing in nicely towards off-stump, but Pope gets across and clips the ball away for another single.

Another lovely shot off his pads from Crawley, but just a single as the fielder on the boundary mops up.

Crawley gets another single off his hip before Pope gets off the mark with a similar shot.

Excellent running between the wickets as England keep the scoreboard ticking over. Five off the over.

Pope is the new batter and sees out the rest of the over.

Duckett had just got away with one that he early chopped onto his stumps. He tries the same shot and feathers the ball through to Carey.

First strike for Australia.

Duckett clips the ball off his hip for a couple as fine leg comes around to cut off the boundary. Same shot from the very next ball, and he’s timed this one beautifully. No stopping that as the ball trickles into the rope.

Cummins tests Duckett out with a short ball, but the opener gets on top of it and pulls the ball down to fine leg for another run.

No runs from the final two balls.

Hazlewood gets the same treatment as Cummins, with his first ball clipped off his pads and to the boundary by Crawley.

Crawley then advances down the pitch for the first time, but it’s a good length ball from Hazelwood and it’s met with a solid defensive shot.

Crawley nails another cover drive, but Australia now have cover on the boundary and it’s just a single.

Duckett then gets off the mark as he clips the ball down to fine leg.

Hazlewood will share the new ball with Cummins.

Get your eye in, Zak! 

The England opener crunches the very first ball through the covers for four. The dressing room liked that one!

He leaves the next two balls before trying to get a quick single off the fourth. Duckett wisely sends him back. He does get a single off the fifth ball – very positive start from Crawley.

Duckett sees off the final ball.

Here we go then. Cummins to bowl the first over with the new ball. Crawley on strike.

We will hear both national anthems, and then we will be ready to get underway. Australia up first, followed by England.

This is Jimmy Anderson’s tenth Ashes. What an unbelievable career he has had. He will turn 41 before this series finishes, and he is still going strong.

Mail Sport has taken a look back at the highs and lows of his Ashes career…

There is certainly plenty of respect between captains Stokes and Cummins.

Don’t expect that to stop Cummiins from charging in during the opening session, though, and bowling at around 90mph, as Australia look to make early inroads.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson

Australia: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood

Cummins reveals Australia have made one change from the World Test Championship final, with Josh Hazlewood coming in for Mitchell Starc.

Big call from the Aussies.

Cheers around Edgbaston as England win the toss. Stokes tells Cummins, ‘we’ll have a bat’.

Both teams have some outstanding players in their ranks, but there are a few that have struggled for form in recent months.

Mail Sport’s Paul Newman has taken a look at how both sides are looking form-wise heading into this eagerly-anticipated series…

After almost two years in the Test wilderness, Moeen Ali is back in England’s team for this Test.

He was plucked from Test retirement by Stokes after the unfortunate Jack Leach was ruled out of the Ashes with a back injury.

Moeen has appeared to enjoy being back with the squad this week, and even had time to pop to Windsor Castle to pick up an OBE on Wednesday!

We are now just 15 minutes away from the first toss of the Ashes. 

It looks like beautiful batting conditions, but England have liked chasing down totals in the fourth innings under Stokes. 

Will they change their method today if Stokes wins the toss?

Not a bat in sight as England warm up by playing a good old game of keepy-uppies with a football.

Less than an hour until the Ashes start, but who are we to doubt their preparation after the last 12 months?!

Footy-mad Moeen bit out of practice for pre-Test keepie-uppies #EngvAus pic.twitter.com/d1gML6AzVb

It’s going to be a lovely day at Edgbaston, and once the day’s play is over there is plenty to do in Birmingham as well.

Mail Sport’s David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd has a few tips for how those at today’s game can spend their evening in the city afterwards.

Well, that’s what the likes of David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon will certainly be hoping for come the end of the summer.

It’s fair to say that a number of Australia’s stars are nearing the conclusion of their careers, and England – having seen their arch rivals do the same to Jonathan Trott and Graeme Swann in 2013/14 – will hope they can send the Aussies packing with their tails between their legs. 

So, who faces an Ashes finale and what does the future hold for the Australian team? Check out our analysis below.

What can we take from Australia’s warm-up so far?

Well Marsh looks to be in contention, but now Josh Hazlewood IS marking out his run-up! 

There may well be some mind games going on here before the Ashes have even started. 

The plot thickens: Hazlewood is now marking his run-up.

England have already named their starting XI for this Test, but Australia haven’t and they may just have a late surprise in store.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been seen marking out his run-up ahead of today’s play and could be in line for a shock recall. 

Is it just mind games, or could Marsh actually play today? We will find out very soon!

Mitch Marsh has just marked out his run up! No sign of Hazlewood on the ground atm! Starc has a catching mit! Full blog starts in 10am AEST. @SMHsport @theagesport #Ashes https://t.co/jdTyuK3JnM

The away team have just hopped off their team bus ready for today’s play, which is due to get underway at 11am (UK time).

It is perfect weather for cricket today with the sun beaming through already.

And the players are just arriving…

And what of England’s opponents?

Well, they are the newly-crowned world Test champions, but will face a cauldron of noise at Edgbaston today, and Stokes’ side are unlikely to take a backwards step as they look to continue with their Bazball style of play.

Aussie skipper Pat Cummins has urged his team to stay calm under the intense pressure that is likely to come their way.

David Beckham’s metatarsal in 2002. Wayne Rooney’s metatarsal in 2006. Ben Stokes’ knee in 2023?

The England captain has hardly bowled this year, and has been hobbling around the cricket field on multiple occasions due to his troublesome knee injury. 

He has been bowling in the nets this week, and has insisted he will be able to perform his all-rounder duties over the next five days. 

Read what Stokes had to say by clicking the link below…

These are all important questions, and former England captain Nasser Hussain has ignited the Ashes rivalry with a hilarious video ahead of today’s play. 

Check it out below…

It’s finally here. The sun is shining, the wait is over. 

It’s time for the Ashes!

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