Australia pillage England’s Edgbaston fortress
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon made light work of England’s batting line-up as the hosts were bowled out for 146 in their second innings, losing the first Ashes Test by 251 runs to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the series.
Nathan Lyon took six wickets as Australia thrashed England at their Edgbaston ‘fortress’.
Victory gave Australia their first win at Edgbaston in any format since 2001 -- the last time they won an Ashes series in England -- and ended England’s run of 11 successive wins at the Birmingham ground.
Chasing the second highest successful run chase in Ashes history (398), England first innings centurion Rory Burns fell first in the second over of the day for 11. The highest successful run chase ever was Australia getting 404 at Headingley in 1948.
Fellow opener Jason Roy (28) looked in good shape until he was bowled when coming down the pitch, before Joe Denly (11) and the key wicket of England captain Joe Root (28), having been saved by two earlier reviews, were out before lunch.
The wickets kept tumbling in the afternoon, with England’s middle order collapsing for the second innings in a row, before Lyon ripped through the tail to finish with figures of 6-49 as Australia picked up a first win at Edgbaston in 18 years.
Burns did not last long at the crease this time around, lofting a bouncer from Pat Cummings to Lyon at backward point.
On-field umpire Joel Wilson’s poor test continued after Root was twice saved on review, meaning eight of Wilson’s decisions have been overturned in this test.
Lyon then got his first wicket as he enticed a big shot from Roy, which he got badly wrong, wildly swinging and missing the ball completely.
An inside edge onto pad saw Denly caught off Lyon, before Root’s luck ran out, with Cameron Bancroft taking a fine catch.
After Root’s dismissal, it felt very much like a matter of time until England’s resistance was broken and in the first over after lunch, Jos Buttler was clean bowled for one.
A bizarre shot from Jonny Bairstow saw him caught in the slips off his glove for six, with Ben Stokes out the next ball -- Lyon’s 350th test match victim.
Moeen Ali (4) failed to produce with the bat once more as Lyon struck again and again with Broad falling for a golden duck.
Chris Woakes was last to go as he top scored with 37, with Cummings’ fourth of the innings clinching a first opening game win in an Ashes series in England for Australia since 2005.
SCORES IN BRIEF
AUSTRALIA: First innings 284 and second innings 487 for 7 decl.
ENGLAND: First innings 374 and second innings 146 all out (Roy 28, Root 28, Woakes 37; Lyon 6-49, Cummins 4-32)
Result: Australia won by 251 runs.
Player-of-the-match: Steve Smith
