Cricket
3 weeks ago
England 'implodes' as Australia takes 1-nil lead
By SEN
- What time do The Ashes start in my state?
- Listen Live: Every ball of the Ashes right here
- Australia wins the First Test by eight wickets to take a 1-nil lead
- England bowl the Aussies out for 132 early on Day 1. Take a 40-run lead into the second dig.
- Starc with another insane first over wicket as Crawley goes for a pair.
- Australia needed 205 runs to win
- Travis Head has smashed 123 runs in the space of 83 balls to guide Australia to victory
The time for talk is over. The 2025-26 Ashes are here, it's Day 2 of the opening Test in Perth.
We will be live throughout the first Test, follow along for all the latest.
11:45pm - Match Recap
Australia has miraculously won the First Test in the space of 5.5 sessions, with the hosts chasing down England's target of 205 runs with eight wickets to spare.
This was largely down to the performance of Travis Head, who opened the batting alongside debutant Jake Weatherald after Usman Khawaja was off the field during England's second innings due to lower back spasms.
In that knock, Head went berserk in an innings for the ages, having managed to hit 16 fours and six sixes on his way to a 123-run knock off just 83 balls.
Alongside him, Marnus Labuschagne batting in his natural position of three would make an unbeaten 51, while Jake Weatherald hit 23 runs off 34 balls, where he showed some attacking intent.
This win for Australia will go down as one of their best, considering that at the start of the day, they found themselves 9/123 and would be trailing by 40 runs when England began batting for the second innings.
And the visitors appeared to be on track to set a considerable total, having managed to make it 1/65, which had them leading by 105 runs with Zak Crawley's second duck in the first over in this match being their only blemish.
But after the wicket of Ben Duckett, England's top order faltered, having lost the wickets of Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook within the space of six balls, which shifted the momentum in Australia's favour.
Their collapse would continue, leaving them all out 164, sparking massive concerns that their 'BazBall' approach contributed to yet another decline.
With their finish, Mitch Starc would claim his third 10-wicket haul in his Test career while Scott Boland took the most wickets of the innings with four.
9:06pm - That's a wrap on the live blog
What an incredible Test match we have witnessed!
It's rare that a match that has had so much build-up in the months leading up to it and delivered to it and then some.
But it has been within the space of 5.5 sessions.
Now, time for us all to figure out how to spend the next three days.
Got a feeling that half of that will be spent watching Travis Head's knock.
8:56pm - Mitchell Starc claims Man of the Match
With an incredible bowling performance which saw him take a career best in a single innings (7/58) which was then followed by a 3fa in the second to see him claim his third ten wicket haul in Test match cricket.
8:46pm - Labuschagne: Head's innings was 'unbelieveable'
While Travis Head will take all the plaudits from this match, Labuschagne had a solid innings of his own.
In his first Test match after being dropped, he managed to make an unbeaten 51 in the second innings.
He would also have the best seat in the house to witness Head's incredible knock.
Speaking with SEN Cricket's Adam Collins, he admitted that he was quite animated when looking on.
Labuschagne: "If there was a camera on my face, it was like I was on the couch watching it."
"I'm yelling stuff out and it's just loud, I'm like 'That's unbelievable!'...and cheering him on like, 'That's outrageous, Heady!"
"It was just unbelievable."
8:42pm - AUSTRALIA CLAIMS A 1-NIL LEAD
After stumps on Day 1, who would have though that this result was possible?
Well, very few but this will go down as one of the best victories that Australia has had in the Ashes.
Travis Head will surely be the man of the match following an innings more suited to someone playing Stick Cricket as he managed to make 123 off 83 runs in a single session.
8:40pm - Australia just one run away
Australia 2/204 after 28.1 overs (Labuschagne 51, Smith 1)
8:34pm - Wicket: Travis Head
Australia 2/192 after 26.5 overs (Labuschagne 40, Smith to the crease)
Very few would have wanted this but Head's innings has come to an end.
__8:24pm - Fleming: "Bazball has fizzed-ball"
Australia 1/168 after 25.2 overs (Head 104, Labuschagne 36)
The onslaught of England is continuing with Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne showing no mercy.
And this would leave Damien Fleming to give a quick summary what what has taken place.
Fleming: "Bazball has fizzed-ball"
8:14pm - Australia within 50 runs of the target
Australia 1/154 after 23 overs (Head 101, Labuschagne 26)
This Test match could be over within the space of two days with the way this is going.
At their current run rate of 6.69 runs, they would only need just under eight overs to get there.
8:05pm - Travis Head brings up 100
Australia 1/146 after 21.3 overs (Head 100, Labuschagne 19)
Travis Head has scored an absolutely ridiculous ton off 69 balls, which will go down in the folklore of Ashes history as one of the greatest centuries in the contest.
He's done what few could dream of, having managed to do it within a session that sees him join the company of Victor Trumper, Adam Gilchrist and David Warner, among others, to score 100 runs in one session in the Test format.
And SEN Cricket's Adam Collins was simply in awe of his performance.
Collins: "It's been an absolute stunner."
"(It's) some of the most imperious hitting you could ever dream to see."
"And given the circumstances, a low scoring test match, it does not get much better than this."
"It's sledge hammer stuff."
8:01pm - The ramifications of England losing the First Test
With there being no Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood in the line-up, the optimism of English fans was sky high at potentially nabbing their first victory in Australia since 2011.
But Travis Head has seemingly turned the game around in Australia's favour.
And with England looking likely to lose, Simon Katich would talk about the implications of it.
Katich: "The ramifications are large now, this is going to hurt England."
"They were well on top in this Test only a couple of hours ago."
"They imploded after Lunch, and now they are watching this man assert himself."
7:52pm - Spread the word, Head is leading the nation
Australia 1/127 after 19 overs (Head 84, Labuschagne 17)
This is quickly becoming one of Australia's best individual innings in Ashes history from the South Australian.
And Gerard Whateley is implouding you to spread the good word of what Head is doing.
Whateley: "If you are not around a radio or a television or you fear that someone might not be, spread the word. Travis Head is leading the nation."
7:45pm - Australia continue to charge down England's target
Australia 1/110 after 17.4 overs (Head 72, Labuschagne 12)
Head continues to go big as Australia are well and truly past the halfway mark needing just 95 runs left.
With just over an hour left in today's action, could Australia get a result before stumps?
7:39pm - Katich: "At the rate we're going, it's going to be a two day match"
7:28pm - Broad: England have "let an opportunity slip to put this game to bed"
Drinks break - Australia 1/87 after 15 overs (Head 50, Labuschagne 11)
After being 1/65, England look primed to win their first Test in Australia since 2011 and the first time in Perth since 1978.
But since then, they would lose the remaining nine wickets for just 99 runs and Australia led by Travis Head are nearly halfway to their target of 205 runs.
This would leave Stuart Broad to believe that England have let an oppportunity slip.
Broad: "You just have to look at the England players and their body language now to know they've let slip in a sense."
"It doesn't matter if they win or lose from this position, they've let an opportunity slip to put this game to bed."
7:25pm - Stokes comes into the attack
Australia 1/86 after 14.1 overs (Head 50, Labuschagne 10)
Having taken a 5fa in the first innings, could England's captain help them get back in the game?
7:17pm - Head brings up 50
Australia 1/76 after 12.2 overs (Head 50, Labuschagne 0)
Travis Head becomes the first Australian batter to raise the bat after bringing up an important 50.
He did it in just 36 balls with his strong intent paying off with England under significant pressure to find a solution.
It might just prove to be another match-winning innings by the South Australian with SEN Cricket's Adam Collins noting the importance of his performance so far.
Collins: "This has been some innings."
"Three fours and three sixes along the way. Recognised by the Australian fans who love the man."
"They needed someone to stand up against the flow of the game and so far, so good for Travis Head."
7:12pm - England gets their first
Australia 1/75 after 11.3 overs (Head 49, Labuschagne to the crease)
Jake Weatherald has departed for 23 runs after top edging a Brydon Carse ball down to short extra cover, where Ben Duckett was waiting under it.
That brings Marnus Labuschagne to the wicket, who now returned to his natural No. 3 position.
7:07pm - Katich: England has imploded
Australia 0/71 after 11 overs (Head 49, Weatherald 19)
After being in such a favourable position, England have fallen on the back foot.
And this has left Simon Katich to suggest that the visitors have 'imploded'.
Katich: "England are just hoping for a wicket, they've imploded today."
7:04pm - Australia charging ahead to the target
Australia 0/58 after 10 overs (Head 38, Weatherald 17)
With the variable of Travis Head, it has proven to be a masterstroke from the Australians.
Compared to where they were after 10 overs in the first innings (1/15 at 1.15 runs per over), to now with a run rate of 5.8 per over, it's almost like watching two different teams, with England pushing some of their fielders on the boundary.
And at the rate they are going, the hosts could find themselves well within double digits if not finishing the game by day's play.
6:57pm - CA confirm Khawaja's injury
Australia 0/49 after 9.2 overs (Head 31, Weatherald 17)
Cricket Australia has just released a statement confirming the reason why Usman Khawaja was off the field for part of England's second innings.
Like he had in the first innings, the 38-year-old was off after suffering from lower back spasms.
6:44pm - Could Head be a solution to Australia's opener problem
Australia 0/29 after 7.1 overs (Head 16, Weatherald 13)
One of the main talking points throughout the lead-up to the series has been what Australia should do regarding its openers.
Since David Warner retired from the Test level at the start of 2024, Australia has tried multiple solutions in trying to replace the hole that he left.
But could the answer have been in plain sight with Travis Head being the option?
He has had experience in doing this at the Test level when he has opened on the sub-continent against India and Sri Lanka.
And if he can get Australia to a 1-nil lead, SEN Cricket's Gerard Whateley thinks Head might be the new option.
Whateley: "Throughout the two years of who should open, I get a constant flurry of emails and texts from those who want it to be Travis Head as the natural successor to Dave Warner."
"He's done it on the sub-continent. The trouble is he hasn't had the technique for it."
"We've seen him get bowled early in his innings far too often to be the first-choice opener.
"(But) if he bats Australia to victory, look out."
6:37pm - Decision overturned - Weatherald
Australia 0/16 after 5.0 overs (Head 8, Weatherald 8)
After just making his first runs, the Tasmanian representative was almost departing shortly after.
It appeared that Weatherald had gotten an inside edge, which was subsequently caught by Jamie Smith.
But the debutant reviewed straight away, and RTS showed that it had hit his body on the way through.
6:34pm - Weatherald has opened his Test run account
Australia 0/10 after 4.2 overs (Head 7, Weatherald 3)
And the crowd at Perth Stadium takes a massive sigh of relief.
Having made a duck in the first innings, the Tasmanian representative is off and away with a ball hit to deep square leg for three.
6:26pm - Bharat: Australia are the favourites to win
Australia 0/3 after 3.0 overs (Head 3, Weatherald 0)
With Australia needing to only chase 205 runs, SEN Cricket's Bharat Sundaraesan believes that the game has now swung back in the host's favour, which seems remarkable after what happened on Day 1.
This is on the basis that whilst the new ball will still create issues for both Head and Weatherald, there have been instances today where England were able to withstand it.
Sundaresan: "I think Australia are favourites."
"Yes, they were shocked by England yesterday, but it was a bizarre day of cricket.
"It's not going to be easy against this new ball, but we've seen already, there have been patches in this Test, even going back to this morning when Duckett and Pope were batting, it's not that difficult as the scores would suggest."
6:17pm - Head to open with Weatherald
Australia 0/0 - Head and Weatherald both on 0
Having opened in the ODI series against India alongside Mitch Marsh, Travis Head will now join debutant Jake Weatherald to start Australia's second innings.
And Head will face the first ball from Jofra Archer.
6:07pm - Khawaja to not open...again
After not opening the batting in the first innings, Usman Khawaja will not be opening in the second innings either.
The 38-year-old was once again off the field during England's second innings with another case of back spasms after having the same injury during the first innings yesterday.
Marnus Labuschagne opened the batting alongside debutant Jake Weatherald in that first innings, and according to SEN Cricket's Damien Fleming, Australia should take a similar approach in this second.
Fleming: "My gut feeling would be the same, but I wouldn't mind Marnus taking the first ball."
"Just get Jake down the other end unless Jake really wants to take it."
TEA - Australia need 205 to win
5:55pm - An insane innings comes to an end
Atkinson goes for 37 at fine leg off the bowling off Scott Boland!
England are all out for 164, again within 35 overs... Australia need 205 to win.
If Australia get there, it'll certainly take well longer than that 34.4 overs that England batted for here.
The quicks shared it around that innings, with Boland 4/33 the leader alongside Starc 3/55 and Doggett 3/51.
They've given their batters a chance here, but this could go either way. Exciting cricket.
5:50pm - Another in the over!
England lead by 200 and Archer falls for just 5 from 3 balls at a deepish mid wicket.
Will Australia be batting right after Tea? This game is set up beautifully should they not let England get away here.
Doggett now has 3/47 from his 8.5 overs.
5:46pm - A crucial wicket
England 8/154 - Atkinson 36, Archer to the crease
Doggett gets Carse for 20 who edges to Alex Carey trying to scoop it over fine leg.
England will be pretty happy with his efforts though as he combined for a quick partnership of 50 with Atkinson.
England now lead by 194, how quickly this wraps up is huge in the context of this match.
With things this tight, it feels currently a 50/50, how far can England put it in their favour?
5:44pm - A very handy partnership for the English
England 7/154 - Atkinson 36, Carse 20
A bit of rearguard action here for the English with their tail getting them out of jail.
The partnership between Atkinson and Carse is now 50 from just 35 balls.
With this deck so difficult to bat on, these runs could be invaluable to setting Australia a really tricky target.
Can they push their lead to well above 200?
5:10pm - An interesting review for the Aussies
England 7/104 - Atkinson 6, Carse to the crease
England's last recognised batter Jamie Smith is out for 15 after fending down leg to Alex Carey off the bowling of Brendan Doggett!
While it was originally given not out, the TV umpire overturned it after analysing the frames between a spike on RTS and the footage for what felt like an eternity.
While Smith was walking off after immediately seeing the footage on screen, the Barmy Army aren't happy after being made to wait by the third ump.
"It took our umpire longer that it takes to play Cluedo!" - Gerard Whateley
"It's amazing it took as long as it did." - Simon Katich. "But the right decision has been made there."
The Aussies are into the tail and 146 behind England. If they can keep it below 180 or even 200 here, they'll be happy with their efforts.
4:52pm - Starc gets Stokes... again!
England 6/88 - Smith 10, Atkinson to the crease
Australia's left-hander has a huge wicket, with Mitchell Starc squaring up Ben Stokes who edges to Steve Smith in slips for 2!
Unlike some of the previous dismissals, this one was all credit to the bowler, with Stokes not doing much wrong there as the ball rose and grabbed the edge of the skipper's bat.
Starc has 10/78 so far this match and three this innings. What an outing so far.
"He's got the wood over the England captain! The collapse continues! England in a world of pain!" - Adam Collins
"Just incredible Mitchell Starc!" - Stuart Broad
While Atkinson is a tail ender, he's one that can definitely bat a bit. If Australia get through both him and Smith, this will wrap up quickly.
4:28pm - DROP
England 5/77 - Stokes 0, Smith 1
Usman Khawaja drops Jamie Smith off the bowling of Mitchell Starc on zero.
It was a low chance in first slip, but really should have been taken.
"It's a big miss, it should have been six wickets." - Gerard Whateley.
Was he hampered by his back injury? He'll hope that doesn't cost the Aussies.
4:25pm - What's happening!
England 5/76 - Stokes 0, Smith to the crease
Another one! Joe Root is out for 8 to another wide ball outside off, this time to Mitchell Starc as the England star chops onto his stumps.
The visitors are not letting anything go as they look to score, and their tactics have brought the Aussies right back here.
"The game is afoot, Joe Root perishes... this game has flipped dramatically! First Boland, now Starc, England are reeling!" - Gerard Whateley.
"They're imploding here England! They're back in this now Australia!" - Simon Katich.
Jamie Smith here now, Aussies one away from cracking into the tail.
4:21pm - Scott Boland is bringing the Aussies back!
England 4/76 - Root 8, Stokes to the crease
England's danger man gone for none! Harry Brook is out for a third-ball duck, edging a Scotty Boland length delivery to Usman Khawaja in the slips.
Two wickets in the over from Scotty Boland, who is doing what he does best on home soil.
He's bowling wide to these English batsmen and they simply can't help themsevles but throw their hands at it. It's wild batting in Test cricket, but great thinking from the Aussies to change their width.
"Boland's doing the business, three since Lunch, two in the other, Brook gone for nought!" Whateley said.
"This is the Scott Boland we love and know on Australian soil!"
Root and Stokes here. It feels like the Test match might be decided on this partnership.
4:17pm - Here's Scotty!
England 3/76 - Root 8, Brook to the crease
Damien Fleming's wishes have been answered, the Victorian gets the 'bang, bang' wickets he demanded at Lunch.
Ollie Pope goes for 33 caught behind to Alex Carey. The No. 3 played and missed at many balls well outside off, but this one had his name on it.
"It is just not there to drive!" - Simon Katich.
England are now 3/76 and 116 runs ahead. This is the big partnership now between Root and Brook.
If this is broken early, the Aussies are officially back into it.
4:06pm - Boland gets his man!
England 2/65 - Pope 30, Root to the crease
Scotty Boland removes Ben Duckett for 28, with the opener edging to Steve Smith in slips!
It's Boland's first pole for the summer, and one Australia desperately needed.
Damien Fleming said during Lunch that the Aussies needed to go 'bang, bang' with two early wickets in the second session to claw themselves back into it.
They have the chance to do that now.
3:57pm - What Aussies must to do get the best out of Travis Head
Tom Morris breaks down how Australia can get the best out of their x-factor batsman.
It's a pretty simple equation once you look at it this way...
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg on Khawaja, Perth v Brisbane and more
LUNCH
3:18pm - Boland traps Duckett in front, but the Englishman is saved on review
England 1/59 - Pope 24, Duckett 28
It looked like Scotty Boland had a big breakthrough for Australia, trapping Ben Duckett in front LBW.
But after the decision was sent upstairs, DRS revealed the ball just pitched outside leg.
The review also wasted some time, with the delivery the last of Boland's sixth over as Lunch was taken.
Boland is bowling far better than he did on Day 1, but the English are now 99 ahead and just one wicket down.
They need some things to go right for them after the break if they're to get back into this.
2:42pm - England making it look pretty easy
England 1/37 - Pope 18, Duckett 17
"The scoreboard is ticking along" - Gerard Whateley.
After a strong start from Australia, England are building a nice partnership out on the middle of Optus Stadium.
While Starc looks incredibly threatening, Pope and Duckett are scoring freely, with 37 runs from eight overs.
They haven't allowed Scott Boland or Brendan Doggett to settle here. If these two bat together until even Lunch, their lead will continue to advance quite quickly.
2:15pm - Ridiculous stat!
Tom Morris with a crazy stat in the SEN Cricket commentary box.
It's the first time in Test history that all three innings have been 1/0.
Wickets have fallen in each innings so far without the batters scoring.
Considering there's been almost 150 years of Test cricket, that is absolutely mind-blowing.
14:02 - What a grab from Starc!
England 1/0 - Duckett 0, Pope to the crease
Crawley gone for a pair! Mitch Starc takes a ripper caught and bowled catch to get another first over wicket!
Simon Katich considered the duke an absolute screamer!
"What a catch from Mitchell Starc, it hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. That is not easy to do in your follow through," Katich said on SEN Cricket.
"A fantastic catch from Mitchell Starc, an absolute screamer."
It's the start the Aussies needed after a poor effort with the bat.
Starc is the only man keeping the home side in this.
AUSTRALIA ALL OUT 132 - Trail by 40
1:47pm - Australia all out
Australia 132
Lyon goes for 4, with Brydon Carse getting the tailender fending to gully.
The Aussies trail by 40 and will need to work hard with the ball on Day 2 to restrict England.
Ben Stokes finishes with 5/23, the other wicket takers are Carse 3/45 and Archer 2/11.
A really disappointing effort with the bat there from the home side.
1:20pm - Day 2 start - State of play
Australian 9/123 - Lyon 3, Doggett 0
England (172) begin Day 2 needing one wicket to bowl Australia (9/123) out. The Aussies trail by 49.
It was England's day on Day 1, can the Aussies regain the momentum on Day 2?
1:15pm – Khawaja injury update from Bharat
Bharat Sundaresan has cleared the air with Usman Khawaja about his back injury.
The opener is confident he can field today, despite Sundaresan noting that he still appeared stiff in his Day 2 warm-up.
“I just bumped into Usman Khawaja 5 minutes ago on my way up, and he just cleared the air in terms of what he was going through yesterday.
“He felt some back spasm during warm-ups before the start of play yesterday. Then he popped a couple of pills, and he went out there to the field.
“It got worse, and at one point he felt like he was struggling to move, and that's when he went off the field and was getting his treatment and getting his stretches done.
“That's around the time the English collapse happened. The clock then ran out on him in a way.
“He also did say that he was still feeling the effects of that, but he did not want to take pills before going out to bat, he didn't want to feel a little dazed because they were strong pills that he was taking.
“He still looks a bit stiff today, but he's confident that he should be able to go out there and field.”
1:10pm - Mitch Starc speaks to SEN Cricket
The big left-armer talks about his career-best bowling effort on Day 1, Usman Khawaja's injury, Josh Hazlewood's fitness and more.
Check it out here.
12:40pm – It’d be a ‘miracle’ if Khawaja scores runs this Ashes
Gerard Whateley thinks it’d be a miracle if Usman Khawaja scores any meaningful runs this series.
The veteran was removed for just 2 on Day 1 after batting at No. 4 due to spending too much time off the field with back spasms to open the batting.
The 38-year-old hasn’t made 50 in his last 11 Test innings and has only past 40 four times in his last 26 knocks.
With obvious signs of decline clear for everyone to see, Whateley just can’t see the left-hander turning things around this late into his career.
“We're in Bob Simpson territory with Khawaja (playing into his 40s), so I think there's been a close our eyes and cross our fingers,” Whateley said on SEN Cricket.
“It'd be a miracle if he made runs in this series. A miracle.
“It’s not going to take hindsight for everyone to go, ’He should have retired or been retired 12 months ago’.
“But look, it'll run its course for either one or two more Tests until he performs or doesn’t.
“Whenever confronted by genuine pace, he looks exactly as you would expect it.
“There's no criticism, it's just the diminishment of age, it's the natural course of things. It is past the point of no return.”
11:36am - Khawaja played golf the day before back spasm debacle
Things went awry for Australia immediately after bowling England out on Day 1, when Marnus Labuschagne was forced to open with Jake Weatherald due to Usman Khawaja spending too much time off the field during the visitors’ innings.
According to cricket Australia, Khawaja spent limited time on the field due to back stiffness, with a back spasm delaying his return to play.
While Australia’s early collapse can’t be solely blamed on Khawaja, Australia’s entire top four was out of whack due to his fielding absence, with Steve Smith in at three during the first over before Khawaja emerged at No. 4 where he scored just two.
Now according to reports, Khawaja played golf the day before the opening day in Perth.
While his golfing may not have contributed to his back issue, SEN Cricket’s Tom Morris and Bharat Sundaresan pondered whether that was the right preparation before such a big series.
Sundaresan: “You can't pin Australia's collapse entirely on Usman Khawaja not opening the batting, but you don't expect to see that happen at Test level, that's the thing that stood out.
“We still don't know where the back spasms emerged from, I saw one report in the English papers… it was on how Khawaja won a golf tournament the previous day.
“I've not played enough golf to know what impact it has on your body. Can you get a stiff back from playing golf?”
Morris: “The point is that you can play golf the day before you play cricket, especially if you're in a cart, you're going to be absolutely fine.
“But shouldn't you, as an elite athlete, before Day 1 of an Ashes series, be doing everything you possibly can to make sure that you're fit?
“It's not like he had to field for 70 overs. He fielded for 15-20 overs and had back spasms, which also speaks to his age, which is a thing that we continue to discuss as well. He'll turn 39 during the Adelaide Test.
“He batted at four, out of position, Smith moved up to three, and Marnus opened.
“You need everything to go right in a series like this. This was an own goal by Australia.
“You cannot win a series if you have successive own goals across the summer, so it would have frustrated people internally, there's no doubt about that.”
10:32am - Crazy stat shows how batting has changed
Lightning has struck twice in Perth, with a huge number of wickets falling on Day 1 of the Test summer.
Last year it was 17 wickets falling as India got on top thanks to Jasprit Bumrah, this time the English attack did the damage after being removed cheaply, with 19 wickets falling.
As revealed by SEN's Tom Morris, last year's 17 wickets in one day was the most to fall in a single day since 1952... yesterday beat that 72 year record in just 12 months.
Batting may be getting harder down under... but some of the shots on Day 1 were as bad as you'll see in park cricket.
If it continues on Day 2, this Test will be lucky to last to Lunch on Day 3.
9:00am - England aren't a one man show like Aussies with the ball
England are not a one man show like Australia - at least that's what it looked like on Day 1, according to Bharat Sundaresan, who hailed Ben Stokes not only for his bowling but for his leadership.
The speed of day one felt more akin to One-Day cricket with 19 wickets falling in just 71.5 overs of play. It's the most on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909.
Stokes took five wickets in 47 minutes in a destructive display from the tourists who had earlier been bundled out for 172.
Wrapping up what he had witnessed at Optus Stadium, Sundarasen was stunned.
"I don’t think we ever imagined this, 19 wickets," he said on SEN. "The difference between the teams is Starc did it alone. England were relentless with all five bowlers.
"Stokes comes in and takes five wickets in six overs. That Stokes is a freak, but it sums up a day which went from crazy to crazier to craziest.
"I have never seen an Aussies batting line up being roughed up like this. There were body blows everywhere.
"It was a day where England made a real statement with the ball. You would expect England to come hard with the bat. I don’t know how this test match progresses."
England wake up in Perth for day two with a 49-run lead. we will be live with all the action through the day!
