After a hectic session, Starc and Australia are leading.
A lunch score of 105 for 4 would not have been Ben Stokes' ideal result when he made the unusual decision to bat first after the coin went in his favour. On the first morning of the Ashes, Mitchell Starc has been outstanding. In a devastating opening six-over blitz, Starc tore out three of England's top four as many on both sides appeared uneasy. Scott Boland's bowling was poor. Despite having a strong debut, Brendan Doggett failed to make an impression. Despite some hesitant yet aggressive batting, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook maintained their composure.
Pope scored his highest Ashes goal before Cameron Green's full straight ball was missed. Ben Stokes and Brook are now crucial to England's high score. Only this afternoon and tomorrow will the pitch improve enough for batting. Although Brook's attitude has been wild and almost reckless, he is still present. After lunch, Australia will be reluctant to let him leave.
The 2025–26 Ashes' first session has not let us down!
Australia wins the first match in Perth thanks to Mitchell Starc's three-wicket opening burst.
In Australian conditions, Green has also taken 23 Test wickets at a rate of 24.95. He is a crucial component of Australia's offence throughout the series and will be wisely utilised. Nathan Lyon took his position to bowl to Ben Stokes after he had only bowled six balls.
Ollie Pope is beginning to calm down after a tense start. Matt Roller has monitored Pope's performance:
Over the past 12 months, Ollie Pope's position at No. 3 has come under intense examination, but this morning he was England's most confident hitter.
Early on, he had a few anxious moments, such as squeezing his first ball past gully for three, chopping his third to second slip on the bounce, and getting worked over in Brendan Doggett's first over. However, he also produced a few good cutters and many precise punches down the ground. After scoring 35 on the opening day of the 2021–22 series, this is already his highest score in Australia, and he appears well-positioned for his first Ashes half-century in the eleventh attempt.
First in the history of Ashes
In the first over of an Ashes series, Sampath Bandarupalli has taken wickets:
Stan Worthington off Ernie McCormick, first ball, Brisbane, 1936
Jack Moroney (4th ball) off Trevor Bailey, Brisbane, 1950
Run Out, Gary Cosier, Brisbane, 1978 (5th ball)
Andrew Strauss (3rd ball) off Ben Hilfenhaus, Brisbane, 2010
Mitchell Starc, Rory Burns, Brisbane, 2021 (first ball)
Perth, 2025: Zak Crawley off Mitchell Starc (6th ball)
Today, Starc bowled the opening over of an Ashes series four times, more than any other bowler. Dennis Lillee and Jack Gregory each performed it three times.
Starc takes 100th Ashes wicket
Mitchell Starc is truly amazing. The ironman from Australia keeps proving that he is unstoppable. With 100 Tests and 400 wickets under his belt at the beginning of the series, he is the only member of the big three fit and standing. As he approaches his 36th birthday, all forecasts of age finally catching up with him continue to be overshadowed by 140kph wicket-taking rockets. Against England, he currently has 100 of his 400. It was undoubtedly his greatest wicket of the morning, his 100th. He bowled a peach to Joe Root, the top player in England, after dismissing Crawley and Duckett thanks to a batter error.
Pitching on leg and nipping across at 142.8 kph, he spun Root around like a pretzel as he attempted to push onside, only to edge it to Marnus Labuschagne's safe hands at third slip. In the absence of Hazlewood and Cummins, Starc is making a statement. England needs to get rid of him, but they haven't done it yet.
Duckett burns a review and wastes a start.
Ben Duckett had a striking appearance. Given how crucial England's openers were to their most recent Ashes victory in Australia in 2010–11, he stands out as a crucial member of the team. He made especially impressive manoeuvres against Scott Boland. Boland missed his distances, but Duckett regularly drove him to the ground.
However, he was much less confident when facing Mitchell Starc, and he paid the price by being stranded lbw after missing a comparatively straight half-volley on leg. For good measure, Duckett conducted a review with him. England has had a shaky start. The pitch appears suitable for batting. They wouldn't want to throw it away.
Bazball keeps criticising Boland.
In a pre-series article, former England captain Michael Atherton stated that Scott Boland won't be afraid of England because of what they did to him in 2023. Australia believed he would be a different prospect because to his record there. However, he has never played first-class cricket at Perth Stadium, and during the opening spell, he made terrible length mistakes.
When he has strayed too far, Ben Duckett has repeatedly driven him. Boland has shifted from around the wicket to over several times, although he has only beaten the bat a few times. After 18 deliveries, he has given up 23 runs.
Does anyone recognise this? Mitchell Starc scores in the first over of a home Ashes match once more, but it wasn't quite the first ball. In an anticlimax, Zak Crawley defended the first ball. He missed a half volley after playing a reckless drive. On the sixth ball of the over, he flashed once again on the up and nicked to Usman Khawaja, who first juggled it before clutching it to his abdomen.
Starc did a great job delivering it; the length was ideal, and he grasped it with the angled seam to remove the angle. However, it's simply not a high percentage play to drive that far in Perth.
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