- First Ashes Test: England 393-8 declared; Australia 14-0
- Australia survive tricky late spell after hosts pile on runs
An Ashes series tipped to be a classic did not disappoint on day one, with a full house at Edgbaston treated to a sublime century from Joe Root, an enterprising performance from Australia, and the latest eye-popping declaration from Ben Stokes. If this is a sign of things to come, the pre-match predictions may have undersold the contest.
At stumps Australia found themselves 14 for no loss from four overs, not having bowled England out but rather plunged into a 20-minute examination against the new ball. After winning the toss on a pitch offering next to no lateral movement, England had typically raced their way to 393 for eight from just 78 overs – the fifth time their captain has pulled the pin on a first innings in just his 15th Test in charge.
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