My picks of the first day:
England took control on rainy day one of the final Ashes Test in Sydney. New Australia skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to bat and saw his side make a strong start until it all went pear-shaped for them once again after lunch. The dark clouds and rain disrupted most of the afternoon, but the little batting time there was, it saw the Aussies slide and fall from 105-1 to 134-4, with Clarke contributing no more than 4 runs before he was also caught out.
Run of Play: Advantage to...
1st session, Australia 55-1 at lunch: The openers made a good start for Australia until England snatched a late wicket in the last over before the break, to get the breakthrough and undo all the good work.
2nd session, Australia 111-2 at tea: And again just when you thought Australia were getting the hang of things with another 50 partnership, Watson falls and fails yet again to build on a good start.
3rd session, Australia 134-4 at the end of day one: Good pressure from the England bowlers sees the new Aussie skipper and the debutant fall before the hosts are spared from further wickets by the rain.
Partnerships: Shane Watson (45) and Phillip Hughes (31) made a strong start on the grassy pitch and you could hear the latter cursing himself for giving his wicket away with a nick and easy catch to Paul Collingwood at third slip just before lunch. Debutant Usman Khawaja (37) made a strong start too, a 50 partnership with Watson, before he saw his partner Watson and new skipper Clarke (4) fall. He followed them soon after though, also giving away an easy catch which made Australia crumble from 105-1 to 134-4 before rain ended the day prematurely. As it has been all too familiar this series, Australia's batsmen have failed to take advantage of winning the toss and create a defendable total through solid batting and partnerships.
Bowlers: Tim Bresnan made the most of the cloudy and messy conditions taking 2-47, whilst Chris Tremlett and Graeme Swann also contributed a wicket each for 40 and 6 runs respectively. All wickets looked like too-easy-to-be-true catches, the England bowlers frustrating the Australian batsmen and making them look like amateurs are times. The best clip of the day for England was Hughes' cursing caught on the the stumps' microphone when he gave his wicket away before lunch. "Oh no!" for the Aussies, "Oh yes!" for England.
Ups: England in control once again. It wasn't a bad toss to lose as the pitch and weather conditions could and have turned against the batting side very quickly.
Downs: Australia saved by the rain with not even 60 overs being bowled on the day - hopefully only for the day and not for the match. It would be a shame for the contest otherwise...
Hero to zero: It is early days yet, but Clarke has failed to impress so far in his first Test as skipper. First winning the toss and chosing to bat in those difficult conditions at Sydney and then seeing himself out for only four runs and his side crashing, losing three wickets for only 29 runs. They will once again have to depend on the weather and rain dance...
Australia v England fifth Test first day as it happened:
Highlights taken from the BBC website:
1st session:
- Australia's new skipper Michael Clarke has won the toss and he's decided to have a bat. Left-arm spinner Michael Beer is in for the Aussies alongside fellow debutant Usman Khawaja, the first Muslim to play for his country...
- If England win this Test, it will be only the third time since Bodyline they have won three in Australia in the same series, and one of those was in 1978-79, when Mike Brearley's team shellacked a Packer-depleted Aussie side 5-1...
- DRINKS BREAK, Australia 31-0: Tremlett still ploughing that line outside off and Watson very nearly has a nibble at that. Tremlett then gets one to move both ways before testing out Watson with a bumper, which the batsman plays with aplomb. Three for Watson with a clip through mid-wicket before Hughes edges just short of gully - that's drinks, Australia surviving...
- WICKET, Hughes c Collingwood b Tremlett 31 (Australia 55-1): GOT HIM! Hughes fencing at a rising delivery from Tremlett and Collingwood takes a simple catch above his head at third slip - bigger than jungle, and jungle is massive...
- INTERVAL: And that's lunch - would have been Australia's session were it not for that wicket just before the break, but with only 55 on the board and debutant Usman Khawaja next to come, England will be buzzing - I repeat, buzzing... see you in 40...
2nd session:
- BAD LIGHT STOPS PLAY, Australia 91-1: Bresnan back on and he angles one into Watson's pads and is turned away for one. Another erudite edge from Khawaja for two before the umpires come together for a chat - murky out there, they're coming off for light...
- WICKET, Watson c Strauss b Bresnan 45 (Australia 105-2): Watson's a goner! Lunging forward to Bresnan and edging and Strauss taking a safe one at first slip. What a funny old player Watson is - almost never fails to make a start, very rarely finishes off the job...
- RAIN STOPS PLAY, Australia 111-2: Low grip, high back-lift - there's just a little tinge about Brian Lara in this Khawaja lad, though one of his early attacking shots was also reminiscent of Sanath Jayasuriya. He's been more watchful of late, however. And RAIN HAS STOPPED PLAY after five dot balls from Anderson.
- So, confirmation that there will be no play for a while, at least until this rain clears away and the groundsmen have got the ground into shape. Khawaja is 26 not out, his New South Wales team-mate and new skipper Michael Clarke is on 4, in a total of 111-2 from 47.5 overs. Early tea is presumably being taken now.
3rd session:
- WICKET, Clarke c Anderson b Bresnan 4 (Australia 113-3): Khawaja dabs to mid-wicket and scampers one as Parky regales his pals with tales of a thousand interviews up in the stands... CLARKE GONE! Wide from Bresnan and the Aussie skipper slashes straight to Anderson at gully.
- WICKET, Khawaja c Trott b Swann 37 (Australia 134-4): Swann back on for his second spell. Long mid-over conversation between Strauss and Swann before Khawaja comes down the pitch and flicks to leg to cries of "I like that!" from Prior behind the stumps. Swanny's done it! Khawaja sweeping, top-edging, caught by Trott at square-leg. Pretty ordinary, that, but good pressure from England, kettling the debutant...
- RAIN STOPS PLAY... Khawaja is followed from the field by Hussey and England's XI, rain has stopped play again...
Nice work from England there, getting men round the bat and forcing Khawaja's hand. His old dear almost looks relieved as she claps him from the pitch, thought the poor woman was going to spontaneously combust...
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