Australia 4-75 (Steven Smith 38*, Chris Rogers 16, James Anderson 2-25) trails England 215 (Jonathan Trott 48, Jonny Bairstow 37, Peter Siddle 5-50, James Pattinson 3-69) by 140 runs.
Peter Siddle and company demonstrated lethal fast bowling for Australia while James Anderson and Steven Finn brought back England in the game with four wickets.
England was bowled out for 215 runs while utilising 59 overs and Australia scored 75 in 21 overs with six wickets in hand.
The Ashes –1st Investec Test commenced on Wednesday, July 10, 2013, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Earlier, Alastair Cook, the captain of England won the toss and went into bat along with Joe Root. They started off slowly by scoring 6 runs in four overs as Root hit a couple of fours in the next over. James Pattinson made the first breakthrough for the Kangaroos when Cook was caught behind at 27 after contributing 13 runs. Jonathan Trott walked in next, got 2 fours in the 13th over and Root continued with his promising batting at the other end. Peter Siddle struck in the 22nd over and clean bowled Joe Root for 30 as the score reached 78. Kevin Pietersen got together with Trott who was enjoying his batting with regular boundaries.
The first hundred of the innings appeared on the screen in the 28th over as Pietersen was gone for 14 and was replaced by Ian Bell. The stumps of Jonathan Trott were uprooted by Siddle for 48 off 80 balls with 9 fours. Jonny Bairstow took guards next while the score board began moving briskly and the ball was sent out of the rope frequently by the two batsmen. The fifth wicket fell at 178 when Bell lost his wicket for 25. Jonny Bairstow was the 8th batsman who went back to the pavilion for 37 as the total touched 213 and the innings of England was rolled back for 215 in 59 overs.
Peter Siddle was the supreme bowler with five wickets, James Pattinson held three whereas Mitchell Starc got two wickets.
Shane Watson along with Chris Rogers opened the innings for Australia briskly as the first hit two consecutive fours in the second over. Steven Finn made a huge dent in the rival batting while getting rid of Watson and the newcomer, Ed Cowan, two overs later. Their skipper Michael Clarke struggled for six balls before his stumps were destroyed by James Anderson without scoring any run. Steven Smith joined in next with Rogers who was trying to defend the dangerous bowling at his end.
Smith was the most aggressive of the two and added two back to back boundaries in the 14th over. Chris Rogers was declared leg before wicket off Anderson for 16 even after he took a review. Phillip Hughes associated with Smith next who dispatched the first six of the match in the 16th over. The duo survived a few anxious moments at the crease as the stumps were pulled after 21 overs. Steven Smith was unbeaten for 38 off 51 deliveries with 1 six and 5 fours and Phillip Hughes was at the other end with 7 as Australia managed 75 runs.
James Anderson and Steven Finn were the successful bowlers for the hosts with two wickets each.
Australia is still 140 runs behind the first innings score of England in the first innings. The visitors will depend a lot on the current pair at the crease for bringing them to a safe position whereas the home side will try to get a vital first innings lead.
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