The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, first Test, day one – live | Ashes 2023

“Rob, I am surprised to find you local to Pylle and its animal shelter,” writes Dan Catton. “This email comes to you from sunny Evercreech, where the pre-Ashes excitement level is only subdued by the thought of the impassable roads that await us next week, thanks to Mr Eavis’s little gathering…”

This is my first year living close to Glastonbury during the festival. I haven’t really noticed it yet, apart from all the people wearing bucket hats on my TV.

Moeen Ali speaks

“My concern with Hazlewood is fitness,” says Robert Speed. “He hasn’t been able to get through a Test match unscathed for a while now. I would have stuck with Starc instead.”

Yeah I can understand that, though Green (and Lyon) give you enough insurance I think. The conditions, and the potential for reverse swing, is another reason why I thought they might play Starc.

“First, let’s get one thing straight,” says Matt Dony. “The bucket hat has never not been fashionable. (Possibly the Welsh football fan in me talking…). Second, English cricket has often gone in cycles, focussed on Ashes series. What if the whole Bazball thing has actually been a fantastic ploy to confuse the Australians? Really playing the long game? What if Crawley and Ducket come out and put on an obdurate 37-0 in the morning session? Admittedly, it’s not likely, but it would mess incredibly with Australian heads.”

You do realise only two 1.5 overs will be possible in the morning session because of an unexpected storm?

What do you think of Hazlewood over Starc? I suspect England would have preferred to face Starc, simply because he is more hittable. Hazlewood’s Test economy rate is 2.71, Starc’s 3.32. It probably comes down to that.

Ian Ward’s last question to Pat Cummins is simple. “England will come at you, is that okay?” Cummins smiles broadly. “Ah, I think so. Yeah.”

Team news: Hazlewood replaces Starc

England win the toss and bat

“Morning Rob,” says Dom Besley, though it’s anything but in his part of the world. “9:15pm in New Zealand and the family are in bed. I’m getting ready to pull an all-nighter. My first energy drink is open and the coffee machine is ready. When my four-year-old wakes, I’m likely to be as bouncing off the walls as he is.

“I’ve not been this excited for an Ashes since 2005. I’m really looking forward to seeing how England’s aggression fares against this Australian attack and how the plan goes if they find themselves in a spot of bother.”

If in doubt, go even harder. I don’t know if it will work, but I’m 99.94 per cent sure England won’t change their approach.

“Mornin’ from a chilly Southern Highlands NSW,” writes Jon Greig. “Despite wishes to the contrary… Can see Eng being three down within an hour… or, Oz 90 for one at lunch. Forever optimistic. Ahem.”

Ricky Ponting on Steve Smith

Hopefully this isn’t geoblocked in Australia.

Here’s Geoff Lemon on David Warner, the great survivor who wants to land one last haymaker on England. If the pitches are generally flat, I fancy him to have a good series.

“Regarding whether England were better than India in 2005: worth remembering that England went to India a few months later and held them to 1-1. Though that was admittedly after the 0-2 drubbing in Pakistan, so maybe England were actually behind Pakistan, not India.”

Ah but Pakistan were Pakistan: they hadn’t won a series for two years before beating India. For reference, these were the rankings at the start of the English summer: 1 Aus 2 Daylight 3 Eng 4 Ind 5 Pak.

“Morning Rob, morning everyone,” says David Clark. “The Aussies always try to pick off the English captain. Ben Stokes will know this. Presumably, he will fight fire with even more fire than usual. Is that possible?”

I’m sorry I assumed that was a rhetorical question.

“Last night I dreamed that I logged into the OBO this morning, only to discover that the Ashes had started yesterday,” says Richard O’Hagan. “Fortunately, it was displaying the close of play score as 275-4, at which point I knew that it must be a dream. Gone are the days of so few runs being scored on day one of an England Test.”

You do realise only 34 overs were possible because of an unexpected storm?

Win the toss and bat win the toss and win the toss and bat win the toss and we’ll have a bowl

Talking of good causes, my local animal shelter Happy Landings does the most wonderful work and is always in need of donations – whether it’s a box of grain-free dog food or a contribution towards Travis the pug’s eye operation and dental work. If you’re feeling generous, or unfairly pressured by this post, you can donate here.

“Rob! A Very Good Morning!” writes Kim Thonger. “May I ask you, on the first day of what we all hope will be a wonderful series, to mention a good cause? We long-suffering sixtysomething cricket watchers have huge admiration for the exciting changes brought about by Bazball, but there is a downside. The constant excitement is affecting our ability to take our traditional after lunch forty winks. I therefore announce on behalf of silver snoozers everywhere a global campaign called Preserve Elderly Naptime In Sport.

“We demand that this summer, with a window of tranquility the objective, batters should observe a half hour of deliberate shouldering of arms outside off stump from 1430 to 1500 BST every match day. Straight balls must get the full forward defensive. Short balls are to be evaded, by swaying or ducking. Leg side half tosses to be disdainfully ignored.

“I do not need to spell out the obvious acronym for this initiative. It may be short, but trips off the tongue nicely. I do hope you can provide rigorous editorial agitation so we can get the thing out and in front of the general public and make it a towering all conquering success. Cricket club members globally need the Guardian OBO writers to step up and deliver hands on active encouragement.”

This is a very longwinded way of pushing for Dom Sibley to be recalled. (And hats off to Dom, so unfairly maligned in recent years, for showing there is more than one way to skin a target of 501. In a Bazball world – and I’m not being flippant – he is now the maverick.)

It looks like Josh Hazlewood will play ahead of Mitch Starc (and Mitch Marsh)

Test Match Special overseas link

“Surely 2005 was the last Ashes series involving the two best sides in the world,” says Matt Hipkiss. “Australia go without saying, but England leading into that series had won all seven tests at home the previous summer, and won away in both South Africa and the West Indies in the preceding 12 months.”

I agree, though I suppose the argument is that – a bit like this team – they were a nose behind India. I can see both sides. Ultimately I think that if England and India played a 10-Test series, five at home and five away, India would edge it.

This entry is for England fans only

Let’s get this out of the way, shall we

Thanks for all your emails this morning. I won’t have time to read them all, but I’ll do my best. So far they all have one common theme: everyone feels like they’re 25 years old again.

“Happy Ashes morning Rob!” says Patrick Connolly. “I’m delighted you’ve got the OBO open nice and early as I need somewhere to direct my excitement this glorious morning.

“The sheer beauty of a five-Test series is that it condenses so many dramas on so many levels into a short period of time that also happens to be a long time. It’s a short period of time relative to, say, a whole football season, but a long period of time relative to any other sporting contest in the world. Yet it has all the drama (and more) of a full sporting season, and hundreds of mini-contests within it.

“Like a soap opera we get to know the participants and see their story develop over the series and we get to watch the most joyous part of sport – momentum shifts – play out in something like slow-motion. The momentum of a spell, a session, a day, an innings, all wrapped up in the momentum of a test and the momentum of a series. And even if we have to go do something else, it’s always there in the background, from 11am-6pm, the gradual moving of the dial back and forth.

“Other series are great, but the Ashes and the five-Test format just pushes it into the sublime. (And for those of us lucky enough to get a ticket in the cheap seats for a day, we also get to stack our empty beer glasses into a giant snake construction to be passed between the congregation like a collection at mass.)

“It’s strange to think too that in the time I’ve been reading the OBO people have been born, completed their schooling and are now actual adults….

“Anyways, I’m probably a bit over-excited. Enjoy the cricket!”

“Morning Rob, morning all,” says Matt Turland. “Well, here we are again. But it feels different. A whole lot of different. Don’t get me wrong, I think Australia win the series 3-2. But, and maybe it’s because I’ve been brainwashed by all the “good vibes”, It almost doesn’t matter what the result is. Almost. But that’s still a long way removed from years gone by

“If England give it a go and stick to their guns, glorious failure will be accepted by me. Much more enjoyable going down swinging than some of the dross we’ve been served up in the past.”

Admirable sentiments, and I completely agree, but the mood will change quickly if they score at 5.5 an over and lose 5-0.

There were so many encouraging signs for Australia in the WTC win over India. The greatest of them all was the rhythm and form of Steve Smith (second-innings yahoos notwithstanding). There are great players on both sides, but only one of them has won an Ashes series almost single-handedly.

Mitch Marsh marking out his run-up must be a red herring, surely. He’s a fine cricketer and all, but it would only make sense if Cam Green has picked up an injury.

“Morning Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Come on then, prediction time. Mine? Not a bloody clue. I think anything, literally anything, could happen. Though maybe not five draws, eh? Let’s hope the Hundred Test cricket is the real winner…”

I’ve never felt less confident in predicting an Ashes series, and not only because I’m subconsciously terrified of being cancelled. Could be 4-0, 0-4 or anything inbetween. And for that expertise, you are most welcome.

Mitch Marsh to play?

To mix metaphors in a frankly egregious way, this would be a helluva funky tank to park on England’s lawn.

Musical interlude

There’s going to be a lot of noise in the next six weeks, so let’s enjoy eight minutes of peace.

“How exciting is this?” says Pete Salmon. “Just spent the night gaming every possible first day scenario in my mind while trying to sleep, from England being 8/540 at stumps to Australia being 3/298, and everything in between. My question – when was the last Ashes series between the two best teams in the world? It wasn’t 2005 – I suspect it may have been 1974-75? Any other possibilities?”

At the risk of sounding like, well, me, I’m not sure it’s 2023. India are actually top of the ICC rankings and, though those rankings aren’t gospel, I’d still India them above England as of 9.40am on 16 June 2023. That said, I wouldn’t abuse you on the internet for having an alternative view.

I think there’s a decent case for 2005, personally, as India had just lost at home to Australia and, though much better than in the 20th century, could still be vulnerable away from home. Before that, goodness knows, probably 1974-75 as you say. It wasn’t 1989, I’ll tell you that for free.

“Here we go,” says Guy Hornsby. “Morning Rob, the day is here. Six weeks of uber-cricket, and whatever happens, it won’t be boring. The subtle fluctuations of form and fitness has meant while Australia have the usual suspects, we don’t have the team we hoped we would a year ago. But that’s not pessimism (no more than any 90s England fan) it’s just a slight readjustment of the Stokes protagonists, but the ethos won’t change. And that’s the big hope for us. Because we all know that other way didn’t work. But mainly, we can stop talking about two winters ago. I wonder if Rory Burns will be watching? Come on England!”

Poor Rory Burns, to be forever remembered for one ball rather than a pretty strong series in 2019.

Ben Stokes was almost comically laid-back at his press conference yesterday. If he’s bluffing, a career in poker awaits because he is seriously good at it.

Mark Ramprakash’s column

What to do at the toss?

Many of us fancy Ollie Robinson to be England’s leading wickettaker in this series. He’s also an endearingly straight talker, and this chat with Don McRae – the best sports interviewer in the business IMO – is particularly good.

Bazball by numbers

Trust me, this is one euphoric statgasm after another.

“Morning Rob,” writes Jim Wallace, who I’m very glad to say will be covering the second half of the day. “On the rattler to Brum. (John Snow Hill station.) Will send over a few ‘vibes’ (urgh) from the ground. I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna be good.”

At my age you don’t get too many Friday feelings, but I’d happily experience this once a week. Also, good idea to get the train after 7am so that you could pop into M&S.

Early team news

There’s plenty to do before flip gets real – just over two hours to go – so for now I’ll leave you with Ali Martin’s series preview.

It’s the Ashes!

And a tip of the hat to this tinder-dry response.

Usually in this thing, only one team has to win the series. A draw will be enough for Australia to retain the urn they have held since December 2017, but they are aiming higher than that. They are desperate to cement their legacy by becoming the first Australian side to win a series in England since 2001.

Fantasy Ashes!

Preamble

Rob Smyth