Friday 2 August 2019 11:32, UK
Steve Smith rescued Australia with a superb century after England had dominated much of the first two sessions on day one of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
Australia were bowled out for 284 late in the day but that looked a long way off as they were reduced to 122-8 midway through the afternoon session, with Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes (3-58) doing the bulk of the damage.
However, Smith added 88 for the ninth wicket with Peter Siddle (44) and then took the attack to England to reach his 24th Test hundred and kicked on to reach 144 in his first Test since the ball-tampering scandal.
Smith was the last man out, bowled by Broad (5-86), having put on 74 for the last wicket with Nathan Lyon (12no) before Rory Burns and Jason Roy negotiated a tricky two-over spell to take England to 10-0 at stumps.
Australia had earlier won the toss in front of a full house in Birmingham and Tim Paine opted to bat but they were soon in trouble and were fortunate not to lose David Warner before a run had been scored.
Jimmy Anderson - who bowled just four overs before feeling tightness in his calf and leaving the field to go for a scan - bowled a maiden to Cameron Bancroft before Broad started with a ball down the legside to Warner, who tried to flick it away.
There was a noise as the ball passed the bat but England's appeal was turned down and after a short discussion they chose not to review. Warner's smirk told England they had made a mistake and UltraEdge confirmed it, there was a faint edge.
It was not to prove too costly though. In his next over, three balls after losing a review for contesting a 'not out' lbw decision against the left-hander, Broad got his man with a fuller delivery that appeared to hit Warner (2) plumb in front.
The Australia opener clearly thought so as well and walked off without reviewing. He was no doubt as surprised as anyone when DRS indicated the ball would have missed leg stump.
A gleeful home crowd waved Warner back to the dressing room and Bancroft (8) was treated to the same send-off as he departed soon after having nicked Broad to first slip, where Joe Root held on to a low catch.
Smith was booed to the crease as he walked out with the task of rebuilding for Australia and his job quickly got that much tougher when Usman Khawaja (13) on his way having feathered one through to Jonny Bairstow off Woakes. The initial appeal was rejected but England were convinced and reviewed successfully.
Smith and Travis Head (35) recovered the situation somewhat with a useful partnership either side of lunch but just as it appeared the pair were leading their side out of trouble, Woakes struck. It took another review but ball-tracking confirmed the ball would have thumped in middle-and-off had Head's pad not got in the way.
Matthew Wade (1) went in an identical manner, review and all, bringing Paine (5) to the middle. The Aussie captain came in hoping to steady the ship but proceeded only to push an already rocking boat that bit closer to capsizing as he pulled a bumper straight to Rory Burns at deep backward square to hand a disbelieving Broad his third wicket.
He didn't have to wait long for his fourth as two balls later he arrowed the ball into James Pattinson's (0) pad. The umpire's finger went up and there was no thought of a review, although the ball was shown to have been missing leg.
Ben Stokes (1-77) got in on the act when he trapped Pat Cummins (5) lbw with a big in-swinger to which the Australia No 9 offered no shot.
After Siddle successfully overturned an lbw decision against him, the fourth on-field call reversed inside two sessions, Smith reached his half-century from 119 balls. The pair fought their way through to tea and, after a 20-minute rain delay, continued their good work into the evening session.
With the England bowling attack shorn of their headline act, the stubborn ninth-wicket partnership was that much more frustrating for the hosts and Australia nudged past 200 a little under an hour into the final session.
After 23.2 overs of Smith expertly working the ball into gaps in his own unique style and Siddle nudging his way towards a half-century, the breakthrough finally came. Moeen Ali (1-42), bowling around the wicket, found Siddle's inside edge and Jos Buttler took a sharp catch at bat-pad.
With just one wicket remaining, Smith went on the offensive, moving into the 90s with a boundary and got to within two of a century by launching Ali into the stands over long on.
His hundred moment came as he drove Stokes through the covers for four more, bringing impassioned celebrations from Smith and a decidedly mixed reaction from the crowd with no shortage of applause but plenty of audible booing as well.
The century extends a stunning record that shows that since the Oval Test in 2013, if Australia bat first, Smith averages over 100 in the first innings with 15 hundreds in 30 innings.
Smith then went on smashing the ball around the ground and was finding gaps or clearing the fence with ease before a magnificent knock was ended when he tried one big shot too much in the search for quick runs and was bowled by Broad.
England's openers got through an over apiece from Cummins and Pattinson and will resume on day two, trailing by 274.
Watch day two of the first Ashes Test from 10am, Friday on Sky Sports The Ashes and Main Event.
