The Ashes series picked up from where the World Cup and the Ireland Test left off with a manic first four-over burst at Edgbaston, as Australia won the toss and chose to bat.
Ball 0.3: Anderson beats Bancroft with an absolute corker. Angled in towards the stumps before leaving Bancroft at the very last moment, the Aussie opener does very well not to edge the third ball of the series to the slip cordon. Anderson swinging the new Dukes ball around corners, an ominous start.
1.1 – Overpitched, down the leg-side – a proper loosener from Stuart Broad. Warner attempts to flick it off his pads but he appears to miss it. Jonny Bairstow appeals vociferously behind the stumps, but his teammates don’t appeal with quite the same vigour. There’s a barely even a discussion as to whether to review it or not. Replays subsequently show that Warner got a faint edge. Will Broad and co. live to rue that non-review?
A let off for Warner!
Could this come back to haunt England?#ENGvAUSpic.twitter.com/YghJfiwhxS
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 1, 2019
3.1 – Huge appeal! Aleem Dar doesn’t it like it but Broad, surprise surprise, does. He persuades skipper Joe Root to send it upstairs. It looks very straight…but it’s sailing comfortably over leg stump. England, who should have used a review in the second over, lose one 12 balls later.
Wicket 1.#ENGvAUSpic.twitter.com/L2zhaNxojK
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 1, 2019
3.5 – That looks out, very out. Warner misses a full and straight one from Broad and Dar does not hesitate to raise his finger this time. Warner doesn’t even consider a review, but he should. Standing well out of his crease with Broad bowling from around the wicket, replays show that the ball was sliding down the leg-side.
23 balls, one review that shouldn’t have been taken, two non-reviews that should have been taken and the wicket of Warner. Welcome to the 2019 Ashes.