Ashes 1st Test, day one: James Vince stars for England but Australia fight back
Vince and Mark Stoneman share a stand of 125 as visitors finish on 196-4 at the Gabba in Brisbane
James Vince scored 83 as England finished on 196-4 at the close of play on day one of the first Ashes Test match in Brisbane.
England skipper Joe Root won the toss against Australia and opted to bat first at the Gabba, but the tourists were soon a wicket down as Alastair Cook fell for two.
But Vince (83) and Mark Stoneman (53) steadied the ship on a day that was affected by rain, with play suspended for 95 minutes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Root fell for 15 after being caught LBW by Pat Cummins. The Australia bowler finished with 2-59 after also clean bowling Stoneman.
The highlight of the day came when Vince was superbly ran out by Nathan Lyon, who produced a superb piece of fielding to deny the England batsman.
Following the match, Vince told the BBC: “It was nice to get some runs early. Not getting a ton [was] disappointing. No matter what score you get, you always want more. It would have been nice to be there at the end of the day, but stuff like that happens in cricket.
“I’m sure lying in bed I’ll have a few thoughts about missing out, but if you’d offered me 80-odd, I’d have taken it. Next time I probably won’t take that run. It was a good bit of fielding [by Lyon]. He bowled pretty well and deserved something from the day.”
Lyon believes Australia need to “come out and bowl well” on day two, which starts half an hour earlier than the opening day, at 11.30pm tonight, because of the the rain delay.
He told BT Sport: “It was a good challenge with Stoneman and Vince batting well, so we’re happy with that fightback. It will harden up and still be good to bowl on for the quicks, so we’re looking forward to tomorrow.
“England are a great side and we need to come out and bowl well. I’m very happy with the run out - you practice it all day at training so it’s nice to see it come off.
“For me, it was one of those days where you create chances with the ball and they miss. I thought I bowled well without much luck.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Nutcracker: English National Ballet's reboot restores 'festive sparkle'
The Week Recommends Long-overdue revamp of Tchaikovsky's ballet is 'fun, cohesive and astoundingly pretty'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown
Speed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - December 18, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - thoughts and prayers, pound of flesh, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Ashes: can England mount a glorious comeback?
feature ‘Herculean’ task follows ugly scenes at controversial second test
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Ashes 2021-22: Test squads, predictions, UK start times, TV coverage
feature Everything you need to know about the Australia vs. England cricket series
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
‘Now the theatre begins’: Aussies react to Ben Stokes’s Ashes inclusion
feature Star all-rounder gives England a major boost ahead of the series down under
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The Ashes 2021-2022: series set for go ahead as Joe Root commits to tour
feature England and Australia hold talks over entry requirements and quarantine concerns
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League 2020-21 predictions and odds: champions, top four, relegation
The Week Recommends A look at what the football media has to say ahead of the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich: Alphonso Davies expects a ‘goalfest’
The Week Recommends Key talking points ahead of the Champions League final
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City’s ‘World Cup’: Pep Guardiola’s team bid for Champions League glory
The Week Recommends Sky Blues prepare for a potential three knockout games in eight days in Portugal
By Mike Starling Published
-
On the prowl for No.16: Tiger Woods is geared up for PGA Championship challenge
The Week Recommends First major of the year will be held behind closed doors at TPC Harding Park
By The Week Staff Published