Guernsey Press

First Ashes Test: Australia riding high after thrilling win in series opener

The tourists finally secured a two-wicket win at 7.20pm on day five – 80 minutes after the scheduled close.

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Australia drew first blood in the 2023 Ashes as Pat Cummins led his side to a heart-pounding victory over England at Edgbaston.

The first Test of the series swung backwards and forwards for the full five days, before the tourists finally secured a two-wicket win at 7.20pm on day five – 80 minutes after the scheduled close.

Captain Cummins played the decisive hand, hitting an unbeaten 44 in a ninth-wicket stand of 55 with Nathan Lyon. Watching Australia chase down 281 was a gut-wrenching result for an England team that had been responsible for making a result possible in the first place.

Stokes looked to have set up an England triumph when he defied his long-standing knee injury to remove player-of-the-match Usman Khawaja for 65, but in the end they could not finish the job and will head to Lord’s down 1-0 with four to play.

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Moeen Ali inspects his injured index finger (Mike Egerton/PA)

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Stokes was left flat on his back after an attempted catch in the deep.
Stokes was left flat on his back after an attempted catch in the deep (Mike Egerton/PA)

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What comes next

England women's captain Heather Knight will take the baton on for England this week.
England women’s captain Heather Knight will take the baton for England this week (Nigel French/PA)
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