Australia enjoyed the best of the morning session as they reduced England to 88-3 at lunch on day one of the first Test of the Ashes summer at Cardiff.
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Joe Root’s counter-attacking innings of 33 off 24 balls helped the hosts take some momentum into the interval after the loss of three early wickets.
After rain delayed the start by 15 minutes, Adam Lyth’s maiden Ashes experience was ended in the second over as David Warner took a low catch at gully off Josh Hazelwood to send the opener back to the pavilion for six.
#Ashes | WICKET – Lyth | http://t.co/7h1mQkUd53 Hazlewood takes the first wicket! Lyth caught with an edge. 7-1 pic.twitter.com/2mVSp1clkP
— fanatix (@therealfanatix) July 8, 2015
Captain Alastair Cook survived the pace attack of Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson and was looking comfortable until he edged off-spinner Nathan Lyon behind to Brad Haddin for 20.
#Ashes | WICKET Cook | http://t.co/7h1mQkUd53 Cook’s early form is thrown out of the window! 42-2 pic.twitter.com/WHJodGAQPf — fanatix (@therealfanatix) July 8, 2015
Out-of-sorts Ian Bell (1) went lbw to a Starc inswinger eight balls later as England fell to 43-3, and Root then survived a big lbw shout and a dropped catch by Haddin in his first two balls.
#Ashes | WICKET Bell | http://t.co/7h1mQkUd53 Ian Bell is gone after just 7 balls. Bowled LBW from Starc. 43-3 pic.twitter.com/FNbaMcex0j
— fanatix (@therealfanatix) July 8, 2015
But the number five displayed the type of form that he has for much of the last 18 months to begin the rebuilding job alongside Gary Ballance, who moved to 28 not out at lunch after a measured start.
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