Starc’s 10-wicket haul and stunning catch turn Ashes opener into a thriller
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PERTH, Australia (AP) — The high drama and flow of wickets returned in the middle session Saturday after a morning lull, turning the Ashes series opener into a duel between the pace attacks of Australia and England.
Mitchell Starc had 10 wickets for the match including his career-best 7-58 in the first innings, starting Day 2 with a spectacular catch to remove Zac Crawley and also removing Joe Root and Ben Stokes as England was dismissed for 164 in its second innings.
That set Australia a target of 205 for victory, with three days and one session remaining Saturday. But after 30 wickets tumbled in five sessions, anything is possible.
England lost three wickets without scoring in a momentum-shifting spell after lunch and slumped to 104-7 before Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) put on 50 in quick time to ensure a 200—plus chase for the Aussies.
Morning reprieve
The Australians resumed at 123-9 on Day 2 in response to England’s first innings of 172 after a chaotic opening day when 19 wickets for 295 runs in 72 overs.
Only two wickets fell — one for each team — on the second morning.
The Australians added nine runs in six overs before Carse wrapped up the innings with the dismissal of Nathan Lyon, giving England a 40-run first-innings lead.
Starc removed Zac Crawley before England had scored for the second time in as many innings. This time, though, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope combined to lift England to 59-1 at lunch — a 99-run lead.
Duckett (28) had a reprieve on the last ball before the interval when the TV umpire overturned an lbw decision for Scott Boland.
But he didn’t added another run after lunch before he was caught at second slip of Boland’s bowling with the total at 65, triggering a middle-order collapse.
Wickets tumble
After taking his first wicket of the match, Boland was quickly back into the action when he had Pope (33) caught behind and Brook (0) caught at slip in the space of four balls.
Two balls later, Starc removed Joe Root (8) for the second time in the match, the England batter dragging one onto his stumps.
Pope, Brook and then Root (8) were all out trying the same thing, reaching to play drives, and all with the total at 76.
It could have been worse for England, but Usman Khawaja dropped a regulation catch off Jamie Smith at slip that would have made it four wickets without a run.
Starc then dismissed Ben Stokes (2) to really send a tremor through the England lineup at 88-6, collecting his 10th wicket for the match.
In the first our after lunch, England lost five wickets for 36 runs in 11 overs.
Khawaja left the field, walking slowly, in the 27th over with the score at 104-6 after clutching at his lower back and there was doubt of his batting in the second innings. He was receiving treatment for back spasms on Day 1 too close to the end of England’s first innings, and wasn’t allowed to open or bat at No. 3 for Australia on Friday.
The pitch is playing quick, with some steep bounce and the bowlers were able to generate more swing on Day 2, with Boland returning 4-33 and Brendon Doggett having figures of 3-51.
The long, long review
The seventh wicket to fall was dramatic, with the TV umpire taking four minutes to review the dismissal over-and-over to determine if Jamie Smith’s glove or bat touched a delivery from Doggett as it carried down the legside to the wicketkeeper.
Smith appeared to start walking off but stopped as the TV umpire checked the “snicko” meter time and time again.
Travis Head, fielding at short-leg, appealed confidently for the nick, but the on-field umpire initially gave it out. The decision is sure to spark some debate among rival fans.
What a catch!
Starc’s stunning catch to dismiss Crawley for a pair was the highlight of a comparatively mild session in the context of the first test. He removed the England opener in the first over of the second innings a day after dismissing him in the first over of the match.
Starc was fully into his follow-through after a delivering a ball at around 140 kph (87 mph) and had the athletic ability to lunge to his left and take the catch at full stretch just above ground level to remove Crawley.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket