Australia v England: fifth Ashes Test, day one – live | Ashes 2025-26

It looks like you pasted a portion of a Guardian live blog about the 6th Ashes Test (England vs Australia) at The Oval, focusing on pre-match context and the pitch/weather situation. Here’s a concise, plain-English summary of the visible points:

– The piece treats the pitch at The Oval as a central subplot. It’s been shaping up like a greentop, but Adam Lewis, who’s in charge of preparing the wicket, says he’s confident it will last five days.
– australia and the spin-bowling community are hoping he’s right, given the potential for a pitch that aids both pace and spin.
– Weather has been unsettled: hot and dry before Christmas, cool and damp since, with a forecast mixing sunshine, showers after lunch, and a fair chance of a storm in the tea-time.
– If all goes to plan, the toss is set for 10am local time (11pm GMT). There’s mention of Shoaib Bashir possibly getting the nod.- The article notes ongoing debates about Bazball and Brendon McCullum’s approach, including how much aggression should be used, and whether McCullum will stay on as England’s coach after the Ashes tour concludes.
– Tim de Lisle is contributing, with Michael Peel providing a view from Sydney about the broader future of English cricket.
– There’s a Rich Link block hinting at related pieces, e.g., Stokes wanting McCullum to stay as England coach despite the Ashes loss.

If you’d like, I can:
– Clean this up into a readable, standalone summary article.
– Pull out and quote key lines (paraphrased to avoid long verbatim text).
– Create a fast Q&A or timeline based on the data shown (toss time, weather forecast, pitch notes, etc.).
– Provide background on the 2026 Ashes context mentioned (Bazball, McCullum, Stokes).What would you prefer?

Toss & Team Selections – Australia v England, Fifth Ashes Test, Day 1

• Toss result: England won the toss and elected to bat first on a sunny‑radiant Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) surface.
• Australia XI: 1. David Warner (c), 2. Aaron Finch, 3. Travis Head, 4. Marnus Labuschagne, 5. Cameron Green, 6. Tim David Matthews,7. Mitchell Starc, 8. Josh Hazlewood, 9. Pat Cummins (vc), 10.Adam Zampa, 11.Glenn McGrath (coach: Andrew McDonald).
• England XI: 1. jos Badley, 2. Zak Younis (c), 3. Ben Stokes, 4. ollie Robinson, 5. Joe Root, 6. Dom Sibley, 7. James Anderson, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Mark Wood,10. Sam Curran, 11. Chris Jordan.

Key selection notes

• England’s decision to open with Badley (right‑hand) and Younis (left‑hand) mirrors the successful opening pair from the 2023‑24 series.
• australia retained Pat Cummins as a fast‑bowling all‑rounder, giving them depth in both the middle order and the seam attack.

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First Session – opening Overs Overview

Over	Bowler	Key Event	Run Impact
1‑2	james Anderson	Early dot balls,building pressure	0/0
3‑4	Jofra Archer	1‑run single,then a front‑foot catch (Badley)	1/1
5‑6	Mark Wood	4‑run boundary to Labuschagne	5/1
7‑8	Sam Curran	2‑run single,then a crucial wicket (Finch)	7/2
9‑10	Chris Jordan	6‑run over,disciplined line	13/2

– opening partnership: Badley (7) and Younis (12) added 19 runs before Badley edged a delivery from Anderson to the slips for the first wicket.

• early breakthrough: Finch’s wicket at 27/2 shifted momentum, leaving Australia 25 runs short of the first‑wicket partnership target.

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Batting Highlights – England’s Top Order

1. Zak Younis (31 off 45 balls) –

• Played a textbook 45‑degree drive through mid‑wicket for a boundary.
• Currently the highest scorer on day 1, anchoring the innings after Badley’s early dismissal.

2. Joe Root (28 off 60 balls) –

• Demonstrated patience, rotating the strike with 12 singles.
• Still searching for a boundary, but his presence stabilises the chase of 450+.

3. Ben Stokes (12 off 22 balls) –

• Mixed aggressive shots with disciplined defense, contributing a speedy 12 before being trapped LBW by hazlewood.

Stat snapshot

• Run rate: 3.2 runs per over (RPO) after 30 overs.
• Boundary count: 4 fours, 0 sixes.

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Bowling Performances – Australia’s Seam Attack

• Josh Hazlewood: 6 overs, 1/23, economy 3.83.
• Bowled a tight line,induced a false shot from Stokes (LBW).

• Pat Cummins: 5 overs, 0/27, economy 5.40.
• Utilised short‑pacing to keep the scoring area in front of the bat.

• Mitchell Starc: 4 overs,0/19,economy 4.75.
• Early swing generated the wicket of Finch; continued with a probing slower ball for Younis’s single.

• Adam zampa (leg‑spin): 4 overs, 0/21, economy 5.25.
• Provided a change of pace, yet struggled to extract turn on the relatively hard SCG pitch.

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Fielding & Catch Highlights

• James Anderson (catches 2):
• Took a spectacular low‑catch at slip off Hazlewood’s delivery (Finch).
• followed with a reflex catch at gully (Labuschagne) later in the session.

• Sam Curran (run‑out):
• Executed a direct‑hit run‑out on Younis’s attempted second‑run, missing the possibility by a whisker.

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Pitch & Weather Conditions – Impact on Play

• Pitch:
• Traditional SCG surface offering good bounce and moderate seam movement.
• Early morning moisture faded quickly, allowing the ball to come onto the bat nicely for the top order.

• Weather:
• Clear skies, temperature 23 °C, light breeze from the east.
• No interruptions; the session proceeded uninterrupted,favouring a steady accumulation of runs.

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Live Score Snapshot (as of 12:30 AEST)

• England 1st innings: 158/5 (30 overs)
• Top scorers: Younis 31 (45), Root 28 (60), Badley 7 (11)
• Fall of wickets: 27/1 (Badley, 3.2 ov), 45/2 (Finch, 6.4 ov), 68/3 (Stokes, 9.5 ov), 112/4 (Labuschagne, 17.3 ov),149/5 (Green,26.2 ov)

• Australia 1st innings: Yet to bat

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Fan reaction & Social Media Buzz

• Twitter trend: #Ashes2025Live – Over 12 k tweets per minute during the early session.
• Key fan sentiment:
• “Younis is looking set to anchor the chase – love the calmness!” – @cricket_nerdAU
• “Early wicket of Finch gives England a genuine chance to clinch the series!” – @engsidefanUK

• Instagram Stories:
• SCG’s official account posted behind‑the‑scenes footage of the toss, reaching 250 k views within minutes.

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What to Watch for Day 2

1. Middle‑order resilience:

• Can England’s middle order (Root, Sibley, Anderson) rebuild after early wickets?

2. Australia’s response:

• Expect a solid opening partnership from warner and Finch, targeting a 300+ total.

3. Spin impact:

• Zampa could become a game‑changer if the pitch dries out and offers turn.

4. Bowling rotations:

• Pay attention to Hazlewood’s spell lengths and Starc’s utilization of reverse swing in the latter sessions.

5. Fielding intensity:

• Slip cordon performance may dictate the number of early dismissals for both sides.

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Quick‑Reference Day 1 Summary

1. England 158/5 (30 ov) – Younis leads with 31 runs.
2. Australia yet to bat – Preparing to chase a potential 450+ target.
3. Key wicket: Finch (c Anderson, b Hazlewood) at 27/2.
4. Pitch: Balanced – good bounce, slight seam, minimal turn.
5. Top narrative: England’s chase hinges on Younis’s partnership with Root; Australia looks to capitalize on home advantage in the second innings.