The Ashes series took another twist on Wednesday as England dominated the first day of the third Test to finish only three runs behind Australia with seven wickets left after fast bowlers James Anderson, Steven Finn, and Stuart Broad combined to dismiss the tourists for just 136.
England finished the rain-hit day at Edgbaston on 133-3. Ian Bell saved his Test career by hitting 53 on his home ground.
Anderson took his 18th Test five-for with 6-47, Finn got 2-38 — including the crucial wicket of Steve Smith — in a triumphant return to Test cricket after two years, and Broad removed the only Australian to offer resistance, Chris Rogers, for 52.
Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to bat but quickly wished he hadn't. Australia were dismissed inside 37 overs and batted despite the overcast conditions and a green tinged pitch which promised to aid seam movement.
James Anderson took six for 47, his best innings figures against Australia and fourth best overall, in 14.4 overs. His haul included a spell of four for seven in 10 balls after lunch.
It represented a huge turnaround for Anderson, England’s most successful Test bowler with 412 wickets. The 32-year-old lancastrian had gone wicketless with match figures of none for 137 in Australia’s crushing 405-run win in the second Test at lord’s.
Meanwhile fast bowler Finn marked his first Test since 2013 with two for 38 in 10 overs after Mark Wood was omitted because of ankle problems. Broad, the only other bowler used in the innings, had figures of two for 44. But the lively seaming pitch and overcast conditions which aided England’s attack were still factors as the hosts began a reply cut short by rain.
Australia were indebted to opener Chris Rogers’s 52, with their next best score Adam Voges’s 16. This was Rogers’s ninth fifty in 11 Test innings and came after he was cleared to play following a balance problem in the inner ear caused by being hit on the helmet by an Anderson bouncer during the course of his Test-best 173 at lord’s.
In reply, England could have gone back to the pavillion a much more relaxed unit but for Bell throwing away his wicket in the second last over of the rain-interrupted day.
Bell advanced to lyon and tried to hit him out of the ground but only managed to get an edge and sky the ball to David Warner at midwicket. With much promise, Bell could have gone on to score big. His pedigree was visible when he hit three four’s twice in his inning — first to Josh Hazlewood and then to the Mitchell Starc.
Adam Voges’ stomach took two catches in the inning. First to dismiss Adam lyth at slip where the Aussie fumbled and then latched on with the help of his tummy.
The second one was more comical. Alistair Cook, at 34, hooked lyon from the middle of the bat but was caught by Voges at short leg who had ducked but caught the ball with the help of his stomach.
Brief Scores:
Australia: 136 (Rogers 52; Anderson 6/47) lead England: 133/3 (Bell 53; lyon 2/3) by 3 runs.