Nottingham, July 10: Australia paceman Peter Siddle tormented England’s batsmen at Trent Bridge on Wednesday, capturing 5/50 to help dismiss the hosts for 215 on the first day of the opening Ashes Test.
Siddle ripped out England’s top order, claiming the key wickets of Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen before James Pattinson took 3/69 and Mitchell Starc 2/54 to mop up the tail in the evening session and put Australia in charge.
Trott was England’s top-scorer with 48, from 80 balls with nine fours, while Jonny Bairstow made 37 from 51 balls. Australia took England’s last four wickets for just 2 runs in the space of 14 balls.
Australia’s selectors sprang a surprise before the toss by giving a debut to 19-year-old Ashton Agar — a left-arm finger spinner who has played only 10 first-class matches, but it was Siddle who stole the show.
England, who preferred Steven Finn to Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions, won the toss and opted to bat on a slow track with a rapid outfield, a decision that looks to have backfired.
With the ball swinging around in the overcast conditions, Alastair Cook (13) was living dangerously until James Pattinson tempted him to drive away from his body and nick the ball to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Trott, however, belied his reputation for caution with an aggressive innings. He got off the mark with a stylishly cover driven four and hit successive boundaries off Siddle. Siddle was innocuous and expensive in his first four overs, but his first delivery from the Radcliffe Road End brilliantly yorked Joe Root for 30 to drag Australia back into the contest. Pietersen perished in the second over after lunch when he edged Siddle to Clarke at second slip for 14.
The prize wicket of Trott came when he chased a wide delivery from Siddle in the 36th over and dragged the ball onto his stumps. England made a partial recovery as Bairstow and Bell put on 54 before Bell was out for 25 when he edged Siddle to Shane Watson at third slip.
Siddle claimed his fifth wicket when Matt Prior tried to drive another wide delivery through point and was caught by Phillip Hughes.
SCORECARD
England (1st Innings): A. Cook c Haddin b Pattinson 13, J. Root b Siddle 30, J. Trott b Siddle 48, K. Pietersen c Clarke b Siddle 14, I. Bell c Watson b Siddle 25, J. Bairstow b Starc 37, M. Prior c Hughes b Siddle 1, S. Broad c and b Pattinson 24, G. Swann c Hughes b Pattinson 1, S. Finn c Haddin b Starc 0, J. Anderson (not out) 1. Extras (b6, lb5, w8, nb2) 21. Total: 215.
FoW: 1-27, 2-78, 3-102, 4-124, 5-178, 6-180, 7-213, 8-213, 9-213.
Bowling: Pattinson 17-2-69-3, Starc 17-5-54-2, Siddle 14-4-50-5, Agar 7-1-24-0, Watson 4-2-7-0.