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The small cup being held is not a cup trophy as is normal in other sports but is a terracotta urn about 11 inches high. It supposedly contains the ashes of a bail and was presented to the England captain by a group of Melbourne women, It followed a scathing newspaper report after England had been beaten by Austalia in England for the first time. The report stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.

El Loro

England won the toss and decided to bat first.

 

England: A Cook (capt), J Root, J Trott, K Pietersen, I Bell, J Bairstow, M Prior, S Broad, G Swann, S Finn, J Anderson

 

So Bresnan and Onions left out of the initial 13 man squad. As planned 22-year-old Joe Root opens the batting with Alastair Cook and hopefully this will be the England partnership for years to come. No way back for Nick Compton if it goes to plan!

 

Australia: S Watson, C Rogers, E Cowan, M Clarke (capt), P Hughes, S Smith, B Haddin, P Siddle, J Pattinson, M Starc, A Agar.

 

19-year-old spinner Ashton Agar gets a debut cap for Australia.

Cold Sweat

Ashton Agar is making the sort of test debut that dreams (or nightmares for England) are made of. At lunch 69 not out and if England don't wrap things up pretty quickly after lunch who knows what he'll get. He has singlehandly totally changed the game and swung it in Australia's favour. England are at a disadvantage with Broad unable to bowl adequately.

Trott can bowl a bit and I'm not sure if Pietersen is still able to.

El Loro

Agar just missed out on a debut century falling at 98.

Hughes was not out on 81

Australia all out for 280 with a healthy lead of 65.

 

The conditions should favour England's batting for their second innings but this could well be one of the most extraordinary tests of all time and absolutely anything could happen in the next half hour

El Loro