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Joe Root hundred guides England on freewheeling first day of the Ashes

Published

3 years ago

2023/06/17

Priyan

Joe Root reverse-scoops Pat Cummins for six (Cricinfo)

The first day of the 2023 Ashes started with Zak Crawley lacing Pat Cummins through cover for four, ended with Australia’s openers seeing out four overs following an opportunistic declaration, and hardly paused for breath in between.

England had made clear that they would not change the approach that has brought them so much success in the last 12 months and hurtled towards 400 while scoring at five runs per over, looting 45 boundaries and playing out only two maidens all day.

After three successive Ashes series without a hundred as captain, it was Joe Root who underpinned their innings. Several outlandish shots – he twice reverse-scooped sixes over the slip cordon – interspersed a high-tempo cruise and he played late, dabbing, flicking and punching singles out to boundary-riders.

He brought up his hundred in 145 balls, clipping Nathan Lyon off his pads, then twice charged down to hit him back over his head for six in Lyon’s next over. With the second new ball approaching, Ben Stokes had seen enough and called his batters in to leave David Warner and Usman Khawaja 20 minutes to survive until the close.

The Edgbaston crowd, who made themselves known to Australia’s boundary-riders throughout an unbridled opening day, became part of the theatre, teeing up Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson as they bounded in with the new ball. But both openers survived with few scares and will come back on Saturday hoping to set Australia on their way to a lead on a flat, slow pitch.

It had long been clear that this Ashes would be played at a different tempo to any other, and the first ball of the series only served to reinforce that. Eighteen months ago in Brisbane, Mitchell Starc’s dismissal of Rory Burns set the tone for a tour defined by England’s dismal performances; here, Crawley crunched Cummins through the off side on the up. Cummins posted a deep backward point from the start, pre-empting England’s aggression and by the third over had three men on the rope. Their value was shown in the fourth: Ben Duckett only half-committed to a cut shot, with deep backward point nullifying his opportunity for a boundary, and edged Josh Hazlewood through to Alex Carey.

Hazlewood’s inclusion for his first Test since January came as a surprise, with Mitchell Starc making way after playing in the World Test Championship final at The Oval last week. But he was the pick of Australia’s attack, finding some bounce on an un-receptive surface and finishing the day as their most economical bowler – even if he conceded more than four runs per over.

Lyon came on early, introduced in the 10th over as though Cummins was dangling a carrot. He started with four men out, but Crawley was in no mood to milk singles, and thrashed the final ball of his first over for four through the covers. By drinks, he had lashed Scott Boland for two further boundaries.

“Another 30 for Zak!” taunted an Australian fielder, picked up by the stump microphone, and Crawley’s innings should have ended before he had reached a half-century. He stepped across to the off side looking to whip Boland into the Eric Hollies Stand at midwicket and edged a lifter through to Alex Carey – but Australia did not appeal.

He brought up his half-century off 56 balls, but had lost his partner just before. Ollie Pope, who settled into his innings after a frenetic start, lofted Lyon over mid-off but was trapped on the knee roll as he looked to whip across the line. Umpire Ahsan Raza initially gave him not out but ball-tracking confirmed the ball had pitched in line with leg stump.

England ticked over throughout the session, taking an unprecedented 54 singles before lunch – yet Australia’s defensive fields were vindicated by three wickets in the first session, Crawley falling in the final over of the morning. He gloved behind as Boland found some extra bounce from a length, Australia successfully reviewing the on-field decision.

Harry Brook, facing Australia for the first time in his career, counter-punched in the afternoon, lofting Lyon over cover from the eighth ball he faced. He cut and drove Boland for two boundaries in three balls, but nearly fell in the same over: he top-edged a short, wide ball which Travis Head initially failed to pick up at deep point, then dropped as he scampered in and dived forwards.

England then lost two wickets in nine balls, leaving them 176 for 5. Brook’s dismissal was a freak: he shouldered arms to Lyon and the ball ballooned up off his thigh pad to a cry of “catch it”; Carey tried to but watched it land inside the crease and spin sharply back into middle stump. He caught the next one that came his way, an outside edge from Stokes as Hazlewood angled one across him.

That brought Jonny Baistow in for his first Test innings since September, and he survived a tight review for lbw off his first ball. But as Root cruised to a half-century without breaking sweat, Bairstow found his rhythm, slashing Cameron Green – who bowled only six overs in the day – over the off side.

Root was given out on 61 but successfully overturned the lbw decision on review, having gloved the ball into his pad. It was the second of three successive reverse-sweeps he played off Lyon; the other two flew to the boundary.

Bairstow played aggressor after tea as the partnership swelled past 100, but his dismissal for a run-a-ball 78 preceded a frantic passage of play. He and the returning Moeen Ali were both stumped off Lyon, charging down the pitch, before Broad lost his off stump to Green after hoicking a couple of fours.

Root freed his arms after ticking past his hundred, a landmark that was met with a punch of the air and a standing ovation from around the ground. This was his first hundred against Australia in eight years, with a dozen unconverted half-centuries in between times, and the 30th of his Test career.

There was enough time for him to take 20 runs off one Lyon over – along with Robinson, who reverse-swept him for four – before Stokes, wearing his bucket hat, gestured for the pair to come back in. There may never have been a day of Ashes cricket quite like it.

Brief scores:

England 393/8 decl. (Joe Root 112*, Zak Crawley 61; Nathan Lyon 4-149, Josh Hazlewood 2-61) lead Australia 14 for no loss by 379 runs.

(Cricinfo)

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Heat Index at Caution Level at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar and Vavuniya districts

Published

8 hours ago

2026/03/17

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 16 March 2026, valid for 17 March 2026

The general public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar and Vavuniya districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.

Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.

Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.

Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.

Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

Foreign News

Ecuador deploys 75,000 soldiers and police to combat drug gangs

Published

8 hours ago

2026/03/17

Priyan

[pic BBC]

The Ecuadorean government has deployed more than 75,000 police officers and soldiers to four of the country’s most violence-wracked provinces, the interior minister says.

The authorities have also declared a night-time curfew in these areas as part of a “new phase” in their “war” on criminal gangs.

Since coming to office in November 2023, President Daniel Noboa has tried to quell drug-related violence but nevertheless Ecuador registered a record murder rate in 2025.

Noboa has also joined a US-led alliance of 17 countries aimed at fighting criminal cartels in the Western Hemisphere.

“We’re at war,” Ecuadorean Interior Minister John Reimberg told residents of the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.

“Don’t take any risks, don’t go out, stay at home,” he added.

Ecuador’s geographical location – sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest producers of cocaine – has turned it into a key transit country for the illicit drug.

Around 70% of the cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru is estimated to be shipped through Ecuador.

Noboa’s government has been working with the administration of US President Donald Trump to quell the flow of cocaine from Ecuador to the US.

Last week, the FBI opened its first office in the Andean country, a move which came shortly after the two countries launched joint counter-narcotic operations.

Noboa was one of the Latin American leaders to attend an international meeting hosted by Trump in Mar-a-Lago, which the US authorities dubbed the “Shield of the Americas” summit.

At the summit, Trump likened criminal gangs to a “cancer” and urged his Latin American counterparts to use military force to root them out.

“We don’t want it spreading,” Trump added.

Following the meeting, Noboa posted a photo on social media of himself standing next to Trump with the words: “For too long, the mafias thought that America was their territory. That they could cross borders, move drugs, guns and [spread] violence without consequences. Their time has run out.”

Since coming to office, Noboa has tried to combat criminal organisations in his country with an iron fist and has declared several states of emergency but nevertheless the murder rate rose by over 30% between 2024 and 2025.

[BBC]

Latest News

Wednesdays declared a government holiday with effect from 18th March

Published

16 hours ago

2026/03/16

Priyan

The Commissioner General of Essential Services, Prabath Chandrakeerthi has announced that, after taking into consideration the current fuel situation in Sri Lanka, the Government has decided to declare Wednesdays of every week as a holiday for government sector employees, all government schools, universities, and courts with effect from March 18, 2026, until further notice

The holiday will not apply to essential service sectors including Healthcare, Ports, Water Supply and Customs.