ENGLAND got their Ashes series off to disastrous start at The Gabba as Joe Root's men collapsed to 147 all out on Day One.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Rory Burns was clean bowled by Mitchell Starc for a royal duck on the first ball of the innings.
That set the tone for a day dominated by Australia and the weather, with a host of England batsmen – including skipper Root for another duck – back in the pavilion by lunch.
Joe Buttler and Ollie Pope put on a 50 partnership for the sixth wicket but England were rolled over for just 147 before tea when the rain hit.
- Day Two start time: Midnight GMT
- TV/ live stream: BT Sport 1/ EE Customers can watch for free
- Live score: England 147 all out/Australia yet to bat
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CLOSE OF PLAY REPORT
YEARS of dreams, months of planning and weeks of practice. And what happened? Rory Burns was out first ball – John Etheridge reports.
Not just the first ball of the match but the very first delivery of the Ashes series. And it set a grim tone for the rest of the day.
England staggered and stuttered to just 147 all out before a storm hit the Gabba ground and prevented Australia from beginning their reply.
The batsmen were exposed by the relentless power and penetration of Australia’s fast bowlers on a tricky pitch.
Almost everything that could have gone wrong for Joe Root and his team did go wrong. All those hopes of being competitive in this series might have been wiped away in a single day.
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END OF THE DAY
What a shame they didn't get back on. Word is it was a light problem with dark clouds overhead.
It means it's the perfect start for Australia to their Ashes series and England have a lot of work to do when they come back tomorrow.
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STUMPS
No more play. Off for the day.
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STILL NO WORD
10 minutes left before the cut-off and not heard anything official yet.
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WAITING GAME
We await word from the ground. It's eerily quiet.
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BREAKING NEWS
Pitch inspection in 10 minutes – 6.35am UK time.
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CUTTING IT FINE
Growing optimism that we'll have some play in Brisbane.
They need to be on the field before scheduled close of play at 7am, so about 40 minutes left for the clean up job.
It's very dark and there looks to be more rain around, but it's dry at the moment.
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OUTLOOK
John Etheridge reports that the latest from the ground is the rain has stopped and the ground could be ready for play in around 30/35 minutes.
That's promising.
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LIGHTEN UP
Umpires having a word with Australia captain Pat Cummins.
Umbrella still out but it's looking a bit brighter. Wait, is that the daylight from outside my window? I don't know, I think it's a mix of both.
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INSPECTION
Umpires are out in the middle talking to ground staff – but both are armed with umbrellas, which is not a good sign.
We're just over an hour from the scheduled close of play so it's getting a bit desperate now.
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AS YOU WERE
Here are the latest TV pictures from the ground. It's not looking good…
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RAIN ON THEIR PARADE
Close of play is scheduled for 7am UK time. I think rain needs to probably stop within 45 minutes to give the ground staff time to clean up the puddles from this torrential downpour.
Otherwise it could be an early night/morning/whatever.
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CONFIRMED
It's now raining in Brisbane – absolutely hammering down.
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JOHN ETHERIDGE REPORTS:
Jofra Archer has done a live interview with Channel 7 in Australia. He said he had the results of the latest scans on his troublesome right elbow yesterday and they are encouraging.
Archer said: "Everything is coming on along nicely. It's a matter of waiting a bit longer before I can start training but I'm almost at the end of the road."
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ASH CLOUD
It's very dark in Brisbane and the covers are on.
No rain yet as players are warming up on the field but it can't be far away.
Not good for England's hopes of a quick fightback.
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TEA
What a day for Australia. They've rolled England out in just two sessions having lost the toss.
It really couldn't have gone any better for them from the very first delivery.
Captain Pat Cummins has a five-wicket haul on his very first day as Australia captain.
Tea will be taken – after which Warner and Harris will be out to begin the Aussie reply to this total of 147.
England have to believe they can make some inroads here. It's dark and gloomy in Brisbane and the lights are on.
There should be some movement for the bowlers like there was for the Aussie group earlier.
Back in 20 minutes for the final session – time for another coffee and some advent calendar chocolate.
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WICKET! WOAKES C HAZLEWOOD B CUMMINS 21
It's all over. Five for Cummins. Woakes is caught on the boundary by Hazlewood from the bouncer.
England's innings ends for just 147.
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ENGLAND 147-9 (WOAKES 21, LEACH 2)
Lyon gets through another tidy over – but he's still stuck on 399 wickets.
Single from it.
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ENGLAND 146-9 (WOAKES 20, LEACH 2)
A confident punch down the ground from Leach gets him off the mark with a couple.
That's double the amount of runs he scored in his most famous Ashes innings at Headingley in 2019.
Just a note that tea is not at 4.40am. Play will continue for up to 30 minutes until the final wicket is taken. If it falls now, then it's tea.
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WICKET! WOOD C HARRIS B CUMMINS 8
Four wickets for Cummins. He's fired it in to Wood's body and all he could do was fend it off straight to Harris at short leg.
A simple catch and this innings is almost over.
England 144-9.
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ENGLAND 143-8 (WOAKES 19, WOOD 8)
Wood is going down swinging.
He takes on a short ball from Hazlewood with just one man back on the leg side and it falls safely in front of square.
Partnership of 21 from 21. Decent and much-needed runs.
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ENGLAND 140-8 (WOAKES 18, WOOD 6)
Wood gets in on the act as he crunches Cummins down the ground with a beautiful straight drive.
Six from the over. England edging towards 150, which is something at least.
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ENGLAND 134-8 (WOAKES 18, WOOD 0)
Woakes is not going to hang around here with just Wood and Leach for company.
He's a decent batsman himself, as he shows Hazlewood with three boundaries in a row to end that over.
Valuable runs for England.
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ENGLAND 122-8 (WOAKES 6, WOOD 0)
Another bowling change and another successful over. That's been the story of the day for Cummins and Australia.
Just leach to come after this pair. England have lost 3-14 after that mini revival from Buttler and Pope.
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WICKET! ROBINSON C CAREY B CUMMINS 0
And another one.
Captain Cummins into the attack and he's got Robinson caught behind for a duck.
England 122-8 now and they might not even make it to tea at this rate.
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