ENGLAND bounced back from their Lord’s humiliation to seize control of the third Ashes Test in an astonishingly one-sided first day at Edgbaston.Feeding off the passion of a boisterous crowd at the venue where they famously ignited their 2005 Ashes campaign, England bundled out the tourists for 136 on a seaming pitch and reached 133-3 at the close.
A potent James Anderson took his best Ashes figures of 6-47, and Steven Finn marked his first Test appearance for two years with the wickets of Steve Smith and Michael Clarke after Australia had won the toss and chosen to bat.
On a day punctuated by short rain delays, the mood of England and their supporters was lifted further still by the sight of Ian Bell flaying the Australia attack around the ground under floodlights in the evening session.
Five balls after reaching fifty, however, Bell tossed his wicket away with a needless heave at Nathan Lyon that took a fraction of the gloss off England’s near-perfect day.
Despite Bell’s frivolousness, England were unrecognisable from the meek outfit that had been bowled out for 103 on the fourth day of the Lord’s Test, as Australia romped to a 405-run victory.
The tourists’ innings duration of 36.4 overs was two balls fewer than England’s at Lord’s. They will rue some injudicious shots from their middle order.
But on a pitch offering just enough sideways movement and carry to assist their bowlers, England put themselves well on course to take a 2-1 lead in the series with two matches to play.