Cricket's oldest rivalry is all set for a new chapter as World Test Championship winners Australia challenge a revolutionary England team.
The first Test got underway on Friday at the fabled Edgbaston, which has seen its fair share of historic Ashes moments.
Will we see another classic?
Bet here on The Ashes 2023 England vs Australia series (selected markets)
The Ashes 2023 England vs Australia, First Test Scorecard
For the live scorecard of the First Test click here.
MORE: The Ashes predicted teams and squad news | Who has won the most Ashes series
England vs Australia: The Ashes First Test, Day 5 live updates
Here are the post-match presentation awards:
Player of the Match - Usman Khawaja
19:23- THAT'S IT, THAT'LL DO IT! AUSTRALIA WIN THE FIRST TEST OF ASHES 2023 AND HOW!!!! PAT CUMMINS YOU BEAUTY! What a knock from the Australian captain under immense pressure. When he came in to bat, Australia needed 72 runs to win, and he has played a blinder over here, staying unbeaten on 44. The game went right down to the wire with Cummins and Lyon stitching a memorable 55-run partnership to hand England a defeat and avenge the nightmarish loss at the same ground in 2005. What an emphatic exhibition of Test cricket and what a start to The Ashes.
18:38- England have decided to take the second new ball with Australia needing just 27 runs. England need two wickets and they'll hope the new ball does the trick for them.
18:16-Wicket! That's the game, isn't it? The last recognised batsman of this Australian batting lineup has been dismissed. After putting down two tough chances, Joe Root finally claims the catch off Alex Carey. The Aussie keeper danced down the pitch and hit it straight back at Root, and he does no mistake this time. England can see the finish line now. Carey walks back after making 20 runs.
17:41- Wicket! THIS IS THE WICKET ENGLAND WANTED, THIS IS THE WICKET ENGLAND NEEDED, THIS IS THE WICKET THEY HAVE FINALLY TAKEN! It's Usman Khawaja who departs after a great innings, scoring 65 runs in 197 balls, but he will be gutted to be walking back to the pavilion at such a crucial stage of the innings. Australia now in trouble and England just three wickets away from taking a 1-0 lead. It's game on at Edgbaston!
17:09- Wicket! England strike again and they have broken the partnership. Green chops this one onto the stumps and it's a big wicket for the Englishmen.
16:32- End of Session 2. Tea Break commences.
Still 38 overs left to play. The equation comes down to England needing five wickets and Australia needing 98 runs. And, at the moment, Australia look likely to take the lead in Ashes 2023, although you never know.
Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green have added 40 runs for the sixth wicket and look set at the moment. England need wickets and quickly. Who will win this game? We'll find out on the other side of the break so stay tuned!
16:01- KHAWAJA BRINGS UP HIS HALF CENTURY! What a comeback this has been from Khawaja. He's averaging almost 70 since he made his return to the Test side in January 2022 and he adds to his hundred in the 1st innings with a gritty knock in this run chase now. He'll be the key if Australia are to win this game.
15:30- Wicket! That's a brilliant delivery from Moeen Ali and an even better comeback from the off-spinner. After conceding 10 runs off the first three balls, Ali bowls a stump-to-stump line and pitches it on a good length. The ball spins venomously and a thick outside edge leads the ball to fly straight into the hands of Joe Root at slip. Travis Head departs for 16 and England are right back into this one.
14:51- Wicket! England's frustration finally comes to an end. Scott Boland departs for a valuable 20-run innings and Broad has taken his third wicket now.
14:15- The players are out in the middle for the start of play on Day 5 and we are set for some drama today. England need seven wickets. Australia need 174 runs. 67 overs will be bowled today, unless rain plays spoilsport again. Who's going to take the lead in The Ashes? Let's find out!
13:33- Good news from the ground as we finally have a confirmation regarding the start of play on Day 5. Australia's run chase will resume at 2:15 PM local time so don't go anywhere!
12:53- The next inspection is set to take place at 1:20 PM local time, which is roughly 20 minutes from now. However, more covers are coming off, so things are definitely looking a bit better now.
12:40- The crowd is excited and they have started cheering as the covers are being taken off. The players, though, are currently having their lunch break. Will the play begin immediately after the lunch break or will we face some more delay?
10.50- We officially have a delayed start to poor weather conditions. Stay tuned for more Live updates.
10:30- Welcome back to TSN's coverage of the Ashes. It has been raining since morning in Birmingham. There could be a delay in the start of the game due to poor weather conditions.
England vs Australia: The Ashes First Test, Day 4 live updates
Follow our live updates below for all the action from day 4 of The Ashes 2023 First Test between England and Australia (All times local, UK).
A huge day of Test cricket awaits us as England battle to get out of a spot of bother against Australia. Stay tuned for live updates from Day 4.
19:05- STUMPS, DAY 4. What a Test match we have on our hands. Australia end Day 4 at 107/3, needing 174 runs on Day 5.
Phew, that was some day of cricket. It doesn't get better than this. The Ashes is as good as it gets, and Day 4 of the First Test between England and Australia proves that.
England began the day at 28/2 with both Joe Root and Ollie Pope new at the crease. While Pope couldn't contribute much, Root and Harry Brook joined hands to counter attack and scored 46 runs each. Then, captain Ben Stokes looked in good touch and was on course to score his half century. However, Australia kept striking at regular intervals. But, the English lower order added more misery as Ollie Robinson and James Anderson added vital runs to take the lead to 280.
In reply, David Warner and Usman Khawaja gave Australia the ideal start. However, the 75 minutes of the day were dominated by England as they picked up three wickets to halt the Australian barrage and set this Test up nicely for Day 5.
That's all from our end for today. We will bring you all the live coverage tomorrow so stay tuned for all the action on TSN. Have a good night!
18:42- Wicket! What is happening at Edgbaston? After such a good start, the Australian batting unit is collapsing right now. Broad strikes yet again and it's Steve Smith making the long walk back to the pavilion this time around as Broad pitches one a tad fuller and gets it to swing away from the batsman. Smith attempts a drive but it produces a thick outside edge. Bairstow won't be dropping those. Broad is on fire and Australia are feeling the heat at the moment.
18:21- Wicket! Labuschagne fails to score big yet again. This has been a beautiful over from Broad so far, who bowled a peach of a ball on the first ball of this over. He has scalped Labuschagne for the second time in this Test and England are right back into the game.
17:57- Wicket! England finally get the first wicket and it's Ollie Robinson who delivers the goods. The Englishmen will be relieved and it's a big wicket as Warner was starting to look ominous. The opening stand has been broken and Warner departs for 36.
17:48- Warner and Khawaja bring up the 50-run partnership. This was just what the doctor ordered. The pitch doesn't have much on offer for the bowlers but let's give credit where it's due to the Aussie openers who have dealt with the new ball bowlers very well. England are in desperate need of a wicket as they will feel the game is slipping away from their hands.
17:22- This has been a very good start by David Warner and Usman Khawaja. They have mitigated the new ball threat posed by Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Khawaja is playing like Khawaja 2.0 while Warner is taking his time and not playing any rash shots. England need wickets.
Session 3 commences. England need some quick wickets up top to put the pressure on the Aussies.
End of Session 2. Tea Break commences. On the other side of the break, Australia will begin their run chase. We are all set for some riveting action to end Day 4 so stay tuned with us for all the live coverage!
16:20- Wicket! That's the end of the England innings and they've done well to set Australia a challenging target of 281. Another short ball does the trick as Jimmy Anderson edged one straight to Carey. Cummins finishes the innings with four wickets and that will also be Tea on Day 4.
16:00- Wicket! Lyon gets his fourth wicket and it's Ollie Robinson who has been dismissed, but not before adding some valuable runs as he scores 27 runs. Australia one wicket away from wrapping up the innings.
15:27- Wicket! The short ball strategy works for Australia, and it's a big wicket for them as Moeen Ali, the last recognisable batsman, walks back to the pavilion. Hazlewood dragged the length short and Ali could only glove the ball as he attempted the pull shot. It was a regulation catch for Alex Carey and Aussies will hope to wrap things up before the lead swells further.5
14:56- Wicket! This is not a déjà vu. England lose back-to-back wickets for the third time in this innings, and they have also lost another review. It's the skipper Ben Stokes who has to depart. That is brilliant from the Australian captain Cummins who angles one in off the seam from round the wicket. Stokes tries to defend the ball but misses the line and the replay shows three reds as the ball skims the top of leg stump. Another player walks back without scoring a fifty and Aussies will hope to wrap the tail up quickly.
14:40- Wicket! Jonny Bairstow completely misses the reverse sweep off Nathan Lyon and the umpire raised his finger. Bairstow reviews it but the TV replays show three reds. That's the end of Bairstow's innings as he departs for 20. Third wicket for Lyon.
Lunch break ends. Session 2 commences.
Welcome back after lunch! That was an entertaining session of cricket with England walking out in the morning all guns blazing. They added 127 runs in the 1st Session at a pretty brisk rate, but also lost three wickets including those of Joe Root and Harry Brook, both of whom looked in great touch. Australia will need more wickets, though, as Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow are still at the crease and can change the course of the match in just one session.
Lunch break commences. 155/5 after 37 overs, lead by 162 runs.
England are in a bit of a rut heading into the break as they have lost both Root and Brook, who were their most in-form batsmen during this innings. They still have Stokes and Bairstow on the pitch so all is not lost. Australia on the other hand will be satisfied with their performance, having further reduced their opponent's batting lineup and with the lead very reachable. They will hope to bowl out their opponents before they can cross 250 runs.
13:08- Wicket! Harry Brooks is also sent before he can also get his fifty.
12:17- Wicket! The all-important one as Lyon sends Root back before he could cross 50.
11:32- Wicket! Cummins delivers the perfect yorker to send Pope back to the pavilion.
10:33- Welcome back to TSN's coverage of the Ashes. The skies are much clearer today and the players seem to be in a jovial mood as they warmup before proceedings begin.
England vs Australia: The Ashes First Test, Day 3 live updates
Follow our live updates below for all the action from day 3 of The Ashes 2023 First Test between England and Australia (All times local, UK).
6:28- PLAY HAS BEEN CALLED OFF ON DAY 3.
That is it for all the action on Day 3. Australia began the day on 311-5 with Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey adding 91 runs for the 6th wicket. The duo added another 27 runs before Carey was dismissed for a fine 66-run knock. As Australia looked on course to hand England a lead, their lower order were bundled out cheaply as they lost their last four wickets for just 14 runs. England got a seven-run lead heading into the 2nd innings, even though it wasn't much.
Then, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett looked good when the England 2nd innings began, before rain stopped play. After the play resumed, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland accounted for a wicket each to send the openers back to the pavilion, leaving England in a spot of bother. Then, rain let its presence know yet again and interrupted play, only for the day's play to be abandoned completely. See you all tomorrow with all the live coverage of the first Test of Ashes 2023. Have a good night!
6:00- To the delight of the players, the spectators, and those watching from home, THE COVERS HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF! After the latest inspection, the umpires have decided that the play can resume. Remember, the latest time for play to resume is 7 PM local.
5:30- The umpires have entered the field with their umbrellas as the rain hasn't stopped falling. The covers are still firmly in place and the umpires have decided to do another inspection 30 minutes from now, at 6 PM local time.
5:18- The players have taken the Tea break and there's going to be another inspection at 5:30 PM local time, but the rain is persistent and it seems unlikely that the play resumes anytime soon.
4:20- THE RAIN DOESN'T SEEM TO GO AWAY. The groundsmen are doing their best to keep the ground as dry as possible, but this is more than just light drizzle. We are set for a grandstand finish to the first Test of Ashes 2023, but let's hope the rain doesn't snatch away the chance of drawing a result in this game. Stay tuned on The Sporting News' live blog on Day 3 of the first Test of Ashes 2023 as we'll bring you all the live updates right here!
3:50- RAIN STOPS PLAY, AGAIN! This might bring some relief to the English camp as the Aussies were breathing fire and smelled blood. England lost both Duckett and Crawley to give Australia the upper hand, but the rain has started to pour again and the players are going back to the pavilion after 20-odd minutes of action. Stay tuned for more updates.
3:43- WICKET! ONE BRINGS TWO FOR AUSSIES AS CRAWLEY FALLS! The change in bowling works perfectly for Australia as Scott Boland strikes on the first ball of his second over. This one was bowled on a good length just outside off, right in the corridor of uncertainty, and Zak Crawley walked towards the off stump only to poke it straight to Alex Carey. England lose both their openers and Aussies are in the driver's seat now.
3:38- WICKET! BEN DUCKETT DEPARTS! That was a brilliant catch from Cameron Green at gully, who is making those catches look like clockwork as he pulls off another brilliant catch. Australia get the early breakthrough they needed, and it's their skipper who provides the breakthrough.
3:30- The players are back on the field after a delay of over an hour. England will hope to stitch a good opening partnership, while the Aussies will hope to break the deadlock to pin England's walls against the back.
3:08- RAIN HAS STOPPED, PLAY TO RESUME AT 3:30 PM LOCAL. Good news from Edgbaston as the rain has stopped and the play has been cleared to resume at 3:30 PM local time. England are leading by 33 runs and so far they've been cautious in their approach when it comes to dealing with Australia's new ball attack. Can the Aussies put England under pressure by taking some quick wickets? Stay tuned to find out.
2:15- RAIN STOPS PLAY!!! It's very cloudy here in Edgbaston and the clouds have arrived to play spoilsport as the drizzle begins. The players are off and that it's time for the groundstaff to now to do their bit as the players and fans wait in anticipation for rain to go away.
Lunch break commences. Australia all out for 386 runs.
A fantastic inning from Australia comes to an end. Just when it seemed they were in dire straits, Khawaja's relentless century along with the support of Head and Carey, helped them cut out the deficit to 7 runs. England will be somewhat disappointed they couldn't maintain a large gap, but will now look to widen it with the bat
12:55- Wicket! Broad takes his third of the match dismissing Boland who had just entered the pitch.
12:46- Wicket! Lyon fails to make much of a mark and is Robinson's second dismissal of the day.
12:35- Wicket! Khawaja's amazing innings comes to an end and Australia finally get that all-important wicket they needed through Robinson.
11:22- Wicket! Anderson bowls Carey to get his 1100th Test wicket and England a much-needed dismissal.
England vs Australia: The Ashes First Test, Day 2 Highlights
England vs Australia: The Ashes First Test, Day 2 live updates
Follow our live updates below for all the action from The Ashes 2023 First Test between England and Australia (All times local, UK).
Australia's riposte to England on Day 2 was the exact antithesis to Bazball, with Khawaja scoring a patient ton, playing on the merit of the ball. He was the rock around which the likes of Travis Head, Cameroon Green and Alex Carey played to keep England's bowlers at bay.
Though the pitch still looks pretty benign, there are footmarks at one end that will keep the spinners interested.
Read below for the action as it happened, while you can view highlights of the Day 2 action here.
18:26- At Stumps on Day 2, Australia 311-5!
After losing wickets early into the day in quick succession, Australia fought back strongly on the back of Usman Khawaja's unbeaten 126 off 279 balls. The opener was ably supported by Travis Head and Alex Carey who score a half-century each. The Aussies currently trail by 82 runs.
18:17- Alex Carry completes his half-century! Brilliant innings from the Australian wicketkeeper. Provided the perfect support to Khawaja.
16:42- Century for Khawaja! The southpaw completes his 15th Test century. A steady knock under pressure!
16:34- WICKET! A much-needed breakthrough as Cameron Green gets bowled off Moeen Ali's delivery!
16:10- Session 3 of Day 2 commences after tea.
15:45- Tea: Australia are 188/4 after 61 overs.
14:43- WICKET! England get another important one as the rampant Head is dismissed just after completing his half-century. Another setback for the Aussies.
14:03- Half-Century! 50 comes up for Khwaja his 27th in Test cricket, a much-needed knock for both player and his team.
Lunch: Australia 78 for 3 after 31 overs
Another amazing start for England with the home side in the ascendancy today as they were for the most part yesterday. The dismissals of Warner, Smith, and Marnus early on in Australia's innings will prove to be crucial in the later stages of this Test match. England have heavily rotated their bowling attack, using seven bowlers, thus preventing the Aussie batsmen from truly settling in.
Much like the WTC Final, Head will need to produce a fantastic knock in Australia's first innings to get the odds back in their favour, this time without Smith supporting him. Australia have not been able to establish themselves, and so far apart from Khawaja, their openers have disappointed for the most part. Losing three wickets before crossing 100 runs may have set off some nerves in their camp. However, with the two batsmen they have on the crease, hope isn't lost.
12:53- WICKET! Steve Smith is sent back to the Pavilion by Ben Stokes! An important wicket as we come close to the lunch break.
11:38- WICKET! Broad gets another as Marnus is dismissed!
11:37- WICKET! Broad bowls Warner!
10:30- Covers have come off, and there should be no delay in the start of proceedings. However, rain is expected again later in the day.
10:12- Welcome back to TSN's coverage of Ashes 2023. Unfortunately, rain has set upon the stadium and currently, the covers are on, hopefully, it does not lead to a delay in the start of play.
18:32: At Stumps on Day 1, Australia 14/0
It was an eventful day of cricket that saw England declare their innings after just 78 overs scoring 393 runs for the loss of eight wickets.
For England, Joe Root starred with the bat as he remained not out at 118 runs off 152 balls. For Australia, Nathan Lyon picked up four wickets.
17: 58- England 393/8 dec. Ben Stokes declares the innings after scoring 393 runs.
17:51- Joe Root completes his 30th Test century. What an innings by the English star!
17:31- WICKET! Cameron Green sends Broad back to the pavilion. The Englishman gets bowled after adding 16 runs to the total.
17.02- WICKET! Moeen Ali departs fpr 18. Once again it's Nathan Lyon who gets the breakthrough. Ali departs in a similar manner as Bairstow as Carey stumps him out.
16:42- WICKET! Jonny Bairstow departs after a fiery innings of 78. The wicketkeeper-batsman fails to connect to Lyon's delivery and Carey stumps him out.
16:40- The match resumes after the Tea break.
15:40- At TEA, England 240/5 after 52 overs
England lost two crucial wickets of Harry Brook and skipper Ben Stokes within a span of just one over. They managed to put up 116 runs with Joe Root still on the crease on 66.
15:30- Big LBW appeal from Australia and the umpire signals out! Joe Root immediately reviews the decision and DRS shows that the ball had hit his glove before hitting his pad.
15:00- 50 up for Joe Root! The former English skipper has provided much-needed stability amid the sudden collapse of their middle order with a steady half-century.
14:36- Wicket! Another one and Australia maybe turning the tide here, Hazlewood gets his second of the day as he sends England skipper back quickly, and Carey gets his third dismissal of the day.
14:28- Wicket! Lyon gets another crucial wicket as he dismisses the aggressive Brooks who was hitting every other ball for four and England will again need to build up the momentum they made after the lunch break.
13:06- Lunch break commences, 124/3 after 26.4 overs.
England had a fantastic beginning and Bazball seemed to be in full flow as Crawley and Co. went at it against the Australian bowling lineup. However, Crawley's wicket just before lunch commenced will come as a blow to the English, who were hoping to have the batsman during the second session too. Things were as it is slowing down for the home side towards the end of the session, and now with two new batsmen on the pitch, they have to build up their momentum again.
Australia have grown into the game as the session progressed. Initially, they seemed clueless and did not have an answer for England's aggressive batting. However, they did not let that deter them and go into this break with momentum on their side. Some would have questioned their decision to have four different bowlers bowl so early into the innings, however, it seems to have bore fruit so far.
13:03- Wicket! An important wicket for Australia as they dismiss Crawley who was in fantastic form just before lunch commenced.
12:26- 50 up for Crawley! An excellent display of bazball from the English batsman who has been a nightmare to deal with for the Australian bowlers.
12:23- Wicket! Initially not given out, a well-taken review shows that Lyon did catch Pope out who got LBWed by the Aussie spinner's delivery, a much-needed breakthrough for the visiting side.
11:18- Wicket! Hazlewood strikes, he announces himself on his return back to action by taking Duckett's wicket and putting an end to the England opener's rampant start. Carey once again comes through with safe hands behind the glove to catch the batsman.
11:04- Playing XIs for both teams announced
ENG- Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jonny Bairstow(w), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson
AUS- David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland
11:00- England win the toss. Choose to bat first.
Follow our live updates below for all the action from The Ashes 2023 First Test between England and Australia (All times local, UK).
Hello and welcome to our live updates of The Ashes series as England take on Australia. The First Test begins later, and we’ll bring you all the build-up and action. Stick with us as we take you through the highlights as one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries begins its latest edition!
What's the pitch at Edgbaston like? What's the best first-innings score there? Read this piece to find out.
As we count down to the start of the first Ashes Test, here's how to watch the iconic series around the world.
Shane Warne's Ashes: Edgbaston chapter
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England vs Australia: The Ashes tips, predictions and betting odds
MORE: The Ashes: England vs Australia series odds, betting markets (selected territories)
ENG win | AUS win | Draw |
---|---|---|
2.40 | 1.90 | 7.00 |
England vs Australia: The Ashes First Test Live Streaming and TV Details
Here’s how to watch The Ashes action in your local territory:
TV CHANNEL | LIVESTREAM | |
Australia | Channel 9/Fox Cricket | Kayo/9Now |
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event/Cricket | Sky Go |
India | Sony Sports Ten 5/Ten 5 HD | Sony LIV app |
USA | Willow TV | Willow TV app |