First Ashes Test. Edgbaston.

[K]

Stone on as sub fielder already. This is just cheating. The ICC need to clamp down on it.

If you pick a player who's coming back from injury, that's your choice. They have to field.
...

He's coming back from a calf injury. He's also an old man by fast-bowler standards.

So, England gambled on an opening bowler (Anderson), in the opening Test of an Ashes series in a match where he'd normally bowl 50 overs or more. Crazy.

Anderson was supposedly re-injured in his opening spell, but they've been showing video of him doing run-throughs this morning, which, as Athers said, is not what you'd expect if the calf were seriously injured.

Taylor thought we wouldn't see him again until the Fourth Test.

[K]

Pattinson gets the wicket of the woefully defective Roy, caught at second slip by Smith.

Earlier, off the same bowler, Roy had nicked to the boundary through the vacant fourth slip, prompting the English commentators to joke about a fourth slip being snuck in, but not immediately, because that would be an obvious admission Paine had made a mistake.

[Donny]

Can't keep Smithy out of the game.

Poms 1/22.

[K]

Burns is hit on the helmet by a Cummins bouncer, and the ball deflects for 4 LBs. There's a delay for a helmet change.

Cummins hasn't been bowling as well as Pattinson this morning.

----------------------------------------------

All commentators are commenting on how dry the pitch is. They're sure it'll take a lot of spin if the game goes deep.

Lyon is a key bowler.

[K]

Siddle on now...

... and then Lyon next over too.

More delays. This can't be good for the over rate.

Lyon's first ball spins back and there are loud "oohs", as Root leaves it and it goes sort of close to the stumps (not very, very close).

Later, Burns comes down the pitch, but not very elegantly or securely.

Lloyd: "A good start for Lyon."

[K]

Lisa S.: "We haven't seen the movement we would have liked."

Healy: "It may be time for a short-ball burst."

[K]

LBW appeal against Burns off Lyon's bowling. Not out.

They don't review. Replays show it's hitting leg stump. A missed chance. They didn't even have a 15-second discussion about it. Again, if the fielding team is clueless, it weakens arguments against the umpires.

(How many times do bowling teams run out of reviews? Should they be this hesitant?)

[K]

Pattinson returns, replacing Lyon, to Gower's surprise.

"Unless he's changing ends," adds Botham.

[Donny]

1/51.

Burns 29*, Root 7*.

[K]

They appeal. Out. Root reviews immediately.

Looks like no edge. Not out.

It was a nick off the stumps!

Pattinson unlucky not to get a bowled. England riding their luck.

[K]

Lyon is back.

Oz could do with another wicket. They don't have much to show for their efforts this session.

And Cummins from the other end.

[K]

Early in session 2, Burns gets a totally undeserved 50, and England simultaneously get within 200.

Paine should have reviewed that LBW not-out decision. The commentators thought it was going down leg, but Paine didn't look like he was heading that way.

[K]

Siddle bowls to Root. Appeal for LBW. Given out. Immediate review.

Inside edge. Not out.

This is like a repeat of earlier.

Two immediate reviews from Root, both of them successful.

Nasser claims the umpiring error count is 10 now -- 5 each.

[K]

Siddle keeps things tight, but Oz are still searching for the second wicket, as the halfway mark of the day approaches.

The partnership is nearing a century.

Gower is sympathetic towards the umpires. He claims that the fielders were dismayed at the last overrule, because they did not see the inside edge live either.

[Donny]

1/101.

Burns 53*, Root 21*.