‘Shock and awe – England bring big guns to Ashes shootout’

What a day, but only one day in England’s quest to win back the Ashes.

Then again, when the past 14 years have almost exclusively contained hammerings in every corner of Australia, one day is worth celebrating.

In 2013, England thought they had a good first day of the series, so much so that Stuart Broad arrived to see the media with a copy of the Brisbane Courier Mail – the newspaper that refused to print his name – tucked under his arm.

England were subsequently destroyed by Mitchell Johnson and lost 5-0.

Broad and Johnson provide key context to Friday’s events at Perth Stadium and the opening to the Ashes of 2025-26. Two Ashes legends, two different kinds of bowler.

Broad is one of the greatest to pull on an England shirt, yet his attributes of accuracy and movement did not always lend themselves to success down under. Johnson went from figure of fun in 2010-11 to destroyer in 2013-14 thanks largely to terrifying pace. In this part of the world, pace is not the only thing, but it certainly helps.

After an opening day when 19 wickets fell – the most on a single day of Ashes cricket since 1909 – England sleep in Perth with a 49-run lead, one more Australian tailender to rip out and the opportunity to set a match-winning target.

England and Ashes planning have not always gone well. Four years ago, an XI England appeared to have planned in London was not suitable for the conditions they encountered in the first Test in Brisbane. England stuck to their blueprint and were chasing their tails for the remainder of a 4-0 series defeat.

This time, a scheme to hit Australia with pace has been in the works since the last home Ashes in 2023. It is the reason why James Anderson was pensioned off in 2024.

England have plotted to assemble their fastest group of bowlers for an Ashes tour in more than 50 years. The first sight of them in action was shock and awe.

The blood and thunder that would be splattered all over Perth Stadium was nothing like the carnival atmosphere on the bank of the Swan River on a glorious Friday morning.

What followed was an England rollercoaster ride that threatened to come off the rails.

Being bowled out for 172 in 32.5 overs – the shortest first innings of an Ashes Test in this country for 123 years – had elements of Bazball at its worst.

At least England faced the challenge of a marauding Mitchell Starc head on and attempted to get the runs quickly. The scoreboard was always moving.

When Australia were hit by the fastest day of England bowling in Test cricket – a collective average of 87.6mph – there were times when the numbers on the big screen were paralysed.

Stokes, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood and Brydon Carse were collectively hostile, accurate and relentless. Former captain Michael Vaughan, who handled the attack that famously won the 2005 Ashes, said it was among the highest-quality fast bowling he had seen from an England team.

Some of the wickets were spectacular. Jake Weatherald was left flat on his face by the Archer delivery that pinned him leg before. Carse produced a lifter to Usman Khawaja so venomous it could have been a spitting cobra.

Time and again, Australia were put on the back foot – figuratively and literally. Two-thirds of deliveries were played from the back foot – their most in an innings since such data was first collected almost 20 years ago. In the same timeframe, the Aussies have not been forced into as high a false-shot percentage of the 35% in Perth.

Most impressive was the way England worked over Steve Smith, the stand-in Australia captain and the most prolific Ashes batter since Don Bradman.

Smith had to delay watching Mastermind repeats long enough to face 49 balls for his 17. A false-shot percentage of 49% was the highest of his career.

Each time Australia looked like they might weather a storm, England had another option up their sleeve – the beauty of fielding five pace options, the first time they have done so in a red-ball Test in Australia since 1998.

Beyond the performance, the assembly of this England quintet is made more remarkable by the obstacles each man has had to overcome to be on the field.

How many seriously gave Archer a chance of playing Test cricket after four years of injury hell? He is only three games into a comeback that began in the summer, yet already looks like one of the premier fast bowlers in the world.

Ditto for Wood, playing in the same Test as Archer for just the second time in their careers. The Durham man has made his own comeback after 15 months away from Test cricket a couple of months shy of his 36th birthday. True to his word, he was best when fresh, slipping straight back into bowling thunderbolts.

Carse was serving a ban for historic betting offences little more than a year ago. Atkinson began his professional career against the backdrop of the unbearable tragedy of his mother dying in a road traffic accident.

And then there is Stokes, back in the city where his legend was born.

Twelve years ago, as a 22-year-old, Stokes announced his arrival as an England cricketer with a back-to-the-wall century against Johnson on a Waca pitch with cracks wide enough to swallow a small child.

Australia has not seen the best of him since then, with Stokes’ magic Ashes moments mainly coming at home. In that first tour of 2013-14 he was the shining light in a team that fell apart. In 2017-18 he was exiled because of the Bristol incident. Four years ago he was still feeling his way back from a mental health break.

In this first Test, Stokes made his return to Perth and his return to the England team after a shoulder injury kept him out of the final Test of the home summer. He registered his second five-wicket haul in as many Tests and best away figures in 11 years.

Fast bowling has been at the heart of some of England’s most famous Ashes triumphs in Australia and there is so much more to do before Stokes can get his hands on the urn in Sydney in January.

This Test is far from over, and a good position could be wasted if the batters do not pull their weight. Australia have Pat Cummins due back for the second Test. Twelve months ago, India were bowled out for 150 in Perth, won the Test, yet still lost the series 3-1.