Australia claim 1st Ashes Test victory
England lose by 251 runs at Edgbaston
BIRMINGHAM: Australia spinner Nathan Lyon made light work of England’s batting line-up as the hosts were bowled out for 146 in their second innings, losing the first Ashes Test by 251 runs to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the series.
Chasing the second highest successful run chase in Ashes history (398), England first innings centurion Rory Burns fell first in the second over of the day for 11. The highest successful run chase ever was Australia getting 404 at Headingley in 1948.
Fellow opener Jason Roy (28) looked in good shape until he was bowled when coming down the pitch, before Joe Denly (11) and the key wicket of England captain Joe Root (28), having been saved by two earlier reviews, were out before lunch.
The wickets kept tumbling in the afternoon, with England’s middle order collapsing for the second innings in a row, before Lyon ripped through the tail for finish with figures of 6-45 as Australia picked up a first win at Edgbaston in 18 years.
Meanwhile, Ottis Gibson and his entire South African coaching team and management staff have lost their jobs, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced. The decision, taken during a board meeting last week, follows a disastrous South African World Cup campaign in which the Proteas finished seventh of the 10 teams.
The clean-out comes shortly before a tour of India next month during which South Africa will play their first three Test matches in the new world Test championship.
In a statement, CSA said a football-style team manager would be appointed, who would take charge of all aspects of the national team, including the appointment of a coaching staff, the captain or captains and medical and administrative personnel.
The team manager will report directly to a director of cricket, a new position.
Former South African player Corrie van Zyl will be acting director of cricket until a full-time appointment is made. The statement said Van Zyl and CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe would appoint an interim management team for the tour of India as well as an interim selection panel and captain.