Summary

  • Fifth Test, day one, Sydney - England win toss and bat

  • Root and Brook both hit fifties in unbroken 154-run partnership before bad light and rain eventually lead to early close at 06:00 GMT, with England 211-3

  • Duckett,Crawley and Bethell fall in first 13 overs to leave tourists 57-3

  • Australia hold unassailable 3-1 series lead

  • Highlights available on iPlayer from 17:00 GMT

  • Day two will begin 30 minutes early at 23:00 GMT Sunday 4 January (10:00 local time, Monday 5 January)

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Live Reporting

by Elizabeth Botcherby & Timothy Abraham

  1. Join us on day two...

    That's just about your lot for coverage of the first day of the fifth Ashes Test from Sydney.

    Be sure to check out chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt's musings from the SCG on a day of batting promise from England...

    There will be highlights available on BBC iPlayer from 17:00 GMT and a TMS podcast on BBC Sounds shortly.

    We will be back with live-text commentary of day two on the BBC Sport website from the slightly earlier time of 22:45 GMT as we look to make up some of the lost time from day one.

    TMS will also be on air at that time with ball-by-ball coverage.

    Before you leave us here's some other cricket stories worth reading:

    Until then, goodbye!

  2. What happened on day one?

    Bad light and rain brought day one of the fifth Test to a premature close but here's a reminder of what happened in the (almost) two sessions of play.

    England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat, but the first hour didn't really go to plan.

    Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Jacob Bethell departed in a clump as England slumped from 35-0 to 57-3.

    'Starc does it again' as Duckett is caught behind for 27

    Neser dismisses Crawley lbw for 16 as second wicket falls

    Boland draws outside edge from Bethell to take third England wicket

    However, Joe Root and Harry Brook steadied things, guiding England to 114-3 at lunch and pressing on in the second session.

    They've put on 154 (193) for the fourth wicket to take England to 211-3 after 45 overs.

    Root has 72 (103) and Brook has 78 (92).

    Mitchell Starc, Michael Neser, and Scott Boland picked up a wicket apiece for Australia but Cameron Green (0-57 off eight) was expensive.

    Root reaches half-century as England run total builds

    Brook joins Root on fifty as England in control

  3. Highlights on BBC iPlayer

    BBC iPlayer

    Full highlights of all of the action, plus reaction from the players and analysis from the TMS team, will be available from 5pm each day on BBC iPlayer.

  4. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Jacob Bethell was just done by some clever bowling. He has got a very nice gift to play the game. He knows how to score runs in white-ball but he has not had enough red-ball games to learn how to score.

    If he has to miss the odd one-day series in the future, it will benefit England in the long-run. He needs to play more red-ball cricket to learn his awareness of how to score runs.

  5. Sir Alastair Cook
    Ex-England captain on TNT Sports

    The first time England have got through with the bat. That application was there, today. They will be gutted the rain came when it did because they were in a strong position and Australia looked tired and out of ideas.

    Joe Root and Harry Brook won't just be thinking about a hundred, but a big big hundred, because that could change the whole way they look at their series.

  6. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Zak Crawley frustrates the life out of me. The ball that got him out should not have got him out. There must be something in his concentration. He looks such a good player - and then just gets out. His concentration levels are not the strongest. He is not chasing the ball outside off-stump.

    He is a player that I have watched enough to know there is more in the tank. The movement he had today was fantastic but he needs to understand how to concentrate at this level.

  7. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    The England openers have some technical problems. I am no batsman, but you are told to play with the full face of the bat. And then you create angles after 30 or 40 runs. But anything that nips around for England, they seem to be all at sea. So there are some technical issues.

    This England batting line-up and Bazball is about going through the gears. But sometimes you can get into third gear and then just stay there. You don't always have to go up to the fourth and fifth gears and then give the wicket away.

  8. 'No reason we cannot win this'

    Harry Brook and Joe Root leave the fieldGetty Images

    More from Harry Brook on the pitch: "It is the best pitch in this series, for sure. Australia do not have a spinner and probably thought it would do more than it did. It is generally a good wicket.

    "It would be nice to win this and go home 3-2. We need to stick to our processes this week and working towards modes of dismissal. There is no reason we cannot win this."

    On the plan beforehand: "We did not chat that much. It is all about consistency. We want to put pressure with our batting and work as a unit in the field.

    "I am enjoying playing under Baz [Brendon McCullum] and [Ben] Stokes and it has been a highlight of my career so far. Baz gives you so much confidence, he is the best coach I have ever had."

    On what is a good total: "No par total, just taking it ball by ball. We are living the dream and every 10 year-old wants to be here. We are all living our dream and you have to smile whether you are on top or not."

  9. 'It's a good wicket to bat on'

    Brook joins Root on fifty as England in control

    England's Harry Brook speaking on Test Match Special: "We knew it was going to rain today and when we came off, we knew it was coming. We just sat and waited for it to be called off."

    On batting with Joe Root: "It is a good wicket to bat on. We managed to rotate strike nicely and it was a nice surface to play on.

    "Playing with Joe, your innings ticks over. He is always looking to rotate and score runs and that is part of batting. It is not just about surviving."

  10. Get Involved

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    It’s a real shame England have shown all their best gameplay and strategy at the end of the series when the main prize is done and dusted. There will always now be that “what if we’d played properly at the start”.

    Alex in Lincolnshire

  11. Draw is creeping into the equation...

    WinViz gives Australia 33% chance of victory, England 53% and the draw 14%CricViz

  12. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    This Australia team have switched off. Their bowling today was very poor. Mitchell Starc bowled a half decent spell, Scott Boland and Michael Neser as well but that attack with the ball today on this pitch was there for the taking.

    They look like a touring team that just want to get on the plane home. Australia usually want to hammer England 5-0 but they have not given that impression today.

  13. Day one recap (part two)

    Australia's tails were up after a positive first hour but Joe Root and Harry Brook had other plans.

    They've put on 154 (193) for the fourth wicket, particularly enjoying themselves against Cameron Green (0-57 off eight overs).

    Root is not out on 72 (103) while Brook has 78 (92).

    Root reaches half-century as England run total builds

    Brook joins Root on fifty as England in control

  14. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    When Ben Duckett gets in, Australia know that he will not leave the ball. You can get away with it a little bit in the UK but not in Australia. He will be a good enough player to be around in four years but that is something for him to improve upon.

  15. Day one recap (part one)

    It was a truncated first day of the fifth and final Ashes Test at the SCG.

    Ben Stokes won the toss and put England in to bat - a decision which didn't look wise when his side slumped from 35-0 to 57-3.

    Mitchell Starc accounted for Ben Duckett (27 off 24), wicketkeeper Alex Carey diving across first slip to take the catch.

    Zak Crawley was trapped lbw by Michael Neser for 16 (29).

    Jacob Bethell (10 off 23) was caught behind by Carey off Scott Boland.

    'Starc does it again' as Duckett is caught behind for 27

    Neser dismisses Crawley lbw for 16 as second wicket falls

    Boland draws outside edge from Bethell to take third England wicket

  16. Day two weather forecast

    I'll just leave this here...

    Hour by hour Sydney weather forecast

  17. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    In Test match cricket, you do everything you can to get off the field.

  18. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    It is always the first day crowd that suffers. You can make the match up as far as the time is concerned, but not for the people who are here today.

    Disgraceful. Where is the mop for the rain?

  19. Get Involved

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    Absolute joke of a sport sometimes. People pay an arm and a leg to travel here, pay for tickets, and they can't manage to get any play despite there being so much time remaining. Not to mention sunset is at 8pm, why can't they just extend play?

    Nathan, grumpy at the SCG

    Been waiting at the SCG for over an hour. There was a sprinkling of rain that ended over 20 minutes ago. Not a groundsman in sight. Cricket Australia playing for the day four/five revenue? Frustrating when you have day one tickets only.

    Sam, Sydney

    Another poor performance from Aussie ground staff. It didn't get beyond drizzle.

    Anon

  20. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    This feels like an administrator's afternoon. These fans have been robbed of an hour-and-a-half's cricket.

    Very uncomfortable.