Veteran quick Mitchell Starc was in devastating form, taking a career-best 7-58. But by the close, Ben Stokes was bouncing through Australian batters — and then the celebrations of his England team-mates — to bag 5-23 himself to ensure the visitors sleep well ahead of tomorrow’s second day, when Australia will resume on 123 for nine.

The England captain delivered a sensational display with the ball to ignite hopes of a famous Ashes victory in the first Test in Perth, but his strategy helped the tourists seize the moment on day one

Australia closed on 123-9 in reply to England being dismissed for 172 in a dramatic start to the Ashes; Ben Stokes took a five-for to lead the tourists fightback; England have not won a Test in Austra

An astonishing day in Perth saw 19 wickets fall as batters crumpled in the face of breathless pace on the quickest track in world cricket

England pace bowler Brydon Carse echoed the thoughts of cricket fans around the world on Friday when he described the astonishing opening day of the Ashes series as "awesome".

The Aussies have fielded two debutants in the form of opener Jake Weatherald and pacer Brendan Doggett, for what will the teams' first face-off at Perth's Optus Stadium. Follow the live score and upda

But the seamer stranglehold of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood allowed only brief interludes for just three quicks to make their Test debuts in the intervening seven years. Meanwhile, Doggett turned from a hopeful 24-year-old Queenslander to a grizzled 31-year-old South Australian.

Stokes is respected for his Ashes heroics, yet most of those have come in the UK. He was the breakout star of a 2013-14 series England lost 5-0, missed the 2017-18 tour because of the Bristol incident and was only just back from a break from cricket four years ago.