Mitchell Starc becomes 13th Australian to reach THIS Ashes milestone
It took Starc 23 Tests to achieve the feat
PERTH: Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc produced a sensational spell in the first Ashes Test at Perth, claiming three early England wickets and reaching a landmark 100 wickets in Ashes cricket.
Starc became the 21st bowler in Ashes history to reach the 100-wicket milestone and only the 13th Australian to do so. It took him 23 Tests to achieve the feat, highlighting his consistency and impact.
In addition to his bowling exploits, Starc’s all-round contribution remains significant, having scored 2,322 runs in Tests, including 11 fifties, with a highest score of 99.
Among current players in both squads, only Starc and Nathan Lyon (110 wickets) have taken 100 or more wickets in Ashes history.
For England, captain Ben Stokes and pacer Mark Wood are their most successful bowlers in the series, each with 41 wickets.
Earlier, England won the toss and opted to bat first at Perth Stadium, selecting four pacers and leaving out off-spinner Shoaib Bashir from the 12-man squad.
Australia handed first Test caps to opener Jake Weatherald and fast bowler Brendan Doggett. Doggett earned his spot following a brilliant Sheffield Shield campaign, claiming 13 wickets in two matches for South Australia.
The opening session proved disastrous for England. Starc dismissed opener Zak Crawley for a duck in the very first over and quickly removed Ben Duckett (21) and Joe Root (0), leaving the visitors reeling at 39/3.
A 55-run partnership between Ollie Pope and Harry Brook provided some stability, but Pope fell for 46, trapped lbw by Cameron Green. At lunch, England were 105/4, with Brook unbeaten on 28 and Stokes on 4.
Brook continued to a fifty, supported by Jamie Smith’s 33, but the English innings ultimately folded for 172 in 32.5 overs. Starc’s fiery spell yielded a seven-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 7/58 from 12.5 overs.
Australia’s reply got off to a shaky start. Jofra Archer removed debutant Jake Weatherald for a duck and then trapped Marnus Labuschagne for nine, while Brydon Carse got the big wicket of skipper Steve Smith leaving the hosts at 31/3 when this update was filed.
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