First Ashes Test, Australia v England, The Gabba, day five recap

First Ashes Test, Day five scores

Australia win by 10 wickets

Australia 2nd inns: 173-0 (50 overs. Bancroft 82*, Warner 87*)

England 2nd inns: 195 (71.4 overs. Root 51, Bairstow 42, Ali 40, Stoneman 27, Woakes 17; Hazlewood 3-46, Lyon 3-67, Starc 3-51, Cummins 1-23)

Australia 1st inns: 328 (130.3 overs. Smith 141*, Marsh 51, Cummins 42, Warner 26, Handscomb 14; Broad 3-49, Anderson 2-50, Ali 2-74, Root 1-10, Woakes 1-67, Ball 1-77)

England 1st inns: 302 (116.4 overs. Vince 83, Stoneman 53, Malan 56, Ali 38, Broad 20, Root 15, Ball 14; Starc 3-77, Cummins 3-85, Lyon 2-78)

• Click here for Sky Bet's first Test odds
• Click here for Dave Tickner's Five-fer

Day five live

0109: Australia, 173-0, win by 10 wickets
Thumping win in the end, and England must lift themselves to go again at Adelaide in a few days' time. The first three days offered plenty of encouragement; the last two days none. Big, big task for Root and the coaching staff to rally the troops. It really has been horrific for the last four sessions.

0108: And a third! Not quite timed, but it clears short mid-off and Australia have streaked away after three tight days to win by 10 wickets.

0107: Two easy boundaries for Bancroft off Woakes. Scores level.

0102: Joe Root just bowled a bouncer at Cameron Bancroft, so that's thing that has happened. The players are now having a drinks break with nine runs needed, because cricket.

0050: First false shot of the morning, and just about of the whole innings as Bancroft steers an edge just wide of a diving Alastair Cook at slip.

0047: This innings was obviously a formality for Australia, but the impressive way Bancroft has gone about his innings is a massive plus for them. It was a big call to jettison Matt Renshaw, but it's been vindicated here. Bancroft looks the part.

0040: Barmy Army are enjoying themselves this morning anyway.

0030: Broad, bless him, tries to get a bit of aggro going with Bancroft. Nobody can really be bothered.

0013: Warner hundred definitely on here. Helps a short ball from Anderson round the corner for four. He needs another 31, Australia need 47. We've got to try and inject some tension into proceedings.

0004: First runs of the morning, as Warner punches through cover off Broad and scampers three. Don't rule out a hundred for the left-hander...

2340: At least this shouldn't take long. England have been talking about striking some blows and making some kind of point ahead of the Adelaide Test. But that's tish and fipsy. They know it, we know it. Let's just get this over with and say no more about it. Fifty-six to win, 10 wickets and 90 overs to do it...

Day four recap

0733: STUMPS: Australia, 114-0, need 56 more runs to win
So we go to day five, a 'victory' for England so small they have yet to develop the microscope powerful enough to see it. Awful, awful day for the tourists who have competed so hard for three days in the Gabbatoir but folded meekly today. Root made a decent half-century, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow batted nicely, but nobody was able to make a really meaningful contribution and Australia's chase of a potentially-tricky 170 was a procession from the moment Bancroft and Warner got through Anderson and Broad's opening spell. The end will be swift tomorrow, and England will have plenty to think about as they head to Adelaide.

0722: Debut half-century for Bancroft with a leg-glance for four off Anderson. Nicked off early first innings - occupational hazard for any opener against high-class new-ball bowlers - but looked superb second time around.

0720: With Anderson and Broad back on, that's probably put paid to the extra half-hour. They've gone for around two an over all game. Tough sell for Australia to convince the umpires they're about to go at six or seven.

0712: Anderson back on as England's ambitions shift from winning the game to taking it into day five.

0709: If you're just waking up in England and checking the score it's, well, it's all gone wrong. Horror day for England with bat and ball.

0701: Fifty for Warner. Says plenty about him that this 74-ball 50 would go down as a measured effort by his outrageous standards. While he's there, this could still end tonight. Fourteen overs if the extra half-hour's taken, and 72 to get. Very doable with Warner warming to his task.

0647: Root brings himself on. Moeen Ali's bowling a huge, huge worry for England moving forward in this series. In a match where Nathan Lyon has been a constant menace, Moeen has offered nothing.

0640: Just 106 to win now. England looking absolutely toothless once you get through Anderson and Broad. With the potential for an extra half-hour taking play through to 8am UK time, the only slight area of doubt left in this one is whether Warner fancies a dart at finishing it tonight. It still looks unlikely, but I'd be loathe to bet against it. Got total freedom now with victory assured.

0626: Australia absolutely cruising now. England's five-man attack is actually a two-man attack. Huge problems for the tourists who are desperate to relocate the 2016 Woakes. The 2017 version's just been pinged down the ground beautifully for four by Bancroft. Warner's whacked a Moeen full-toss for four, and the target is about to drop to two-figures.

0611: Warner goes down the ground off Moeen now. Doesn't quite get it out of the middle, but clears mid-on safely enough and gets four.

0605: Bancroft smacks Moeen down the ground for six. Nowhere near the pitch of the ball, but went through with the shot and nailed it.

0557: Australia not going to win this tonight, by the look of it, but they've achieved their primary objective. They've got through the opening spells of Anderson and Broad.

0529: A second boundary of the innings for Bancroft off a thick outside edge through gully. All along the ground, though. Defends the next one straight back to Anderson, who wangs it back towards the stumps and hits the batsman. All accidental, and a raised hand of apology instantly. No harm done.

0517: First boundary of the innings, and it's Bancroft rather than Warner who gets it as he flicks Broad away fine on the legside.

0505: Anyone still dare to dream? England are 7/1 to steal a sensational victory here. Australia are 1/10. There's a 3/1 Price Boost for Warner to top-score here, which looks well worth considering. He might not give anyone else a chance...

0450: TEA: England 195. Australia need 170 to win
It's been an extraordinary Test match, but one that now surely, surely ends in an Australian victory. Doesn't it?

0448: WICKET! Australia will need only 170 to win this. Incredible end to an incredible session full of drama and controversy as Cummins bounces out Ball.

0443: WICKET! Two wickets in the last over, and it's another extraordinary moment. Only Paine thinks Broad has nicked this, and Smith decides to review, because why not? Looks like there's daylight between bat and ball on the replay, but Hot Spot and snicko combine to produce pretty damning evidence, and Broad has to go. Starc has taken three wickets for two runs since he started hobbling. Incredible. Tea will now be delayed with England nine down.

0437: WICKET! Absolute brainfade from Bairstow in the final over before tea. Disaster for England. It's a short ball from Starc, and Bairstow has uppercut it straight to the fielder at third-man. What on earth is he thinking playing that shot with the man right there for it. Bizarre.

0426: WICKET! Starc seems to be struggling with an ankle injury, but it doesn't stop him getting Woakes fending to Smith at second slip. Four catches in the innings for Smith, who is having a handy match.

0424: Few overs of part-time leg-spin from Smith now. One of the great sessions, this. England lead by 158 but that almost seems incidental now.

0420: Woakes settling in now. Gets four for a good cut shot off Starc, who is struggling.

0405: Bairstow and Woakes plodding slowly, carefully along. Everyone is still busy discussing a painted line.

0338: Make your own minds up. Out for mine, although there's plenty of chat around about the bulge in the line when it reaches the pitch. We've got ourselves a talking point.

0322: WICKET! Great work from Tim Paine, whipping off the bails as Moeen lunges forward and leaves his back foot on the line rather than behind it. Third umpire Chris Gaffaney takes his time, but eventually makes the right call. Nothing behind the line there, and Moeen has to go just as he and Bairstow were threatening to do something a bit special.

0310: Presumably due to some sort of contract wrangle, Bairstow batting with a blank bat on this tour. A blank-bat six should surely be worth more than six, we can all agree there. Question is just how many more. I'm thinking at least 120, 150.

0305: Bairstow skips down the track to Lyon and picks him up over midwicket for six. This partnership definitely giving Smith something to think about. Not so much chatter, or quite so many fielders around the bat. Fielders out on the fence now.

0300: Nice start to the afternoon session for England, as it was to the morning. Boundaries coming for both batsmen, and the lead is up to 113.

0239: The players are back out for the afternoon session.

0200: LUNCH: England, 119-5, lead by 93 runs
Even with the wickets of Stoneman and Malan, that was an okay session for England right up until that crucial moment seven minutes before the break. Root hadn't put a foot wrong this morning until he just played slightly too square against a Hazlewood nip-backer that found the edge of a crack. The England captain plumb in front, and England's position suddenly bleak. An awful lot now resting on Ali and Bairstow. Ali, you'd have to say, has batted beautifully after a tough start. The odds tell the story, though: Australia now 2/7 with England out to 9/2 and the draw - forget about the draw, surely - 13/2. If you're keeping the faith, there's a tempting 10/1 RequestABet for Ali and Bairstow to each make 50. Ali's already over halfway there, while as a right-hander Bairstow has an easier time against Lyon and there's been little to fear from the quicks really.

0153: WICKET! But Root falls to the very next ball, trapped plumb in front by a Hazlewood nip-backer. That's the game, you'd think, just seven minutes before the lunch break. England might make Australia work pretty hard for it for it, but it's tough to see a way out of the Gabba for the tourists now. The lead is still below a hundred.

0150: ROOOOOOTTT. Quality half-century from the England skipper. Battled to five not out from 28 balls last night, turned it into a 103-ball 50 this morning.

0144: Four more, from Moeen this time as he tickles Lyon fine down the legside, and up comes England's hundred. Partnership starting to tick along nicely for England now, who remain just about in this. Australia now 4/9 for the win, with England 4/1.

0140: Quality from Root. My word he had to work for his runs last night, but it's been far easier this morning. Two glorious boundaries off Hazlewood, the first a cut shot laced behind point and the second a punched drive down the ground that not even Davey Warner can chase down.

0136: Moeen getting the ball spun passed him at one end and whistled past his ears at the other. Fun. He does land a blow of his own, though, rocking back to cut Lyon well in front of point for four.

0121: This is suddenly a left-hander's nightmare. Lyon ends the over with two more ripped past Moeen Ali's outside edge. You wonder whether England would have been better off sending Jonny Bairstow in to get two right-handers in.

0115: WICKET! Carbon copy of the Stoneman wicket as Malan props forward and nicks Lyon to first slip. Pitching middle, forcing the batsman to play, and then spinning to find the edge. Malan's done little wrong there; just great off-spin bowling.

0049: WICKET! Good low catch from Steve Smith as Nathan Lyon makes the breakthrough. Classic off-spinner's combo to the left-hander of arm-ball followed by big spinner. Draws Stoneman into the lunging defensive, and finds a healthy edge.

0035: As on the second morning, strangely subdued start from Australia in the field. England will be delighted, and now just need to avoid the subsequent collapse that befell them on Friday.

0013: Well this is a tidy start for England. Everything looking a bit easier as the sun shines and the bowlers face up to a day in the field rather than an hour. Root cuts Hazlewood for four through gully, the sort of shot that will give Aussies Ian Bell 2013 nightmares. Clips to leg for a couple more, and the lead is 22.

0006: Shot, boy. Starc going full first up this morning, and Root equal to the task with a classical cover-drive to the fence. England have already more than doubled their overnight lead. Easy, easy, easy. Sky Bet offering a 6/1 Price Boost for Root to reach 50 before lunch. Looks fair enough, that.

0003: Nice start for England who were, by necessity, focused solely on survival last night. Both batsmen under way this morning as Stoneman clips off his hip for a single before Root gets two through gully and a single to long-leg.

2358: Mark Stoneman and Joe Root are back out in the middle. It will surely be easier than last night. But not much.

2325: Morning/afternoon/evening/whatever. We're about 35 minutes away from a resumption of hostilities at the Gabbatoir, and the big news this morning/afternoon/evening/whatever is that Joe Root has passed concussion tests after that sickening whack on the helmet from Mitchell Starc in the closing stages of yesterday's play. He's clear to bat today, and England surely need something special from their skipper. A reminder of the state of play: England lead by a slender seven runs with only eight wickets left in the shed.

Day three recap

0731: CLOSE: England, 33-2, lead by seven runs
What a match this is. The run-rate's barely got above 2.5 at any stage but it's never been less than absolutely enthralling. No doubt that Steve Smith is the man of the day, but Josh Hazlewood's double new-ball burst could prove absolutely crucial as the Gabbatoir finally bared its teeth in the evening session. Cook was bounced out, Root was hit on the helmet, Stoneman on the glove and body. That's what we expected. And after it all, England are ahead by a slender seven runs with eight wickets in hand. Australia are now 2/5 to go on and take a 1-0 lead in the series, but England certainly aren't without hope at 9/2.

0720: Brilliant over from Cummins that Stoneman somehow negotiates. Fends a couple off his nose with a combination of handle and glove, and wears the last ball of the over in the belly. Ten minutes left for England to get through tonight.

0716: England lead! Neat flick off his hip brings Stoneman three. England effectively 3-2, or 2-3 if you're from Australia and do scores wrong.

0714: Root shovels a single off Lyon. Scores are level.

0705: England hanging in there, but for the first time this Test is a bit more what you'd expect from the Gabba. England still a run behind, and we're not going to get the full 20 overs in. Probably be more like 17, and England really can't afford to lose any more.

0648: Thud. Nasty 90mph bouncer from Starc crashes into Root's batting helmet. It's a full-blooded blow, breaking a bit off the helmet, and the bowler and close fielders are immediately showing concern for the England captain. The doctor is out to check on Root, but he's been cleared to continue.

0641: WICKET! Early strife for England, a second wicket down before they knock off the first-innings deficit. Hazlewood was disappointing in the first innings, but he's right on it here. Squares Vince up, finds the edge, and that man Smith pouches it at second slip.

0637: Stoneman playing a different game in this second innings, picking up his second early boundary with a lovely clip off his toes as Starc overpitches.

0631: WICKET! Huge moment. Cook takes on the short ball from Hazlewood, and can only help it into the hands of Starc at long-leg. As in the first innings, huge responsibility resting on the new boys in England's top three.

0630: Cook under way as well now, clipping off his toes for two and guiding a thick edge along the ground and wide of the slips for four.

0621: Blimey. Cook plays out a maiden from Starc, and Stoneman then thrashes his first ball from Hazlewood for four past gully. It was in the air at catchable height, but flew past Lyon who never really had a chance. Shades of Andrew Strauss in the first innings here in 2010, though.

0606: Australia, 328, lead by 26 runs
So after two innings spread across almost three attritional, fascinating days of cricket, the odds are... exactly what they were before a ball was bowled. Australia are 8/11 to go on and win, with England 11/4 and the draw 7/2.

0605: WICKET! Root decides if you want a job doing, do it yourself. Brings himself on and has Lyon caught at leg-slip. Australia all out for 328, with a lead of 26. England will have 20 overs to bat before stumps.

0547: The prospect of a whole over at Lyon for Ball, and the Australia number 11 promptly clips him away for three. Tough to take for England, who haven't matched their pre-lunch levels since but nor have heads dropped.

0538: Smith walks across his stumps and flicks Ball over short fine-leg for four, and Australia have a first-innings lead.

0527: WICKET! Moeen's been poor today, but he's got Hazlewood playing all round a straight one here. England could still get a first-innings lead...

0505: And we're back for the evening session.

0443: TEA: Australia, 287-8, trail by 15 runs
Brilliant session for Australia, despite losing Cummins late on, and they've got their noses back in front in this slow-burning classic of a Test. We've had eight brilliant sessions of cricket, and the odds... are right back where they started. Australia 8/11, England 11/4.

0431: WICKET! Finally, a breakthrough for England. Cummins has got a few big drives away, but this time it finds the outside edge and Alastair Cook pouches it smartly low down at first slip. Cracking innings, though.

0425: Australia as short as they've been now at 8/13 with England now longer than the draw at 4/1 against 3/1. The 4/1 much better than the 3/1 there for me. Oceans of time left in this game, and England could still get a first-innings lead here.

0403: HUNDRED FOR SMITH! What an innings that is, and he goes to three-figures with an uncharacteristic display of aggression, lacing a cover-drive off Broad to the fence.

0340: Maiden over from Anderson. Pace is okay. Looks like panic over, but if he genuinely did have no issue it's very strange that neither he nor Broad was used earlier in this session.

0337: ANDERSON IS BACK.

0330: Once again, the pendulum is swinging. Great partnership developing now between Smith and Cummins, who's just smacked Ali over long-on for six. At least Anderson's back out there anyway, but he's still not bowling.

0320: Anderson off the field. Not sure the ECB are fooling anyone.

0305: Anderson on the field, but hasn't bowled since lunch. England still insist all is well. Runs starting to come for Australia, with Cummins offering decent support for his skipper.

0241: Back under way after lunch. It's Ball to continue, despite the official word from the England camp being that Anderson is absolutely fine.

0202: LUNCH: Australia, 213-7, trail by 89 runs
That's a great session for England after a slow start. They've becalmed Australia and winkled out three wickets on a Gabba pitch that remains sloooooowwwww. Australia made only 48 runs for those three morning wickets. The only downsides for England: Smith is still there, Anderson appears to have an injury. Australia even-money favourites, England 13/8. Cracking match, this.

0154: Anderson still out there, but not bowling. Presumably hoping he can get through to lunch and then be able to bowl immediately after the break. Looked like he took a tablet between overs.

0146: Slightly worrying moment for England with Anderson holding his side and looking a bit unhappy with life. Hard to read too much into the latter. Manages to complete the over with no discernible drop of pace, and he stays on the field after a brief chat with Root, so fingers crossed there's nothing too serious there.

0140: The odds are on the move again. Australia back out to odds-against at 11/10, with England now as short as 11/8. The draw's 9/2, which you can forget about.

0132: WICKET! Broad strikes as well! Sensational three-ball trick begins with Mitchell Starc ludicrously driving the new ball straight back over Broad's head for six and ends with him chipping back a return catch.

0125: WICKET! New ball does the trick for England. It's an Anderson classic, shaping away beautifully to find Paine's outside edge. Bairstow does the rest.

0117: Just one over until the new ball now. England will be pretty happy with one wicket for 30-odd in the 17 overs so far.

0057: Australia becalmed at the moment. Suits England with the new ball not far away.

0045: Joe Root has set an astonishing field for Smith. Six men catching on the legside - three in close, all in front of the wicket, and three on the fence.

0037: Ooof. Cracking short ball from Jake Ball, and he gets Smith in a right tangle. Comes off the shoulder of the bat but doesn't carry to gully. Tim Paine, meanwhile, is off the mark with a sweetly-timed cut shot.

0021: WICKET! Marsh looks suspiciously at the pitch as he stops a drive off Broad and chips the ball tamely to mid-off where Broad's partner-in-crime Anderson takes the easiest of catches. HOT TAKE: England needed that.

0010: Fifty for Marsh, who has cut Broad for four and driven Anderson for three behind point this morning. Absolutely nothing happening for Anderson or Broad in the early overs here. England's intensity not quite there. Very similar to Australia's half-hearted start in the field yesterday.

0002: Australia are 4/6 favourites here, with England 5/2. The draw's 4/1 but we'll surely need plenty of that possible rain to really bring that in to play. Smith's 4/6 for a hundred which looks perfectly fair, while Marsh is 5/2. Has gone big on the (very) few occasions he's got in in Test cricket...

2358: Two runs from the first ball of the day, punched through the cover by Smith. DOOOOOOMED.

2357: The players are out in the middle ready to go, with seconds to spare...

2330: All set for day three at the Gabba, which will get under way at the wonderfully precise time of 2358 this evening, like it's a dog race from Kinsley rather than day three of an Ashes Test. Although, to be fair, the midnight meeting at Kinsley has been discontinued these days. Still hard to say who's in front after two attritional days - will the picture be any clearer after today? Possibly, he declared confidently. Might also rain a bit today, so something else to look forward to there.

Day two recap

0733: England end the day with Broad bowling to a full Yorkshire Wall field, two catchers in the covers and two more at midwicket, but to no avail. Another fascinating day's play ends with the balance of power going one way then the other and ending somewhere in the middle.

0723: No wicket for Root, but he does go past the outside edge and then find the edge of a Marsh cut that scuttles away for four.

0715: Joe Root having a bowl. Always feel he's a chance of a wicket. He's not completely dreadful at off-spin.

0700: Smith and Marsh have turned this round. England have done little wrong, and have kept standards high in the field, but having had to work so, so hard to get in both batsmen are now starting to up the rate as Australia go past 150. The home side back in to 8/11 for the win - exactly where they were before a ball was bowled.

0631: Fifty for Smith. Much-needed by his side, and my word he's worked hard for it. Class player.

0625: Smith looking better and better here. Definitely nearing Ominous status. Marsh is still battling away at the other end.

0605: Smith breaks the shackles with back-to-back boundaries off Woakes, although the first is a top-edged pull that could have landed anywhere yet sails perfectly into the gap between two men stationed on the fence at deep square-leg and long-leg.

0555: England waste a review. No prizes for guessing the bowler who is absolutely convinced the ball is cannoning into the stumps as Marsh shoulders arms. Missing by three inches, it turns out. You've got to love Stuart Broad.

0545: England squeezing Australia here. Ten runs in 10 overs before Smith relieves some of the pressure with a gorgeous straight-driven four off Broad.

0505: WICKET! Success for England straight after tea as Anderson goes full and straight to Handscomb. Aleem Dar shakes his head, but three red lights on review, and Australia are four down.

0442: TEA: Australia, 76-3, trail by 226
Smith and Handscomb get through to tea without further alarm, Handscomb in particular profiting from some short stuff that his back-foot-dominant technique is tailor-made to handle, but it's been a fine afternoon's work for England. Australia still odds-on for victory at 10/11, but England now 13/8 and right in the mix, with the draw on the drift at 9/2 after nine wickets in the first two sessions on the second day.

0420: WICKET! Huge moment in this match, and possibly even the series. It's a familiar sight from 2015, as Warner plays that strange sort of flick-pull shot that seems to get him in strife so, so often. This time, he plinks it straight to midwicket where a tumbling Malan juggles but holds on.

0406: England bowling well at Warner and Smith. Such a key passage of play here. If England can separate Australia's two champions early here...

0344: WICKET! Moeen Ali strikes! And it's a carbon copy of his own dismissal, sliding one past Khawaja's inside edge and thumping into the pads in front of the full set. No hesitation from Aleem Dar, and no thought of a review from the batsman.

0334: Warner and Khawaja settling in against some quality new-ball bowling from Anderson and Broad. Joe Root goes early to Moeen Ali against the two left-handers.

0314: WICKET! Early departure for the debutant, Bancroft pushing hard outside off and nicking Broad through to Bairstow, who takes a smart low catch low to his right. Game on.

0311: A shirtless man with green and gold face paint has just proposed to his girlfriend in the Gabba swimming pool and it might be the most Australian thing of all time.

0301: Bancroft up and running in Test cricket with a controlled edge wide of the slips for a couple.

0257: Warner and debutant Bancroft out in the middle to begin Australia's first innings. Bancroft facing up to a man at the other end of the experience spectrum as 506-wicket veteran James Anderson takes the new ball. Immediately a short mid-on stood in front of the non-striker in case one should stick in a surface that has still shown glimpses of inconsistent pace today.

0240: Odds as they were at 0130, Australia 4/6 for the win, England 11/4 and the draw 4/1. David Warner is a 4/1 Price Boost to top-score in Australia's response to England's working total of 302.

0216: LUNCH: England 302
England would definitely have taken that yesterday morning, and again at 250-7. But for most of the time in between they would have been looking at 50 runs north. It's an okay total, and the fact it's been largely put together by The Unknowns is definitely encouraging for the series as a whole. At the very least, you don't watch that England effort and immediately start thinking about 5-0.

0216: WICKET! A swish too many from Broad, picking out Handscomb in the deep. Fair enough, 20 bonus runs for England there really.

0213: CRICKET. Broad has decided to just take on the non-stop diet of bouncers from Starc. Marsh drops one at deep square-leg and, adding injury to insult, the ball bounces off his Baggy Green and trickles away for four. A couple of better-struck efforts bring a two and a four as England go past 300.

0208: All runs now very much in the "bonus runs" category. Anderson gets four such runs, treading on short-leg's toes as he thrashes his bat wildly at a Cummins bouncer and somehow manages to divert the ball over the keeper's head.

0204: Lunch delayed for up to half-an-hour by that wicket. Let's say the odds would suggest it won't take half-an-hour.

0202: WICKET! Great catch from Warner at leg slip as Ball tries to get inside the line of a Starc short ball and help it down the legside. Warner saw it all the way, dived to his right and snaffled out two-handed. They're so difficult in there, but he's made it look easy.

0153: Jake Ball picks up three boundaries off Lyon. Fair play. The first is off a (safe) defensive outside edge, but the other two are Proper Shots, a well-struck sweep and a rock back and cut that any batsman would be happy with. Takes a single to retain the strike against Cummins, which may not have been the best plan.

0146: WICKET! They, er, they have not made it to lunch. Bairstow skies a pull shot off Cummins, and England are now in desperate trouble. Whole innings could well be wrapped up before the sandwiches are unwrapped now.

0145: Broad almost pre-emptively ducking when facing the quicks, but he's managed to get that paddle-sweep away to the boundary off Lyon. Fifteen minutes until lunch. England need this pair to get through to the break or it's been a horror session for the tourists.

0130: Australia now right back in to 4/6 for the win after that three-wicket burst with England out to 11/4 and the draw climbing to 4/1.

0124: WICKET! After more than a day spent grafting their way into a decent position, they've thrown it away in the space of 20 minutes. Hugely ambitious drive from Woakes against Lyon, and the ball spins back through the massive gate and knocks back the off stump.

0113: WICKET! Double strike as Moeen is trapped in front by Lyon. Only good news is that England retain their review after Moeen sends it upstairs because it's umpire's call and the rules have changed. England gone from seemingly cruising towards 350 to the very real danger of falling short of 300.

0105: WICKET! It's taken a long time, but the short ball works in the end. Malan top-edges a Starc bumper out to Marsh at deep backward square. Shame, he'd looked utterly untroubled today and, while hugely encouraging, it has to go down as another missed opportunity for three figures. Starc's 150th Test wicket as he manages for the first time to get the short ball up above Malan's hands.

0050: Malan follows Stoneman and Vince to 50. The symbolism of that is so important. This score would be a decent one for England had it been Root getting 83 with half-centuries from, say, Cook and Bairstow. This is even better: in one innings here England seem to have found answers to questions that dogged them all summer.

0037: Aussies posing more threat to each other than England's batsmen. Starc and Marsh go for the same ball in the deep, and a studs-up Marsh catches Starc's knee with his spikes. Straight red, for mine.

0034: Cannot believe how easy this has been for England this morning. Ali sweeps Lyon hard for four. Malan drives Cummins for four. Run-rate still in check for the Aussies, but they're just not troubling this pair.

0011: Australia turn to the GOAT, the career ender, the Garry, the Nathan, after just nine overs of the new ball. Again, it's a small win for England, and up comes the 50 partnership between Malan and Ali. That said, Lyon was comfortably the best bowler on day one and he's already ripping one past Ali's outside edge here.

0004: Better over from Hazlewood, who was disappointing yesterday. Beats Malan with one the left-hander might have left, and there's at least a bit of intent there. Australia seem half-asleep still.

0001: Not sure anyone told Australia there was an early start today. Such a gentle, quiet start to the day despite Aussies Big Strong Quicks having a brand new ball to scare England's batsmen with.

2338: Yes, the ball's brand new but you can instantly see things are a bit quicker here. But so far the evidence is the speed with which the ball disappears to the fence. Already this morning we've had two quality boundaries for Malan off Starc, that early clip and then a classic left-hander's cover-drive, while Moeen has nonchalantly popped Hazlewood back over his head for four. That made Adam Gilchrist purr on commentary. I wonder what it is about the stylish, aggressive left-hander that Gilly likes so much.

2332: Early win for England, as Mitchell Starc concludes the half-completed over from last night and is clipped away for four by Malan to bring up the 200.

2320: It's much more Brisbane-like today. Red hot, sun beating down. Hard yakka for Australia's four-man attack who all got through plenty of work yesterday. The Aussies start day two as even-money favourites, with England 9/4 and the draw 11/4. The fact those aren't wildly different from the pre-match odds tells you something. Dawid Malan, like Vince and Stoneman before him, looked the part yesterday and is now a 6/1 Price Boost to reach three figures.

2315: And we're back, rubbing our eyes and wondering whether that James Vince innings really happened. (It did.) How are we all feeling? Refreshed? Alert? Ready to go? Really? I'm jealous. It's an extended day today after yesterday's un-Australian weather, so we'll be back under way in about 15 minutes as England look to build on yesterday's encouraging start.

Day one recap

0815: CLOSE: England 196-4
Australia take the new ball. Three balls and one DRS review for lbw (missing, review lost) against Malan, and the umpires decide it's got too dark and call a halt nine balls early. We'll start half-an-hour early tomorrow to make up eight of the 9.3 overs we've lost. That's just about England's day I reckon. Would've been a different story had what turned out to be the last ball of the day been crashing in to leg stump rather than sliding past it. The odds reflect that

0803: Four overs left in the day. James Anderson has the pads on for a bit of nightwatchman action, should he be required. The day's honours remain firmly in the balance.

0752: First Vince, now Malan. Back-to-back boundaries for the left-hander, and both of them glorious. The first a cover-drive, the second a clip off the toes through midwicket. Been a grinding day for the most part, but this partnership now stands at 27 off 24 balls. That will be England's gameplan for the most part in this series: carefully putting in the foundations that allow the middle-order to get to work.

0748: Whack. England haven't been able to get Lyon away at all today, but Moeen has just slog-swept him over midwicket for an astonishing flat six. Never got more than 10 feet off the ground, but it's gone 83m. First six of the series.

0735: WICKET! Huge. The day is turning round as the shadows lengthen. Big inswinger from Cummins traps Root plumb in front. Umpire Erasmus inexplicably keeps his hand in his pocket, but three red lights on review mean the England captain is on his way.

0715: Time for a day-one recap if you're just checking in over your coffee and toast. England won the toss and chose to bat, and promptly suffered the worst possible start as Cook nicked off early, with the recalled James Vince striding to the middle to replace him. The Aussies scented blood, England feared disaster, but the pitch was uncharacteristically slow and stodgy, blunting the Aussie attack we've heard so much about. Vince and Mark Stoneman promptly added 125 for the second wicket. England's biggest partnership of the entire 2013/14 series was 111. Pat Cummins ripped one through Stoneman's defences before tea, while Vince was brilliantly run out by Lyon after tea, and here we are. A lengthy rain delay after lunch means there's still a good hour's play left tonight/this morning.

0710: Floodlights starting to overtake the natural light here, Starc casting four shadows as he steams into the crease. Root and Malan watchful.

0656: Australia back in to 11/10 favourites after removing both set batsmen either side of the tea break. England out to 9/4, and the draw to 5/2.

0648: Root moves to nine not out, and 1000 Test runs against Australia. Not that this is at the forefront of his mind right now. Crucial period of the day right here.

0643: WICKET! No century for Vince, who is run out by a distance after a brilliant bit of work from Lyon in the covers. Always a tight single, but a brilliant one-handed pick up and throw from the off-spinner, and the Zings light up with Vince at least a foot short.

0630: Couple of post-tea boundaries have taken Vince into the 80s. Cleverly, he's flicked the second of them down to fine-leg and into a bit of a puddle. That should scupper the reverse-swing Australia were starting to get.

0601: TEA: England 128-2
Stoneman falls in the last over before tea, with Joe Root able to survive the four remaining balls in the over safely enough. Gets himself off the mark with a quick single, so he'll be on strike after a cuppa. England the most marginal of favourites here at 13/8, with Australia 7/4 and the draw 15/8.

0556: WICKET! It's been a long time coming, but finally the breakthrough for Australia. Cummins nips one through the gate of Stoneman to set the Zing bails flying. Did Stoneman for pace, with a hint of reverse-swing.

0552: Vince celebrates his reprieve by punching a glorious on-drive back past Cummins for four. Not even Warner can chase that down, but he gave it a red-hot crack.

0547: DROP! Oh dear. Tim Paine's been immaculate behind the stumps today, but that's all going to count for nought now as he shells a chance offered by Vince off Lyon. It's a decent edge, but one the keeper should take.

0542: Stoneman maintains his record of reaching 50 in every innings of the tour so far. What a start for England, and runs for two of the rookies as well.

0525: England have gone favourites at 6/4. Australia out to 9/4 and the draw now 7/4.

0512: Tick off another milestone. Up comes the hundred partnership.

England hundred partnerships in the 2013/14 Ashes: 1

England hundred partnerships in the 2017/18 Ashes: 1

0500: Gorgeous clipped four through midwicket from Stoneman off Hazlewood and England reach three figures. Really great partnership, this. Did the hard yards this morning and now cashing in. That's drinks in this shortened afternoon session, and it's all going marvellously for England. We're approaching a flip in the odds here, with Australia now 13/8 and England 7/4.

0450: These are dangerous times for Australia. Vince is well into his stride here and starting to collect full value for his shots. Remarkably, this partnership - now worth 90 - is bigger than any first-innings partnership England put together in the whole 2013/14 series.

0445: Four more for Vince, and that's a maiden Test 50. He's looked glorious, and he's now 7/4 to double it up.

0435: Vince punches Cummins through cover off the back foot, jogs three and now has his highest Test score.

0422: Vince and Stoneman pick up where they left off, Vince collecting three for another picture-perfect cover-drive, and Stoneman getting four for a pinging pose-holder down the ground.

0400: The draw in to 2/1 after that rain delay. It's still not for me.

0357: Play set to restart in just under 20 minutes at 0415 GMT. Fair play, Swanny.

0350: The rain has stopped. Covers being carefully removed. Swann reckons we'll be back out in 20 minutes. But then he also thinks a Super Sopper is called a squidgy mower thingy.

0335: It continues to absolutely smash it down with rain from a bright blue sky. The sand-based outfield is draining beautifully, but it's going to take a good while to clear all the water off the covers with what Graeme Swann has just dubbed "the squidgy mower thingy".

0300: And the rain getting heavier now. Full covers being rolled out over the square, so we're looking at a reasonable delay. Big decisions to make now for your English night owls. Risk a power nap? Call it a night? Stick with it? As big a call as Root had to make at the toss a few hours ago.

0245: Rain Stopped Play. BT Sport showing highlights from 2010. All for that.

0235: Bit of drizzle at the Gabba. This weather is un-Australian.

0204: LUNCH: England 59-1
That'll do nicely for the tourists. Vince and Stoneman have been exemplary on a docile Gabba pitch. England and the draw both now available at 9/4, with the Aussies drifting from a pre-match 8/11 to 11/10.

0157: Australia have dried up the runs in the last 40 minutes or so, but there's very little threat from the much-vaunted "Pace Cartel". Lyon looking the man most likely.

0140: A Stoneman clip for three - been a lot of those this morning with the outfield a touch heavy - brings up the 50 partnership. Nerves: settled.

0138: Three maidens in a row. Stats show that 60 percent of the time that brings a wicket, every time.

0130: Australia have drifted to odds-against at 11/10 in the face of this rookie-led solidity from England. The draw into 5/2 on what looks a placid pitch right now, but expect it to bare its teeth tomorrow. England have to cash in today to justify 9/4 backers.

0122: Spin for the first time as destroyer of worlds Nathan Lyon comes on. First shouts of "Nice, Gary" from Tim Paine. Good areas.

0104: And that's drinks. It's been pretty, pretty, pretty good. Stoneman and Vince both looking the part. The Gabbatoir looking pretty harmless in atypically temperate conditions.

0058: This all seems so easy. Too easy. Suspiciously easy. A nation is being lulled.

0051: Glorious from Vince, back-to-back boundaries off Hazlewood driven through cover and clipped through midwicket. He looks magnificent. This is, traditionally, when he nicks one to second slip.

0041: It's been nice and quiet as far as England are concerned since Cook's departure. Vince looking a million dollars, his strokeplay mirrored by an insouciant popped collar. He's into double-figures with a lovely high-elbowed punch off the back foot.

0026: Stoneman's first boundary, slashed wide of the slips all along the ground to third-man.

0022: First boundary followed, inevitably, by first bouncer. Vince ducks, Starc offers him some words of encouragement. Nice to see.

0021: First boundary of the 2017/18 Ashes comes from a glorious Vince cover-drive. His greatest strength, his greatest weakness. There should be a James Vince Marvel comic.

0017: Vince and Stoneman both off the mark with clips off the hip. Shaun Marsh is in at short-leg so his back-knack can't be too bad.

0012: WICKET! Starc strikes in his second over, Cook pushing at one that shapes away and edging to Handscomb at first slip. Smart catch.

0004: England are away! Cook steers the last ball of Starc's opening over behind point for a couple. Little bit of shape for Starc, but no great pace in what looks a slightly damp pitch.

2355: Sun shining now as both teams stand for the anthems. Now no escaping the undeniable fact that Shaun Marsh and James Vince are actually playing in this game.

Teams:

Australia: Warner, Bancroft, Khawaja, Smith (capt), Handscomb, Marsh, Paine (wk), Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Lyon

England: Cook, Stoneman, Vince, Root (capt), Malan, Ali, Bairstow (wk), Woakes, Broad, Ball, Anderson

2330: England have won the toss and will have a bat. Reverse Nasser. Steve Smith confirms that he would also have batted first, but now "hopefully we can make good use of the new ball." Shaun Marsh and David Warner are "good to go" so Australia as expected before the excitement of the last few days. England, meanwhile, have listed Jonny Bairstow at seven and Moeen Ali at six.

2320 GMT: Morning/afternoon/evening everyone. We're all ready for the start of the 70th Ashes series. Hilariously, there's a bit of rain around at the Gabba but hopefully we're on for a prompt start. Might it tempt Joe Root into "doing a Nasser" if he wins the toss? There's a tempting tinge of green in the pitch...

England's team looks set to be that announced yesterday, while Geoff Marsh has handed Cameron Bancroft Baggy Green number 451.

With that all-important toss not far away, don't miss this last chance to check out our betting previews:

Click here for our Ashes outright series preview

Click here for our preview of the Ashes batsman and bowler markets

Click here for our preview of the Ashes specials markets.

Click here for first Test tips, and our Gabba RequestABet