Ashes: Ben Stokes joins elusive list of England captains despite 1st Test defeat to Australia

England captain Ben Stokes delivered a sensational spell in the opening Ashes Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium, finishing with 5 for 23 from just six overs—the best bowling figures ever recorded by an England skipper in an Ashes Test played in Australia. His burst changed the course of Australia’s first innings.

Stokes first broke a promising 45-run fifth-wicket partnership between Travis Head and Cameron Green, a stand that had lifted Australia from a precarious 31/4. He removed both batters in quick succession before going on to dismiss Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland.



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By doing so, Stokes became only the fifth England captain to claim a five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test in Australia, joining Gubby Allen (5/36, Brisbane 1936), Johnny Douglas (5/46, Melbourne 1912), Freddie Brown (5/49, Melbourne 1951) and Bob Willis (5/66, Brisbane 1982).

The performance continued his impressive year with the ball: Stokes has now collected 25 wickets in six Tests at an average of 20.16, including two five-fors in 11 innings. Earlier in the year during the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy against India at home, he took 17 wickets in four matches at 25.23, with best figures of 5/72, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker in that series.

Australia, resuming day two on 123/9 with Brendan Doggett (3) and Nathan Lyon (0), managed to chip away a few more runs, rotating strike where possible, before Ben Duckett took a sharp catch at gully to end the innings at 132 in 45.2 overs, leaving Australia 40 runs behind England’s first-innings total of 172.

Stokes’ five-wicket haul was supported by a fierce pace display from Brydon Carse (3/45) and Jofra Archer (2/11). Their early strikes on day one had demolished the Australian top order, removing debutant opener Jake Weatherald (0), Marnus Labuschagne (9), Steve Smith (17) and Usman Khawaja (2) before Head and Green attempted to rebuild.

With a 40-run lead, England began their second innings aiming to extend the advantage, but Mitchell Starc, who had already caused damage on day one, produced a spectacular one-handed catch to remove Zak Crawley for his second duck of the match, leaving England at 0/1 after 0.5 overs.

From there, Ben Duckett (28) and Ollie Pope (24) settled things again, much as they did in the first innings, guiding England to 59/1 and stretching the lead to 99 runs by the end of the first session on day two.

Day one had swung back and forth. After winning the toss and batting, England slipped to 39/3, despite a bright start from Duckett (21 off 20, 4 boundaries) and despite hopes resting on Joe Root, who fell for a duck to Starc. A half-century stand between Pope (46 off 58, 4 fours) and Harry Brook offered stability before England again stumbled to 115/5. Brook (52 off 61, 5 fours and a six) and Jamie Smith (33 off 22, 6 fours) counterattacked briefly, but Starc’s 7/58—assisted by Doggett’s 2/27—ended the innings swiftly with England bowled out for 172 in 32.5 overs, undermined further by some reckless shot selection.

Brief scores:
Australia 132 (Carey 26, Green 24; Stokes 5/23)
England 172 & 59/1 (Duckett 28, Pope 24; Starc 1/13)


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