Steve Smith, one of the heroes with the bat, with a century for Australia on day 1 of the 5th Ashes test
After a promising start to the fifth and final Ashes test in Australia, England's cricketers ended the first day in familiar territory, having let the hosts off the hook when they batted and then finding themselves in early trouble in their reply.
The day ended with Australia all-out for 326 and England 8/1, with Michael Carberry dismissed for a nine-ball duck.
It had looked so much more promising for the struggling English team during the first half of the day. Alastair Cook, winning the toss for the first time in the series, sent the Aussies in to bat and England had them in early trouble, with Warner dismissed for 16 to make it 22/1. Rogers was next to go with the score at 51, then captain Michael Clarke at 78, and by the time the lunch break came, they were four down, with Shane Watson LBW bowled Anderson for 43.
Watson's dismissal had an extra special quality to it because it was, amazingly, the first LBW decision that had gone to an England bowler for the entire series.
The situation for Australia did not improve much immediately after lunch. To the contrary, it got worse, with George Bailey caught Cook bowled Broad for 1 and Australia in serious trouble at 97/5.
As has happened so often througout the series, however, the reliable Brad Haddin came to the rescue of his team, as he and Steve Smith set about repairing the damage and then putting the pressure back on the Englishmen.
The two shared a 128 run partnership which took the score to 225 before Haddin was dismissed, caught Cook bowled Ben Stokes for 75.
If the England players had been able to ram home the advantage at that point, they would still have been in a position of relative strength. Once again, however, Steve Smith, batting with the tail, was able to guide his team to a potentially match-winning position, the last four wickts adding 101 more runs to take Australia to 326 all-out.
Smith, identified a few seasons ago as one on whom to rebuild the Australian team, scored his second century of this series and his third against England in the back-to-back Ashes series, before being the last man dismissed, for 115.
The one outstanding performer for England was Ben Stokes who took six wickets for 99 runs from his 19.5 overs. Having earlier scored the only century for England in the series so far, Stokes underlined his growing credentials as an emerging all-rounder of quality.
His batting prowess might well be called on over the next few days as England strives to stave off defeat in this match and the humiliation of a 0-5 series whitewash.
At stumps, the signs were not good; one wicket down already with only eight runs on the board, Carberry's scalp taken by Mitchell Johnson who has been the chief destroyer for the Australians this series.
The remaining England batsmen were probably not looking forward to seeing the mustachioed slinger on day two as they went to bed after a disappointing first day.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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