England’s struggles at the top of the order resurfaced once more as Ben Duckett fell cheaply for 2, edging Mitchell Starc to mid-on in the early stages. Starc bowled a full delivery at pace that shaped away late, forcing a tentative clip from Duckett. The ball ballooned off the leading edge, and Michael Neser made no mistake, completing a simple catch.
The dismissal underlined a worrying trend for England’s openers in the series. England’s opening partnership is averaging just 14.42, with dismissals coming at an average of 3.1 overs. Alarmingly, England have lost their first wicket inside the first three overs in five of the seven innings so far.
At ENG 8/1 after 3 overs, Australia once again struck early, keeping pressure firmly on England and continuing a pattern that has repeatedly put the visitors on the back foot in the series.
