Ashes Timeline - 5th Test, day 1: As it happened

All the action from day one of the fifth Test at Hobart as Australia look to secure a 4-0 series win and England hope to build on their fighting draw at the SCG...

2:10pm (3:10am UK time): Good morning/good evening and welcome to coverage of the first day of the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart.

It's an historic day for Tasmania, hosting its first men's Ashes Test and only its 14th Test overall. Australia have lost just twice in Hobart which doesn't bode well for England.

The toss has, however, been delayed due to what David Gower describes as drizzle.

Australia have made just one change to their XI from the SCG. Travis Head returns to the middle order after missing the fourth Test due to Covid-19 with Marcus Harris losing his place at the top to Usman Khawaja. Scott Boland, who has been an injury doubt all week following a fall in Sydney, has been cleared to play.

For England, Sam Billings has been handed his first cap by James Anderson - he replaces the injured Jos Buttler with the gloves - while Mark Wood received his 25th cap from Ben Stokes.

2:40pm: The toss is expected to take place at 3pm (4am GMT) which means the delay to proceedings at present is 30 minutes.

^{Joe Root won the toss in Hobart [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]}

3pm: Joe Root has won the toss and is going to have a bowl, citing the overcast weather and tacky conditions.

Pat Cummings agrees that he would have bowled. Interestingly, during his pitch report, Glenn McGrath recommended the opposite. If you can survive the first couple of hours, he said, you'll be able to control the rest of the day.

England have made five changes to the side which drew in Sydney with Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson coming in for Haseeb Hameed, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, James Anderson and Jack Leach.

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

England XI: Zak Crawley, Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad

3:30pm: Half an hour later than expected we're off. Stuart Broad to bowl England's first delivery in Hobart.

3:57pm: WICKET (5.6 overs, Australia 3-1) No, it's not Broad beating Warner again. This time the Australian opener falls to Ollie Robinson, edging to Zak Crawley at second slip to depart for a 22-ball duck. A good start (for England, that is).

Forget the celebrappeal - 2022 is the year of the diving appeal from Stuart Broad! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/etkZ8i1Ozg

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 14, 2022

4:05pm: DROP (7.4 overs, Australia 7-1) Oh Zak... Diving across Joe Root at first slip, Crawley puts down an edge from Marnus Labuschagne - Australia's No.3 should have gone for a four-ball duck. How costly will that prove to be?

4:11pm: WICKET (8.6 overs, Australia 7-2) Well, this is exciting! Eight balls after seeing a golden chance go begging England have their second wicket (and Broad's first). This time it's Khawaja, the Sydney centurion, edging to Root at slip.

4:16pm: WICKET (9.5 overs, Australia 12-3) Robinson to Steve Smith, Smith nicks it to the slips, Crawley takes the catch on one knee and Australia are 12 for 3. Frantic strapping of pads in the Australian dressing room; England, finally bowling those desired fuller lengths, are on fire.

4:50pm (15.5 overs, Australia 50-3) Labuschagne whips Chris Woakes through midwicket for four and Australia bring up their 50 without further loss. They lost three wickets and scored just 12 runs off the first 10 overs. This Labuschagne-Head partnership is currently 38 off 36.

5:20pm: WICKET (22.1 overs, Australia 83-4) Bowled him! Broad knocks over Labuschagne to pick up his second wicket and bring Australia's impressive fourth-wicket stand - 71 runs off 74 balls - to an end.

^{Labuschagne is sent sprawling by Broad [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]}

5:33pm: LUNCH (24 overs, Australia 85-4) A session of two halves. The first hour was all England with Broad and Robinson nailing their lengths to reduce Australia to 12 for 3.

They should have had four, Crawley putting down Labuschagne in the slips, and it proved costly. Labuschagne and Head counter-attacked against Wood and Woakes, putting on 71 runs in 74 balls.

But on the stroke of lunch (or breakfast), Broad dismissed Labuschagne for 44 to restore a spring to England's step.

6:25pm (27 overs, Australia 100-4) Australia bring up three figures with a single from Cameron Green. Green is 10 off 18, Head has 38 off 41, and Robinson is temporarily off the field due to injury.

6:45pm: 50 FOR HEAD (31.1 overs, Australia 123-3) Head brings up his half-century off 53 balls with a four to fine leg. This is the 12th time Head has passed 50 in his Test career, with three converted to centuries.

07:57pm: 100 FOR HEAD (48.4 overs, Australia 204-4) He narrowly avoided the ignominy of being dismissed on 99 the ball before but brushed it off to bring up his century off the next ball. Woakes is chopped away for two and Head has his second hundred of the Ashes, coming off 112 balls.

08:00pm: WICKET (48.5 overs, Australia 205-4) Brought back down to earth with a bump! Head departs for 101 after picking out Robinson at mid-on. A disappointing end to a brilliant innings.

08:04pm: 50 FOR GREEN (49.3 overs, Australia 207-5) All of the action in the final 15 minutes of the middle session as Green brings up his half-century with a single off Root.

08:11pm: TEA (52 overs, Australia 215-5) Alex Carey nearly helps the final ball onto his own stumps but survives and Australia head in for tea on 215 for 5. Suddenly, 12 for 3 seems like quite a long time ago.

^{Travis Head celebrates his century [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]}

08:58pm: WICKET (57.6 overs, Australia 236-6) A fine knock from Green is brought to end on 74. He's been in Wood's pocket since tea and falls to a short ball, picking out Crawley at deep midwicket. Wood is elated, Green frustrated and Mitchell Starc is the new man in.

09:07pm: RAIN (59.3 overs, Australia 241-6) A touch of drizzle brings the covers on and forces the players off. Back home, we call this Billinge rain but that's possibly a niche reference. Anyway, play is halted for the time being.

10:05pm: RAIN (59.3 overs, Australia 241-6) Play was due to restart at 10:15pm but the fourth umpire has picked up his umbrella and the covers are back on. Play can continue until 11pm local time, at a push 11:30pm.

10:13pm: STUMPS Rain stops play after 59.3 overs. Australia will resume on day two on 241 for 6.

Our coverage of the Ashes is brought to you in association with Cricket 22

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