Lord's, first day

Shane Watson is some way from being the best bowler in the world, but it became clear yesterday why the Australia selectors have kept him around the fold despite a long history of injuries. What Ricky Ponting needed yesterday — let’s not be flippant and say Shane Warne — was the option of a fifth bowler to help him through the phase when Mitchell Johnson’s confidence had drained and Nathan Hauritz was recovering from his dislocated finger.

It could have been worse for the Australia captain. Marcus North proved a reasonable like-for-like deputy for the unfortunate Hauritz, bowling 16.3 overs in succession from the Nursery End. But North falls into the category of batsmen-who-bowl as against Watson, the genuine all-rounder. It was a risky strategy, forced upon Ponting to some extent. Where could he have gone had England taken on North’s off spin?

When Andrew Flintoff announced his retirement at the end of the Ashes, it focused attention on the scarcity of all-rounders. Those boasting a jack of both trades have a significant advantage. England were able to play two spin bowlers at Cardiff because of the presence of Flintoff. That luxury would not be available to Ponting, even if he had two spinners in the squad.

Watson’s fitness record makes Flintoff appear a model of health. He failed to appear in either of the warm-up matches because of a knee problem but did take a full part in practice in the build-up at Lord’s.

Brett Lee, too, is available to play against Northamptonshire between the second and third npower Tests and expects to be in contention when the series resumes at Edgbaston on July 30. Johnson has disappointed as the kingpin of the attack and should perhaps be looking over his shoulder, a simple task given how low it remains in delivery.

Session by session

First session
England 126-0
Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook capitalise on dreadful bowling to post a century stand from 147 balls. Mitchell Johnson, the leading figure in the recent series win in South Africa, leaks fours. Strauss, on 11, completes 1,000 Test runs at his home ground. Cook reaches a 73-ball fifty with his eleventh four. Nathan Hauritz proves unable to stem the runs — not helped by fields described by Shane Warne, on his Sky Sports debut, as “ridiculous”.

England 3/5
Australia (no stars)

Second session
England 126-0 to 255-2
Strauss and Cook put on 196, the best opening partnership for England in an Ashes match at Lord’s. Strauss reaches his eighteenth Test century from 178 balls. Hauritz is taken to hospital with a dislocated middle finger suffered in dropping a return chance off Strauss. Cook is leg-before when Johnson manages a straight ball for his 100th Test wicket. Ravi Bopara begins well before Ben Hilfenhaus out-thinks him with one shaping back.

England 4/5
Australia 2/5

Third session
England 255-2 to 364-6
Strauss bats through the first day, ensuring that the home side finish with a slight edge. The session begins badly for England when Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood depart. Johnson bowls Matt Prior through the gate. To make matters worse, Andrew Flintoff feeds Ricky Ponting at second slip with a heavy-handed push against Hilfenhaus. Strauss is dropped for the second time on 105 before reaching his 150 from 255 balls.

England 2/5
Australia 3/5

Television, radio and weather
Live Sky Sports 1, 10am-7pm
Highlights Sky Sports 1, 8pm-10pm; 12.30am-2.30am. Five, 7.15pm-8pm
Radio BBC Radio 4 LW; Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
Forecast Cloudy and breezy with heavy showers. Maximum 18C (64F).

Talking point

High-pitched frequency causes Pietersen problems
Opponents have started to work out that Kevin Pietersen is vulnerable to balls pitched well up. Fidel Edwards, the West Indies fast bowler, exposed this weakness earlier in the year and Peter Siddle, capable of bowling at over 90mph, has adopted a similar approach. It left Siddle vulnerable to the drive, and Pietersen forced him straight almost immediately after lunch. But Siddle got his revenge when he tempted the batsman, who was looking to repeat the shot, to go at one that moved away a shade and took the edge.

Milestones

¤ The stand of 196 between Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook was England’s best for the first wicket in an Ashes Test at Lord’s, and the highest in England since 1938, when Charlie Barnett and Len Hutton put on 219 at Trent Bridge.

¤ Mitchell Johnson claimed his 100th wicket (Cook) for Australia in his 23rd Test; the same number of matches that it took Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.