To England went the spoils of the first day, which means eight successive days, since the third day in Brisbane, or 20 successive sessions, won by the visitors.
Australia, put in to bat, were dismissed for 268, four overs before the second new ball was due, for which Andrew Strauss would cheerfully have settled beforehand. The end justified the means. But with the exception of a terrific performance from one paceman and another outstanding fielding display, this was an indifferent England, several notches below the complete game they managed in Adelaide.
Chris Tremlett was a giant in the literal and metaphorical sense, gaining steepling bounce and good pace to claim three wickets on his return to Test cricket, and more than justified his selection. But Jimmy Anderson was way off beam with the new ball, criminally so, his three-wicket return a bonus rather than an achievement, although he did manage the early wicket of Ricky Ponting, while Steve Finn was unable to locate the length required, erred either too full or, as the day wore on, too short and was handed out a near run-a-ball spanking as a result. Graeme Swann's two-wicket intervention ought not to have been necessary.
In the 12 overs bowled to them as the shadows lengthened across the Waca, the England openers, Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, ensured that the day was not sullied, seeing out all four of the Australian seamers with no alarm other than one rasping square cut from the captain that seared at catchable height past Mike Hussey in the gully, squinting into the setting sun. Twice Cook carved short deliveries deliberately over the slip cordon, one of them for six. Twenty-nine without loss, and the initial hardness already going from the ball, was the ideal finish.
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