The drama and psychology of Ashes first balls

The first ball of the Ashes is so much more than one delivery.

It is a stomach-churning two or three seconds of theatre, when all of that pre-series talk comes to an end.

"To set the tone of the whole series would be really cool," said England bowler Gus Atkinson when asked about the prospect this week.

"I know there have been a few special moments of first balls in the Ashes. The chance to add to that would be cool."

As Atkinson says, the opening delivery has produced some of the iconic Ashes moments - ones that appeared to set the narrative or at least be convenient to look back upon in hindsight...

Zak Crawley had spent the lead up to the 2023 Ashes thinking about hitting the first ball for a boundary - about wanting to "make a statement".

Australia captain Pat Cummins ran in at Edgbaston and Crawley cracked a drive through the covers to deafening roars from the England fans.

"I've always been a big fan of the first ball of the Ashes," Crawley told The Times., external

"I've been watching it since growing up and I knew a couple of weeks out that if we won the toss there would be a good chance of facing it.

"I chatted to Brooky [Harry Brook] about it when we were golfing in Scotland - that it would be cool if I could get the first one away and make a statement."

England may not have won that series - and Australia dramatically took that first Test on the final day - but it was a hint at how Ben Stokes' side would attack throughout the summer.

That moment in Birmingham has been one of the few opening salvos to go the way of England, however.

Far more often they have been ominous signs of the Australian dominance that was to come.

On the 2021-22 tour, Mitchell Starc bowled England opener Rory Burns with a leg-stump half-volley in Brisbane to become the first bowler to take a wicket with the first ball of an Ashes series since Aussie seamer Ernest McCormick in 1936.

England's preparation had been poor and in that moment of Australian jubilation the tourists took a punch to the stomach.

"My emotion just dropped to the floor," said bowler Stuart Broad, who was watching from the dressing room.

"You have built for this series and bang, first ball, he is out."

The Ashes were gone within 11 more days and Australia won the series 4-0.

It is also no surprise an Australian captain who reveled in "mental disintegration" thought proceedings were set by a similar incident 27 years earlier.

Steve Waugh and Australia were seeking a fourth Ashes series win in a row when opener Michael Slater began the 1994-95 contest by emphatically crunching England seamer Phil DeFreitas for four through backward point.

"It was like 'alright boys here we go again we have got them already'," said Waugh, who would play all five Tests in a 3-1 home win.

"In our minds it was like we are on top already and let's just keep hammering away. We know how to beat these guys."

Ominous.

But what if the first delivery is just that - one in 10,000 or more to start the series?

The wide Steve Harmison bowled to begin the 2006-07 series - when he hurled the ball into the hands of captain Andrew Flintoff at second slip, almost missing the cut strip in the process - has become the most famous Ashes opener of all.

"I froze," Harmison told the Mail on Sunday soon afterwards.

"I let the enormity of the occasion get to me. It all seemed so alien to me. My whole body was nervous.

"I could not get my hands to stop sweating. The first ball slipped out of my hands, the second did as well and, after that, I had no rhythm, nothing."

England had won the 2005 series 15 months earlier but were resoundingly beaten 5-0. Some argue that Ashes were lost in that very moment. Harmison disagrees.

"We weren't good enough to beat Australia, whether that first ball of the series happened or not," he said.

"Those people who say that ball set the tone for the whole series are the same as those who said I set the tone in England when I hit three batsmen on the opening morning at Lord's [in 2005] and we got beat by 239 runs."

Either way, it was the most obvious sign of the nerves delivering the Ashes opener brings.

In both 2006 and 2005 the Australia opener facing Harmison was Justin Langer.

Like Burns, as an opener, he had faced the opening delivery of a match countless times before.

The Ashes, though, is different.

"Harmison is at the pavilion end, my heart is pumping," Langer told the BBC's Stumped podcast.

"Generally what happens is the bowler runs in for the first ball and the crowd starts roaring, you can hear the whistling, shouting and banging, this time the whole crowd went silent.

"It is the most bizarre thing. It was tangible."

Harmison's first delivery whistled through to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones. The Durham quick gave a knowing look to Langer, who smiled back in turn before hopping on the spot.

The next delivery thudded into Langer's elbow.

"Ian Bell was bat pad and started walking towards me, the slips started walking towards me and Harmison ended up about as close as this microphone," Langer said.

"[Langer's opening partner] Matty Hayden walked down and said 'be ready little fella, these guys are on'.

"Hayden was hit, I think the only time he got hit on the helmet, and Ricky Ponting got hit under the eye and still bears the scar today.

"It was the best hour of cricket I have ever played in and 18 years later I still remember that silent first ball."

Not every Ashes first ball is as quiet, nor have they all stuck in the memory.

It may not decide a contest but history suggests you're usually best laying the first blow...