FIRST ASHES TEST - DAY ONE

Peter Siddle claims the prize wicket of Kevin Pietersen.

What a first day!

Ashes cricket throws up some incredible days and the opening day of the 2010/11 Ashes series is no exception.

Sitting back in my chair, I barely had time to make myself comfortable when BANG! the first incident of the series occurred before my eyes. Third ball of the first over from Hilfenhaus and English captain Andrew Strauss tried to cut too close to his body and merely guided the ball directly to the safe hands of Michael Hussey at gully.

You can bet that dismissal is going to be replayed time and time again in the coming years.

Cook and Trott set about rebuilding the England innings when Trott seemed to play all over an innocuous looking ball from Shane Watson and was bowled for a well made twenty nine.

That brought the out of sorts Kevin Pietersen to the crease to the resounding boos of the Gabba crowd. KP is one of my favourite English batsman, but having said that, I always pray that he doesn't get too many as he is a match changing player. Today he dug in and played pretty well and would be disappointed with himself getting out caught at slip off the irrepressible Peter Siddle who would have an auspicious day.

Pietersen made forty three and was starting to find the kind of touch that had deserted him for nearly two years. Time will tell whether he has truly turned the corner or if this was merely a dead cat bounce.

Siddle then got Paul Collingwood with a sucker punch in a similar manner to KP. Given how experienced Collingwood is and how utterly determined he is for the fight, I was surprised at his meek dismissal. Definitely not what his country needed today.

While all this was playing out, Alistair Cook was hanging in there like a redback spider on your toilet seat. Cook was seemingly headed for a century when he was removed by some intelligent bowling by Peter Siddle who by now was steaming in like a man possessed.

Next ball Siddle tilted back Prior's off stump and he duly achieved his hat-trick in emotion charged scenes when he trapped the hapless Stuart Broad LBW with a full yorker that struck the batsmen on the toe in line.

All this on Siddles twenty sixth birthday...

Unbelievable.

Siddle next removed Graeme Swann to leave him with figures of 6 for 54 - a stunning return for a player that many felt shouldn't have even been in the team for the first test.

Today Peter Siddle was the gladiator in the Gabba coliseum - he stood tall and galvanized the crowd and his teammates with one of the most stirring bowling spells in Ashes history.

Was it match turning? Probably.

Is it series shaping? Probably not.

What we do know is that Peter Siddle has just joined a select band of bowlers to have taken an Ashes Hat-trick - eleven of them to be precise, ten of them in Australia. Siddle joins Australians Spofforth, Trumble (twice) and Warne.

If there were any doubts about Siddle - it would seem he now has a place in Australian cricket's Valhalla sitting along side this nations greatest sporting sons.

All this hyperbole and it is only the first day!

Prior was next in the Siddle onslaught...

It would be remiss of me to neglect to mention the fluid stroke play of Ian "Sherminator" Bell who displayed an artistry of technique that is sadly lacking in so many batsmen in the modern era. It was some of the most sumptuous batsmanship that a cricketing purist could hope to see.

Bell's seventy six was not his highest test score by a long shot - but I doubt that he has ever played better.

Got him! Siddle traps Broad in front to complete his hat-trick.

England were ultimately dismissed for a sub par 260 and Australia cruised to a comfortable twenty five without loss at stumps.

The first session on day two will be crucial - nothing new there. England's bowlers need to make some early inroads or Australia will simply bat England out of the game with a 400 plus first innings score.

Whatever happens from here on end, day one of the 2010/11 Ashes series will be remembered for Strauss first over brain explosion and Peter Siddles historic hat-trick.

All this and it is only day one!