Live Report: England vs Australia, 4th Test, Old Trafford

Current RR: 3.95

 • Min. Ov. Rem: 56.5

 • Last 10 ov (RR): 33/1 (3.30)

Andrew McGlashan: Australia will be pretty happy with that first session having been put into bat even though they lost both openers. There was a bit of movement on offer for the quicks but overall it’s looked a good pitch for batting.

Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith have settled in, although Labuschagne has still not looked entirely secure. Smith could have been caught first ball when he hooked Chris Woakes but Mark Wood was in off the boundary at long leg. Moeen Ali, the one frontline spinner on show in this match, went for 12 in his first over as Smith showed immediate aggression against him. Smith is desperate to make up for his lacklustre showing in Leeds.

A thought from Andrew McGlashan: It will be interesting to see if that's it for Wood's spell. Before the match, Ben Stokes said he hoped to keep to the short, sharp bursts of the Headingley first innings...

"The way I used Woody in the first innings is something we’ll look to do again. Had to use him a little differently [after that] asundefined we lost Robbo last week so had to bowl him a bit more than I would have liked to...be nice to be able to use Woody in short, sharp bursts as I’d originally planned to at Headingley."

Cracking first hour for David Warner, with 32 of Australia's 57 so far. Yes, there have been a few iffy moments: Jimmy Anderson got one between bat and pad that someone missed the stumps, he cut past his stumps at the end of Chris Woakes' first over and has twitched at a few outside off. But from striking the first ball of the day for four, he's continued with that intent.

England have bowled a few different lengths to him, and all of them have been attacked. Perhaps most impressive was the short-arm whip off Woakes through square leg. No real pace off the pitch, but Warner timed it superbly. Seems to have found some semblance of touch here at a ground where he only averages 11.50.

Peculiar lack of atmosphere at the minute. Emirates Old Trafford generally has a good vibe, but it seems to be a tad docile. No doubt the Party Stand - the metallic monstrosity you'll have seen photos of on social media - will liven up in a bit. But other than the Broad dismissal, they've not really been up to much. No doubt the introduction of Chris Woakes to replace Broad will liven them up...

Confused by Australia going in without a twirler? Here's Andrew McGlashan with some context:

The last time it happened was 2011-12 against India in Perth when the pace attack was Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc and Ryan Harris. In England, the last occasion was the 2009 Test at The Oval when Nathan Hauritz was omitted and Marcus North was the spinner. So it’s certainly an outlier for them, and there’s no doubt Nathan Lyon would have played if he’d been fit. And, of course, it comes on the ground where Shane Warne produced his Ball of the Century 30 years ago. Warne loved the bounce as well as the turn the surface offered. However, in the last 10 years the ground has the second-highest average of spinners among England’s men’s Test venues.

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