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Ashes opener: Australia wallop England by 251 runs to go 1-0 up

After Smith's heroics, Lyon and Cummins combined to skittle England out for 146

Australian players celebrate after taking England's last wicket in the opening Test of the Ashes series, at Edgbaston in Birmingham | Reuters

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon floored England with a sensational 6/49 on the final day of the Ashes opener, at Edgbaston in Birmingham, to help the visitors take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Chasing an improbable 398 to win on the fifth day, England were skittled out for 146, handing Australia a 251-run win. Chris Woakes (37) top scored for the hosts, while Australian pacer Pat Cummins chipped in with 4/32.

Resuming at 85/4 after lunch, the English batsmen just couldn't put up a fight. Buttler was the first to go after the break, his indecisive footwork allowing Cummins to sneak one through his defences. Jonny Bairstow (6) followed soon after, with Cummins getting the ball to kiss his gloves on the way to the third slip—a faint tickle which was confirmed by DRS.

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England's last hope of an unlikely draw were dashed when Lyon had Ben Stokes (6) edging one to wicketkeeper Tim Paine, for his 350th wicket. The off-spinner then struck twice off consecutive deliveries to remove Moeen Ali (4) and Stuart Broad (0), with Cummins taking the last wicket of Woakes.

England resumed on 13 without loss on the final day after Australia star Steve Smith's second hundred of his comeback Test following a ban for his role in a ball-tampering scandal had allowed the tourists to declare late on Sunday's fourth day.

Rory Burns, whose first-innings 133 was his first century at this level, became just the 10th cricketer to have batted on all five days of a Test.

But he had added just four runs to his overnight seven when he was undone by an excellent seaming and rising delivery from Pat Cummins that lobbed off his gloves to Lyon in the gully.

Number three Root, on four, was given out leg before to James Pattinson by umpire Joel Wilson.

But in a match full of overturned decisions, Root successfully challenged the verdict, with ball-tracking technology showing the delivery would have missed leg stump.

Root had moved on to nine when he was again given out leg before by Wilson, this time off the bowling of paceman Peter Siddle. But the batsman's immediate review revealed an inside edge.

That meant umpire Wilson had equalled an unwanted record with an eighth overturned decision in a Test match.

The 52-year-old Trinidadian, only recently elevated to the International Cricket Council's elite umpires panel, is due to be the TV umpire in the second Test at Lord's and be in the middle again for the third at Leeds.

Roy swept off-spinner Lyon for four but then, in a shot more appropriate for a one-day match than a side trying to save a Test, charged down the pitch and was clean bowled for 28.

Lyon remained a threat on a wearing pitch offering turn and bounce and he had Joe Denly (11) caught off bat and pad by Cameron Bancroft at short leg to leave England 80-3.

And the Australia pair combined again, Lyon taking his second wicket for no runs in nine balls, to dismiss Root for 28.

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