Aussies 0-114, set to take 1-0 Ashes lead

Australia have marched to 0-114 at stumps on day four of the Ashes opener after being set a target of 170 runs at the Gabba.

Australia bowler Nathan Lyon

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon was among the wickets on day four against England at the Gabba. (AAP)

England concede Australia will take a 1-0 lead in the Ashes, having cruised to 0-114 at stumps on day four of the series opener after being set a target of 170 in Brisbane.

David Warner and Cameron Bancroft's productive and positive start to the modest run-chase, coming a day after Steve Smith turned the match on its head with a game-changing knock of 141no, means all the hard work is done for the hosts.

Warner is 60 not out, while Bancroft is on 51. It has been almost four years since Australia enjoyed an opening stand of over 100 runs in the fourth innings of a Test.

"It was a great day," Mitchell Starc said.

"There's still a long way to go in the series but ... the first Test is huge.

"If we can knock off these 56 runs tomorrow it puts us in a very strong position heading to Adelaide. England have to chase us from now on."

Starc declared he, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins would have "no issue" backing up for the second Test that starts in the South Australian capital on Saturday.

Moeen Ali, whose wounded spinning finger is among England's many concerns ahead of the day-night Test in Adelaide, admitted defeat.

"The first three days we were right in the game then today didn't quite go to plan. That's cost us this Test match," Moeen said.

"Today we let ourselves down, with the bat especially.

"We obviously won't win the game but getting wickets can sort of put a dent in Australia for the next game."

England fought hard at various junctures of a topsy-turvy Test but they were ground into submission at the Gabba on Sunday.

It started with Nathan Lyon claiming three key wickets, including Tim Paine's contentious stumping of Moeen, then gathered momentum when Starc clinically cleaned up the tail.

A shocking collapse of 4-10, the low point of which was Jonny Bairstow steering a short ball from Starc to third man in what should have been the final over of the post-lunch session, ended England's second innings of 195.

Australia were asked to achieve the highest successful run-chase in a Gabba Test since 1982.

Quick wickets would have made things interesting and Australia's openers knew it, starting cautiously before they sensed English heads dropping and started to score with ease.

Bancroft enhanced his stoic reputation, staring down Jimmy Anderson after the frustrated paceman struck the batsman's thigh with a shy at the stumps.

Lyon niggled the visitors publicly last week in the forthright fashion you would expect more from a leader of a pace attack.

Throughout the first Test he bowled like Australia's spearhead; nobody from either side troubled batsmen quite so consistently.

Lyon dismissed left-handers Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan in near-identical fashion on Sunday morning, with Smith gleefully accepting two of his four catches of the innings.

Moeen, Bairstow and Joe Root scored a combined 133 runs but couldn't go on with it. Josh Hazlewood trapped Root lbw for 51 in the shadows of lunch.


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Source: AAP



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