England 1st Innings: 260 all out
Australia 1st Innings: 25-0
BRISBANE - Peter Siddle took a sensational hat-trick on his 26th birthday as Australia dominated a pulsating first day of the first Ashes cricket test in Brisbane yesterday.
England were bowled out for 260 after winning the toss, as Australia reached 25-0 from seven overs at stumps at the Gabba.
Siddle's 6-54 from 16 overs included Australia's fifth Ashes hat-trick and first since his fellow Victorian Shane Warne's memorable performance at the MCG in 1994-95. Siddle's hat-trick was the 11th by an Australian in tests.
England were 117-2 after lunch before Siddle struck in successive overs to remove danger man Kevin Pietersen (43) and Paul Collingwood (four).
Opener Alastair Cook (67) and Ian Bell steadied the innings with a 72-run partnership for the fifth wicket but Siddle turned the game on its head with an electrifying display in his 12th over, the 66th of the innings.
England went from 197-4 to 197-7 in three deliveries as Siddle had Cook caught at first slip by Shane Watson, Matt Prior bowled and Stuart Broad lbw following a video review.
It was the 11th hat-trick by an Australian in test cricket history.
Siddle said it was a moment he would cherish and thanked the crowd of 35,339 for giving him a lift at the top of his bowling mark for his hat-trick delivery.
"It was weird, just the cheering and that," he said. "I don't think I've ever heard that in Australia before.
"To have that behind you and pump you up a bit and the way the ball came out, it was good.
"I'd like to say it was exactly what I wanted. I was looking to hit the top of off [stump]. It got him [Broad] on the full so it was good."
The fired-up Siddle, a former junior wood-chopping competitor from country Victoria, powered his way to his sixth wicket when Graeme Swann was trapped lbw for 10 at 228-8.
Debutant left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty (2-41) had a smile to match Siddle's after claiming top-scorer Ian Bell for 76 and James Anderson for 11.
Siddle took career-best figures in his 18th test, his first since breaking down with a back injury in January.
Earlier, England suffered another case of first-over jitters after skipper Andrew Strauss lasted only three balls on a green-looking pitch.
The left-handed opener was caught at gully for a duck from the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus.
It was a start poor enough to rival England's first-ball wide to second slip from paceman Steve Harmison on the 2006-07 Ashes opener at the Gabba, as England eventually plunged to a 5-0 series defeat.
Jonathan Trott (29) and Cook added 41 for the second wicket before Trott was bowled by Watson.
AUSSIE HAT-TRICKS
1879
Fred Spofforth v England (Melbourne)
1902
Hugh Trumble v England (Melbourne)
1904
Hugh Trumble v England (Melbourne)
1912
Thomas Matthews v South Africa 1st innings (Old Trafford)
Thomas Matthews v South Africa 2nd innings (Old Trafford)
1957
Lindsay Kline v South Africa (Newlands)
1988
Merv Hughes v West Indies (Perth)
1994
Damien Fleming v Pakistan (Rawalpindi)
1994
Shane Warne v England (Melbourne)
2000
Glenn McGrath v West Indies (Perth)
2010
Peter Siddle v England (Brisbane)
- AAP