The Ashes 2023: Edgbaston gripped by latest England-Australia battle
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Crawley smashes first ball of Ashes for four
If New York is a city like no other, the Ashes is cricket's day in the Big Apple.
The smells are familiar. We've seen tall buildings before. Everything is just on a whole new level.
It starts before anyone else arrives.
The wise commentators, the former captains and legends, raise their brows as they pass in the corridors - a look that says "here we go" without needing to speak.
It has been there all night. That feeling in your stomach, part excitement, part dread, part nervousness - a feeling yet to be named.
The team buses pull up shortly after 9am. England in their bucket hats, followed by the Australians.
"Have you got your sandpaper, Dave?" and "Broady's gonna get you!" are the shouts amid the boos.
The Ashes has become part cricket match, part pantomime - David Warner the obvious villain. There's the tradition of Wimbledon, but at Edgbaston it is mixed with a night at the darts.
The players emerge for their warm-ups, if that's what they are still called. As the crowd slowly builds, England have their football and Australia their Aussie Rules equivalent.
Each team plays, except Steve Smith who stares and points at the pitch.
The tension squeezes tighter as the captains emerge, both in their pristine blazers - Ben Stokes in blue and Pat Cummins in green.
Up goes the coin and out come the cheers as it falls England's way.
Before play begins there is fire, because, why not? It is the Ashes.
Sir Alastair Cook, who has swapped playing on these mornings for talking about them, carries out the famous urn flanked by flames.
"Come on, England," is one Brummie cry. It is repeated by those around until it sweeps across a stand.
This does not happen at any other Test.
So to the first ball, an occasion owned by Australia: Steve Harmison's wide, Michael Slater's four and Rory Burns being castled by Mitchell Starc.
All three were first-second punches to the gut by Australia. All three series ended in demoralising English defeat.
Rory Burns was bowled by the first ball of the 2021-22 Ashes by Mitchell Starc
It doesn't matter until it does.
Speak to those who have faced the first Ashes salvo and they fall into two camps. Those who say "it's just another ball" and the others that call them bluffers.
One will say the atmosphere turns into white noise, the other will tell you they hear every word as their heart beats in their throat.
This time it falls on Zak Crawley, with Pat Cummins, a man who could have been shaped in an Australian factory to bowl fast, standing 30 yards away.
In Cummins comes. Eyes follow him as his heels flick. We've all waited months for this.
Then comes the release - the emotion bottled over weeks of build-up comes pouring out.
Crawley, on his own amid the Baggy Greens, sends the ball shooting to the boundary with a crack.
Up rises the Hollies stand - Popes, Cardinals, Flintstones and all - with a roar that would not be out of place had it greeted a World Cup-winning goal.
Josh Hazlewood is the next to the crease, another living Australian great. Crawley sends him to deep backward square.
Is this happening? Both Australia bowlers hit to the boundary with their first Ashes balls? It never has before.
Next comes the reality check, as Ben Duckett nicks behind.
He departs but the cheers are instant as Ollie Pope enters the fray.
If one falls another will step in. Bazball has 25,000 believers in Birmingham.
The first hour is England's with 66 runs to the one Australian wicket - the second Australia's as they strike back.
What does it mean? Were Australia frightened? The debate will continue throughout the day and again when Australia wakes.
The Ashes is the series that never sleeps.
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