Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

It's a touch too short and a touch too straight from Aaron Hardie! You don't have to hit it too hard here in Bristol! It gave a lady in the crowd a little fright, but she was smiling when she threw the ball back.

Eng 52-0published at 6.2 overs

6.2 overs

Over mid-on for the same result!

Phil Salt has clearly decided to target Australia's first-change bowler here. They haven't got many seam options after Starc and Hazlewood with a spin-heavy attack, so it's a smart move.

Eng 46-0published at 6.1 overs

6.1 overs

A bit more of the 'brilliant' that I just mentioned (from England, anyway).

Aaron Hardie offers up an absolute pie to begin his spell and Phil Salt thumps it over square leg.

Geoff Lemon
Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

Phil Salt just looks completely out of sorts against Josh Hazlewood!

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

Ben Duckett pulls it away majestically. It's a very, very strong start from England!

My word, what a shot.

Ben Duckett pulls Josh Hazlewood for four with the most pleasing sound off the bat. It wasn't even that short at all, but Hazlewood gives you so few bad balls that you've got the make the most of anything that's even marginally off his best.

Of course, Phil Salt follows it by dancing down the pitch and producing an almighty swipe (and missing it) to a good ball on off stump.

A truly baffling start, a combination of the brilliant and the bizarre.

Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Phil Salt came charging down the pitch looking to swipe that back over the bowler's head. But it flies off the outside edge and with such short boundaries here in Bristol, it's gone all the way!

Eng 34-0published at 5 overs

5 overs

This is truly one of the strangest innings I've seen from Phil Salt.

His feet are going nowhere when the ball is on a good length on off stump, prodding nervously and constantly playing and missing.

When it's straight, he's just swinging like his life depends on it. A top edge flies over the keeper for six after a wild hack across the line, with Mitchell Starc just laughing and shrugging in response.

Starc has actually bowled quite nicely but has conceded 28 from his three overs.

As ever, Josh Hazlewood tightens things up for Australia with just a single from an over of his usual unwavering control and accuracy.

There is a bit of movement out there, both off the pitch and through the air, but Duckett and Salt are navigating it pretty well so far.

Alec, Cape Verde (30 degrees, no chance of rain!)

Four more!

Ben Duckett joins the party with an effortless flick through mid-wicket, as Mitchell Starc once again strays down the leg side.

An inconsistent opening burst from Australia so far, when conditions should be in their favour.

Andy Zaltzman
Statistician on Test Match Special

Mitchell Starc finished at Lord's by conceding 28 runs and started today with a 12-run over here. The last time his first over went for more runs was in 2015, when he gave away 13 against New Zealand in a World Cup game in Auckland.

It's either a play and a miss or a boundary for Phil Salt here, a very all-or-nothing start to his innings.

Josh Hazlewood beats him several times in a typically metronomic start to his over, getting one to just nip over the bails, before Salt responds with a rather streaky drive over the fielder at point for four.

Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Reuters

Phil Salt has just waited for that. It was very full from Mitchell Starc which allows Salt to hit it with the middle of his bat and it races away for a boundary.

It's not the start that Mitchell Starc would have wanted.

Oooh, and again! Salt ends the over with another thumping drive for four, hit with real authority.

Earlier in the over he tried to leave one which ended up taking the edge and fortuitously flying down to deep third, so it's an eventful but profitable over for England with three boundaries from it.

Phil Salt, who is a bit short on runs in this series, starts perfectly by crunching a drive through the covers for four off Mitchell Starc.

Lovely.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport in Bristol

We've actually got blue sky above the ground.

I'll be honest, I looked at the weather forecast last night and didn't have much hope of this starting today but I'm happy to be proved wrong for now.

It is murky but the crucial thing is that it's dry. The crowd is building, plenty of them bundled up in big coats and hot drinks in hand, but Ben Duckett and Phil Salt are in the middle and we'll be ready to go shortly.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport in Bristol

And just in case anyone is wondering the playing conditions do not allow for an ODI such as this to be shortened ahead of time because of the prospect of rain.

I guess the thinking would be that the rain may never arrive and a day of play cut short unnecessarily.

After Australia dominated the first two games, England levelled the series in style at Lord's two days ago, which was a rain-affected encounter which worked in their favour.

There were more runs for Harry Brook, an explosive finish from Liam Livingstone and wickets for Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.