I would imagine this is 1st team in my lifetime to declare at 393/8 on Day 1: ‘Cricket fan’ Gareth Southgate on Ben Stokes’ tactics in Ashes

England football coach Gareth Southgate who is a self proclaimed cricket fan is keeping a keen eye on the Ashes even as the football team are currently Euro 2024 qualification matches.
“I’m a big cricket fan and it’s something that is hugely exciting to watch at the moment. Their (England) mindset has been a big thing, but they’ve (Australia) also got a lot of world-class players. We’ve got quite a few players I think would get in a World XI. So, the standard is also very good, but there’s definitely been this shift in how they’re playing,” Southgate said in a press conference after England had defeated Malta 4-0.
“I would imagine this is the first team in my lifetime to declare at 393/8 on Day 1. That will be an interesting decision because in the end people will judge on the outcome as they do, the decisions you make as a coach. But that’s a clue as to the mindset they’re going into the series with,” he added.

Gareth Southgate will have his eye on the #Ashes today! 👀 #BBCCricket #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/5RKaBfVLVT
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 17, 2023
In the match, Australia have already lost 4 wickets as England look to press the advantage with Travis Head joining David Warner, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne back in the pavilion.
Earlier, England seamer Stuart Broad dismissed top-ranked test batter Labuschagne for a golden duck on Saturday after Warner had self-destructed as England reduced Australia to 78-3 at lunch on the second day of the Ashes opener.
The hosts took advantage of more bowler-friendly conditions to leave Australia still trailing 315 runs.
England captain Ben Stokes claimed another key dismissal, trapping second-ranked Steve Smith leg before wicket just when Australia seemed to be recovering.
Australia went to lunch with a run-rate that was half that of England’s in its 393-8 declared late on the first day. Opener Usman Khawaja hit a solid 40 not out and third-ranked Travis Head, who has a lot of work to do for his team, is 8 not out. Broad took 2-17 and Stokes 1-6 from his three overs.
If the crowd was buoyed Stokes deciding to bowl, amid national worry over his knee injury ahead of the first test, it went wild when Smith was given out leg before. The Aussie batting great instantly appealed the dismissal, thinking the ball was too high. He was wrong and Stokes had once more struck a key blow for England.