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The opening ball of an Ashes contest represents much more than just a single delivery.

It represents an nerve-wracking three or four seconds filled with sheer excitement, where all of the pre-series talk ultimately concludes.

"To set the atmosphere for the entire series would prove really special," stated England paceman Gus Atkinson after questioned regarding the prospect recently.

"I understand we've witnessed several historic opening-delivery occasions during Ashes cricket matches. The possibility to add to legacy would be incredible."

Like Atkinson explains, that first ball has created some of the truly iconic cricket occasions - ones that appeared to define that tone or minimum became easy to look back on later on...

Cummins Smashing Through the Covers

Zak Crawley devoted the preparation to the 2023 Ashes planning hitting the first ball for four runs - regarding hoping to "deliver a message."

Australian captain Pat Cummins charged in at Edgbaston and Crawley drilled a shot past cover field to roaring roars from the England fans.

"I've always been an enormous admirer of the opening delivery of Ashes cricket," the opener explained.

"I've been watching them from growing up and I understood several weeks out if if we won the toss there would be a strong chance to facing that ball."

"I chatted to Harry Brook regarding it while we were golfing on course - saying it would be cool if I could hit that first ball for runs to make a statement."

England didn't claimed that series - while Australia dramatically won the opening match during the final day - yet it was a hint at how Stokes' side would play aggressively throughout the summer.

Burns and English Bowled Over

This instance at Edgbaston has been among rare first salvos to go the way of England, however.

Far more frequently they have been telling signs of Australia's dominance that was ahead.

During the 2021-22 series, Mitchell Starc bowled English opener Rory Burns with a full delivery in the Gabba to become the initial pitcher to take a wicket with the first ball in an Ashes series after Australian seamer Ernest McCormick in 1936.

The English preparation had been poor and at that point of Aussie elation the tourists took a punch to their morale.

"My spirit simply fell immediately," said paceman Stuart Broad, watching observing from the dressing room.

"You have built toward these matches then bang, opening delivery, he's dismissed."

The Ashes were lost within eleven more days and Australia claimed the series 4-0.

Slater's Statement Delivery

It's additionally unsurprising a skipper who reveled in "mental disintegration" believed proceedings were set through an identical event 27 before.

Steve Waugh with the Australians aimed for their fourth Ashes victory in a row when opener Michael Slater started the 1994-95 contest by emphatically hitting English seamer Phil DeFreitas for four past the offside.

"It was like 'alright boys we're off again we've got them already'," said Waugh, who would play every matches in a 3-1 domestic win.

"Psychologically it was like we're dominant now so we should keep pressing on. We understand how we defeat this team."

Ominous.

The Bowler's Dreadful Wide

But what if the first ball proves just that - one in ten thousand or so to start the contest?

The errant delivery Steve Harmison bowled to start 2006's Ashes - where he sent the delivery toward the hands of captain Andrew Flintoff in second slip, nearly missing the cut strip completely - has become the most iconic Ashes first ball ever.

"I froze," Harmison told journalists soon afterwards.

"I allowed the enormity of the occasion overwhelm me. Everything seemed so alien to me. My entire being was nervous."

"I could not get my grip to stop sweating. The first ball slipped out of my hands, the second did too, then, after that, I had no control, zero."

England claimed 2005's Ashes fifteen months earlier yet were resoundingly beaten five-nil. Some contend that Ashes ended at that exact moment.

"We weren't good enough to defeat