Can we call the Doctor, please?
The heat was sapping, the wind was nearly non-existent, but the home fans finally had reason to cheer

KP's dismissal got the crowd going • Getty Images
Nothing draws a crowd to the WACA ground like an Ashes Test. We joined the milling mob as they descended upon the WACA like ants returning to the nest. Despite the large number of people the line through the bag search area progressed quickly and smoothly and we were seated just in time for the start of the day's play.
Judging by the respective cheering, it seemed that a large proportion of the crowd was made up of England supporters. The Australians outnumbered them slightly (at least in volume) but such equality is rare at international fixtures.
The heat was such that I was keenly watching the flags on top of the scoreboard for any indication that the sea breeze - known locally as the Fremantle Doctor - was coming in. The few gusts of wind there were, however, were coming from the complete opposite direction.
With the conditions remaining still, Cook and Strauss scored at a brisk rate. The introduction of Mitchell Johnson into the attack did nothing to unsettle England initially. But then the flags stiffened in the breeze, not the much desired Doctor, but from the north-east. From the end which Johnson was bowling, the wind was blowing from left to right, helping Johnson move the ball away from the left-handed Cook and swing it into the right-handers, Trott, Pietersen, and Collingwood.
Cook's dismissal was met by cautious optimism but a couple of overs later with Trott and Pietersen back in the shed, the crowd could barely stay in their seats.
There has been much said about the decision review system but for a jubilant crowd the excitement and tension of watching a decision review on the big screens around the ground is an exquisitely involving experience. Everyone stands and cranes their neck, watching every piece of footage intently, cheering or otherwise in anticipation of official confirmation when they see something conclusive.
Whether it was the heat, or a big first day, or simply because the day belonged to Australia, at any rate the famed Barmy Army were noticeably quiet, so much so that we saw no sign of them until the last session. Even then their singing was sporadic and short-lived.
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Dylan Copeland is a PhD student from Australia who prefers the long version of the game.