Reasons to be cheerful despite an awful start to defence

All out for an under-par 260... an Aussie bowler returning from injury to take a heroic hat-trick... and so many of our top performers offering much, only to then desperately disappoint.

On the face of it, Thursday was a frustratingly typical opening day of Ashes Test match cricket Down Under. The kind of day we have seen many times before through bleary eyes and the kind of day which usually ends in a heavy First Test defeat.

But while Australia most certainly ended up well on top after the initial skirmishes at the Gabba, there was something about day one of this eagerly-awaited series which left a heartening, almost positive, belief in the heart of the watching English cricket fans.

Of course, due to the match being played out on the other side of the world, the second day of this contest will also be almost over by the time this article is published.

Things will have moved on apace and we will have more of an idea as to the real strength of Ricky Ponting's undoubtedly determined outfit.

But even if Australia have gone on to enjoy a dominating day two with the bat and piled on the runs, it still will not be enough to shake the belief that this home side are little more than ordinary at best.

That may seem a somewhat ridiculous statement, especially seeing as the signs are quite clearly there; pointing toward another thrashing at the hands of our Antipodean friends.

But when the England camp settle down to analyse day one and ponder where and why it all went wrong, they may not be as disappointed as you or they might have initially expected.

Okay, so they let a good position at 197-4 go to waste and more than one batsman will be kicking himself for not going on to make a big score. But this opening day, while similar to past horror stories, was, in fact, quite different.

England will know they messed up but they will also know that there is little within this Australian bowling line-up to truly worry them.

For long periods of the morning and afternoon session, Jonathan Trott, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell looked completely at ease.

Despite taking a wicket in the very first over of the day, Ben Hilfenhaus proved he was little more than a regulation-paced plodder while Mitchell Johnson, a slinger with the odd quick one, was certainly nothing to fear.

Shane Watson did offer up a modicum of swing and a decent line but even he found it tough to create any true menace and similar could be said of young left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty.

The latest hopeful to be plucked from Shield cricket by the home selectors in a desperate bid to fill the rather epic boots of the retired Shane Warne may have turned a few and picked up a couple of late wickets but he never truly looked a real threat to the upper and middle-order players.

And so that leaves Peter Siddle, the honest, hard-working grafter who ran up and bowled at pace on a decent line and at a decent length.

Nothing fancy, nothing too difficult. Indeed, it was nothing but simple honest fast bowling.

He stepped up while those around him floundered. As England threatened to pull away and post a big first innings score, it was Siddle who made a stand.

The birthday boy showed enough talent to prove he can bowl, and on his day bowl very well. But were it not for his heroics then England would probably be out of sight by now and that should give the tourists hope for the future.

Australia are not the team of past glories and if that needed proving in any way, then their display with the ball on the opening day did just that.

There were times when Ponting looked as though he had nowhere to turn... no Warne, no Glenn McGrath, no clue.

England will not bat as badly again this series, they will settle down and they will learn from their mistakes. The England batting line-up can and will step up a gear as they defend the urn.

The Australian bowling line-up is, however, what you see. There is no improvement within, and that is why that first day will eventually prove to be a heartening one. England must realise, and quickly, that they are the better side in this contest.

Taking home advantage and the weight of history into consideration and you would expect the series to be an extremely tight affair.

The quest to win the Ashes is going to be won or lost by such individual performances as the one from Siddle on day one, and England have more players in their armoury capable of producing such magic.