Starc starts with awful wide

Australian fast bowling star Mitchell Starc has bowled a wide comparable with any of the worst ever in cricket with his first delivery in the Ashes tour match against Essex.

Footage from day two on Thursday at Chelmsford shows something go wrong for the big left armer, with the ball flying well off the pitch and forcing wicketkeeper Peter Nevill to scramble to the right of first slip to stop it.

Australia’s back-up wicketkeeper could be seen grinning as he got back to his feet.

Starc did bounce back from the shocker to finish with 6-51 on Friday as Australia’s attack recovered from a slow start to bowl Essex out for 414.

Australia’s indifferent performance continued with the bat in what is the final warm-up match before the first Ashes Test at Cardiff on Wednesday.

Only captain Michael Clarke managed a half century before being dismissed for 77 as the tourists slumped to 212-8 in their second innings.