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The first delivery in a series is much more than just one ball.

It embodies an nerve-wracking three or three moments of pure excitement, when all of the pre-contest talk finally concludes.

"To define that tone for the entire series would prove truly cool," stated English paceman Gus Atkinson when asked about this prospect recently.

"I know we've witnessed several iconic opening-delivery moments during Ashes matches. The opportunity to join to legacy would be amazing."

As the bowler explains, the opening ball has delivered several of the most memorable cricket moments - events that seemed to define that narrative and minimum proved easy to look back on afterwards...

Cummins Smashing Through Cover Field

Zak Crawley had spent his lead-up to the 2023 Ashes series thinking about hitting the first ball for four runs - regarding aiming to "create a statement."

Australian skipper Pat Cummins ran in from the pavilion end when the batsman cracked a drive through the covers to roaring roars from English crowd.

"I've always remained an enormous admirer of the opening delivery of the Ashes," Crawley revealed.

"I was observing them from growing up so I knew several of weeks out if if we won coin toss there would be a strong opportunity to receiving that ball."

"I talked to Harry Brook about this while we played playing golf in Scotland - that it could be cool if I could hit that first ball away to make a statement."

England may not have won that series - while Australia thrillingly won the opening match during the final day - but it was a hint of the way Ben Stokes' side planned to attack during the summer.

Burns & England Bowled Over

This moment at Edgbaston remains among rare opening deliveries to go the way of England, however.

Significantly more often they've served as ominous indicators regarding the Australian dominance that was ahead.

On the 2021-22 tour, Mitchell Starc dismissed England batsman Rory Burns with a half-volley at the Gabba becoming the initial pitcher to take a dismissal on the opening delivery of a contest after Australian seamer Ernest McCormick during the 1930s.

The English build-up was inadequate and at that moment during Australian elation England received a punch to the stomach.

"My emotion simply dropped dramatically," said bowler Stuart Broad, watching observing from the pavilion.

"We had built for this series then bang, first ball, he's dismissed."

The Ashes were gone in 11 additional days while the Australians won the contest four-nil.

Slater's Statement Shot

It's also no surprise an Australian captain who reveled in "psychological warfare" believed proceedings were set by an identical incident 27 years earlier.

Steve Waugh and the Australians aimed for a fourth Ashes series victory consecutively when batsman Michael Slater began 1994's series by decisively crunching English bowler Phil DeFreitas for four past backward point.

"It felt as if 'okay boys here we go again we've got them now'," said the captain, who would play all five matches during a 3-1 home victory.

"Psychologically it was like we are dominant now and let's just keep hammering away. We know how to beat this team."

Foreboding.

Harmison's Dreadful Delivery

However what if that delivery is just that - a single in 10,000 or so beginning the series?

The errant delivery Steve Harmison delivered to start 2006's Ashes - when he bowled the ball toward the grasp of captain Andrew Flintoff in second slip, nearly avoiding the cut strip in the process - proved the most remembered Ashes first ball of all.

"I froze," the bowler told media shortly after.

"I let the pressure of the occasion get to me. Everything seemed so strange to me. My entire body felt tense."

"I could not stop my grip from sweating. That initial delivery flew from my grasp, the second also slipped, then, after that, I had no consistency, nothing."

The English claimed the 2005 series 15 months earlier yet were comprehensively beaten five-nil. Some argue that Ashes ended at that exact moment.

"We weren't good enough to defeat