Root's first century in Australia tops Starc's 6 wickets as England takes honors on Day 1

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Joe Root posted a long-awaited first Ashes century in Australia to give England the honors on Day 1 of the second cricket test despite Mitchell Starc’s six wickets.

Starc removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope to have England reeling at 5-2 in the third over Thursday.

That’s when Root went to the crease and set about restoring the England innings, and confidence, following the series-opening eight-wicket loss in Perth.

His unbeaten 135 took England to 325-9 at stumps, with No. 11 Jofra Archer at a career-best 32 in an unbroken 61-run last-wicket stand.

Starc returned to dismiss Harry Brook in the middle session giving him his 415th career wicket, surpassing Pakistan great Wasim Akram (414 from 104 tests) as the most successful left-arm fast bowler in test cricket.

It was a jolt England could have done without. Brook was caught at slip slashing outside off stump and falling for 31 from 33 balls to end a 54-run fourth-wicket partnership with Root just as the sun was going down.

Root shared a 117-run stand with Zac Crawley (76) to lift England to 122-3 and partnered Brook in another innings-reviving stand that set England on course for a decent total.

Root’s highest test score in 15 previous Ashes tests in Australia was 89.

Playing his 160th test, Root was 88 not out at the drinks break midway through the night session. He moved into the 90s for the first time in Australia with a boundary off Brendan Doggett. He hit another boundary next ball to go to 96.

The rest is history.

The first two sessions — in the afternoon and the evening — had an element of symmetry with England scoring 98 and Australia taking two wickets in each.

So the night session started with England at 196-4.

Root and Ben Stokes appeared to be coasting before a brilliant run out by Josh Inglis mixed things up again, with one wicket forcing another.

Stokes pushed a ball into the covers and took off for a single, only for Root to send him back as Inglis raced in and threw down the stumps from side on. He was out for 19 at 210-5.

Three balls later, Scott Boland bowled Jamie Smith between bat and pad to make it 211-6.

Root was on 79 when he was joined by Will Jacks. The pair put on 40 before Jacks played an unnecessarily expansive shot to Starc and was well caught. Starc then picked off Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse in quick time and England, suddenly, was 264-9.

Expectations of Australia batting on Day 1 deteriorated, though, as Root and Archer went on the attack.

The most contentious selection of the series so far was Australia’s choice to recall Neser in a five-man pace attack at the expense of spinner Nathan Lyon, who missed out for only the second time on home soil since his debut in 2011.

The selection committee later described it as a one off because of the conditions expected at the Gabba.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Scott Boland appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of England's Harry Brook, unseen, during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Michael Neser celebrates the wicket of England's Zak Crawley during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Zak Crawley celebrates his fifty runs during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Joe Root plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Mitchell Starc ready to bowl during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Michael Neser, centre, appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of England's Zak Crawley during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Joe Root plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Zak Crawley plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Mitchell Starc, centre, celebrates with teammate the wicket of England's Ben Duckett during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 5, 2025--

Aptyx, a leading global designer, developer and manufacturer of complex devices and components for the Life Sciences industry, announced today the strategic acquisition of Argos Corporation, a Massachusetts based precision extrusion company with established expertise and technologies across materials and manufacturing processes. With this acquisition, Aptyx will combine its growing precision extrusion portfolio and launch a Precision Extrusion Center of Excellence - adding immediate capacity, enhanced capabilities, and in-house engineering expertise for Interventional innovation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251202493371/en/

“This marks another milestone in our growth strategy, further enhancing our ability to provide integrated expertise and innovation for our OEM Life Science customers,” said Gregg Tobin, President and CEO, Aptyx. “This new center perfectly complements our Interventional Center of Excellence in Charlotte, where we have a long history of supporting complex transcatheter implants and delivery systems from early design to finished device manufacturing.”

Building on Aptyx’s Strength in Extrusion

Aptyx has long been recognized for its capabilities in extrusion, from market-leading performance in core mandrel to specialty tubing for sleep, respiratory, and anesthesia applications. The new Precision Extrusion Center of Excellence builds on this foundation—expanding scale, technology, and catheter-grade precision to further support the development and manufacturing of complex interventional systems.

The Center will support its customers with broad capabilities including:

Accelerating Innovation for Interventional Markets

With the addition of the Boston-area Center of Excellence, Aptyx significantly expands its ability to serve the Interventional and catheter-based device markets with speed, precision, and scalability.

The new facility adds depth to Aptyx’s already extensive portfolio of capabilities - including molding, extrusion, coating solutions, and finished device assembly - further enhancing the fully integrated design & manufacturing platform that supports customers from concept through commercialization.

“We’re committed to conquering technical challenges and advancing what’s possible in medical tubing,” said Patrick Daly, Director, Global Extrusion, Aptyx. “This expansion deepens our extrusion expertise and enhances how we bring specialized strengths together across Aptyx to drive Medtech advancement.”

About Aptyx

Aptyx is a global manufacturing partner that engineers smart solutions to help customers solve tough challenges with confidence. With a broad range of specialized capabilities including engineering, extrusion, molding, coatings, and assembly, the company manufactures complex components and devices for the Life Sciences industry. Headquartered in Tempe, AZ, Aptyx has dedicated production facilities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China. The Aptyx name symbolizes the “aptitude meets excellence” approach found in every aspect of the company’s operations. Visit www.aptyx.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About TruArc Partners

TruArc Partners is a private equity firm focused on middle-market control investments. TruArc focuses on companies in attractive sub-sectors across specialty manufacturing and business services. The TruArc investment team collaborates with its operating partners and portfolio management teams to create value through a transformational growth strategy led by organic or acquisition-driven growth. Visit truarcpartners.com.

About Argos

Argos is an ISO 13485–certified custom extrusion house with more than 25 years’ experience in small-diameter medical tubing and precision thermoplastic profiles. The company produces microbore catheter shafts, liners, co-extrusions, multi-lumen, profile, striping, taper tubing, and heat-shrink and cut-to-order products for reflow, jacketing, and assembly with broad expertise across advanced polymers including but not limited to TPU, TPE, Pebax®, polycarbonate, nylons, polyolefins, PVDF, and other fluoropolymers.

Single- and multi-lumen extrusions in various materials and durometers from Aptyx