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Lyon Continues Stranglehold Over Moeen Ali

NATHAN LYON of Australia celebrates taking the wicket of Dawid Malan of England during the Fifth Test match in the Ashes Series between Australia and England at SCG in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Nathan Lyon has maintained his stranglehold over spin rival Moeen Ali after dismissing the England allrounder for the eighth time in 10 innings during the Ashes opener at Edgbaston.

Australia's most successful offspinner clean bowled Ali for a fifth-ball duck after the 32-year-old played no stroke as Tim Paine's side put the brakes on the home side's progress in the opening session of day three.

England lost four wickets before heading to lunch at 8-328, a 44-run lead after they overhauled Australia's first innings total of 284.

Ali, who has scored five Test centuries, came into the match on the back of a shocking run of form that saw him dropped from England's World Cup-winning side last month.

He recorded a duck and eight in last week's Test against Ireland at Lord's and his arrival at the crease saw him immediately face the bowler who tormented him during the previous Ashes series 18 months ago.

Ali averaged just under 20 in Australia's 4-0 victory and it appeared those demons were still lurking when his off stump bent back as he unwisely failed to offer a shot.

The left-hander averages just 12.8 against Lyon, who now has 345 wickets from 86 Tests.

Lyon had earlier ended Rory Burns' long vigil at the crease when he edged to Paine's gloves.

The unorthodox left-handed opener played and missed his way to a grinding 133 from 312 balls in an innings that was a testament to concentration and focus rather than aesthetic beauty.