9 d. ago England’s Ashes humbling was more a series of letdowns than ‘series of our lives’ | Ali Martin

They landed in Perth expecting to challenge Australia but after a 4-1 defeat and more off-field revelations, the laid-back approach of McCullum’s regime is in the ECB’s sightsIt was billed as “the series of our lives” by Brendon McCullum but as he and Ben Stokes looked over towards the podium to watch Steve Smith and Pat Cummins lift the crystal Ashes trophy under an azure sky, the optimism that preceded this failed campaign felt a lifetime ago.They landed in Perth two months ago with what they and many thought was an aggressive, dynamic England side, finally set to challenge Australia’s ageing champions after three miserable tours. Cue a 4-1 humbling, offset by one maelstrom win in Melbourne but with the Ashes already lost in 11 days. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Smith and Head hit centuries to help Australia grind England into the dust

Fifth Ashes Test; day three: England 384. Australia 518-7Host captain on 129 not out following Head’s 163 from 166They do these things well here in Australia. They honoured the victims and first responders of the Bondi atrocity fittingly on the first day of this fifth Test, and on the third the Sydney Cricket Ground became a sea of pink to once again generate welcome funds for the McGrath Foundation.Out in the middle, however, Australian charity was in far shorter supply. Across three sessions their batters ground England’s bowlers into the dust and perhaps answered some of the questions about their motivation since winning the Ashes, not least following the madness of Melbourne. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Australia back injured stars as squad for T20 World Cup revealed

Cummins, Hazlewood and David named for India and Sri Lanka eventMatt Kuhnemann included in spin-heavy 15-player teamMatthew Kuhnemann is in line for a World Cup debut after being included as the biggest surprise selection in Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup.As expected, Australia have named superstar pacemen Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, as well as swashbuckling Tim David, despite injury concerns. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Spin bowling on the back foot with pace dominating quickfire Ashes

Nathan Lyon has been the only specialist spinner on show with touring tweaker Shoaib Bashir sidelined by England Disappointment can be found in all corners of this Ashes series. England’s victory came too late. Australia may have secured the urn again but Glenn McGrath’s usual prediction didn’t hold. It’s been a serious letdown for the neutral, never mind that a 3-2 scoreline is still in the offing. This was meant to be the one where England had a shot, where the Sydney finale would actually have something on the line beyond World Test Championship points.Instead we’ve had 13 days of play out of 20, star quicks from both sides missing hefty chunks or all of it and stern-faced discussions about how much grass was left on the “G”. It’s fallen well short as a spectacle. Part of that lies in the absence of the slow stuff, a lack of high-quality spin ruining the show. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Nightmare start for England in response to Australia's 152 as 20 wickets tumble on day one of the Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Nightmare start for England in response to Australia's 152 as wickets tumble in Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Five wicket haul from Tongue has Aussies licked for 152 as wickets tumble AGAIN just before tea in the Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Ashes LIVE: Australia cops a Tongue lashing with four wickets tumbling before lunch as England roars to life in Boxing Day Test

The hosts are trying to roll to a 4-0 lead in the series without skipper Pat Cummins and spin king Nathan Lyon.

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3 w. ago Australia make bold selection for fourth Ashes Test after Nathan Lyon ruled out as Steve Smith returns

Steve Smith will return after illness and captain the hosts, but there will be no specialist spinner despite Lyon’s injury, with Todd Murphy snubbed in the 12-man squad

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3 w. ago Jofra Archer ruled out for rest of Ashes as England's nightmare tour gets even worse

Injury woes are back for the 30-year-old, who will sit out the final two Tests

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3 w. ago Australia captain Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon ruled out of rest of Ashes

Cummins is being rested after his decisive role in the third Test while Lyon is out with a hamstring injury

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3 w. ago Steve Smith captains Australia in Boxing Day Test as Pat Cummins plays no further part in Ashes

Fast bowler takes precautionary decision after back problems

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3 w. ago Six balls in Perth to Harry Brook’s drop: 10 moments that decided the Ashes

Lilac Hill warmup, Alex Carey’s glovework and Pat Cummins’ control of Joe Root are key parts of the storyIt’s not a complete exaggeration to say that Australia won the 2025-26 Ashes on 15 October 2024. That was when Cricket Australia announced the schedule for the series: Perth first, Brisbane second. Starting the series on the bounciest, most Kryptonicious pitches in Australia – and the only major venues where England haven’t won a Test since 1986-87 – was a masterstroke, especially as Australia also had a day-night advantage at the Gabba. By the time England reached more batting-friendly climes, many of their batters already had scrambled brains. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Michael Vaughan's dad dies after England cricket legend rushed home from Ashes

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan flew home from Adelaide in Australia, where he was covering the Ashes as a pundit, to see his father Graham before he passed away

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3 w. ago Ben Stokes makes England captaincy decision after brutal Ashes defeat

England captain Ben Stokes addressed the media after Australia secured victory in Adelaide to wrap up victory in their home Ashes series with two tests to spare

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4 w. ago Ben Stokes wants to remain England captain as Brendon McCullum admits Ashes mistakes

Stokes ‘absolutely’ keen to stay on as captain despite crushing Ashes defeat in Australia

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4 w. ago Pat Cummins feels Ashes winners Australia have knocked stuffing out of ‘Bazball’

Cummins missed his side’s wins at Perth and Brisbane with back problems but returned to apply the finishing touches as the hosts secured the urn.

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4 w. ago Pat Cummins is in rare air as an Ashes captain. Can his Dad's Army go around again? | Geoff Lemon

He’s achieved an Ashes feat that few others have. But he’s still missing an outright win in EnglandStarc breaks England hearts again as Australia retain the AshesWhile it took longer than expected on the fifth day in Adelaide, eventually it was done. A series won, the Ashes retained for another year and a half until they next go up for grabs in England. For Pat Cummins, this makes three consecutive Ashes series captained without giving up the urn. The feat leaves him in sparse but fine company: the others to do it are Joe Darling, Don Bradman, Richie Benaud, Mike Brearley, Allan Border and Mark Taylor.It made things neater that Steve Smith missed this third Test, having captained the first two wins in Cummins’ absence, so that it didn’t feel like the full-time captain was swooping in to hoover up the stand-in’s lunch. Those situations can be odd, like Adam Gilchrist filling in to lead what was very much Ricky Ponting’s team, captaining two wins in India in 2004 before Ponting return...

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4 w. ago Starc breaks England hearts again as Australia retain the Ashes in tense third Test

Third Test, D5: Australia, 371 & 349?, bt England, 286 & 352 by 82 runsEngland show grit in Adelaide but fall short as hosts wins series 3-0The England supporters on the hill in front of the heritage-listed scoreboard never gave up and, to their credit, neither did their team. But in the end, despite losing Nathan Lyon to a hamstring injury, it was Australia who prevailed by 82 runs to win this Ashes series with two Tests to spare.Needing just 11 days of play to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead, Pat Cummins and his men equalled Steve Waugh’s sides in 2001 and 2002/03 for the fastest Ashes wins. This one, sealed after England’s attempt to chase down a record 435 ended at 352 all out, comes with an extra dollop of relish. Continue reading...

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4 w. ago Pat Cummins primed to pop the corks after bursting England’s fragile bubble | Geoff Lemon

Australia’s captain marvel, the ultimate flat-wicket operator, stormed into this third Ashes Test like he had never been awayOn a redundancy scale, attending the Adelaide Test and noting that Pat Cummins was good is in the realm of noting that the Torrens was wet or the cathedral was spiky. Still, on day four, any one of those obvious things might justifiably have caught an observer’s eye. Perhaps it’s more notable just how natural, how inevitable, it felt that Cummins was indeed bowling at his best in his first match back after a nascent stress fracture cost him the first two Tests of this Ashes series and any match preparation before that.England observers will spend four years until their team’s next visit pondering explanations for this year’s poor showing, inevitably including much examination of the lack of chances for their bowlers to adjust to Australian conditions. Cummins spent five months in the gym and the nets without once seeing the middle of a ground, latterly powerin...

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