6 h. ago Joe Root and Travis Head disagree on unpopular Ashes decision after England preparation slammed

England and Australia will do battle in the second Ashes Test match later on this week with the Aussies 1-0 up heading to the Gabba, which is usually a happy hunting ground for them.

Politics

34 h. ago Ben Stokes hits back at 'arrogant' accusation and defends England preparations for Ashes series

Ben Stokes spoke to the media ahead of England's second Ashes Test against Australia at the Gabba next week

Events

37 h. ago Mark Wood set to miss second Ashes Test as England dealt fitness blow

Wood missed training ahead of the clash in Brisbane and is not expected to feature at The Gabba

Economics

37 h. ago M4 brought to a standstill after horror crash involving multiple vehicles with 2 miles of congestion and severe delays

A MOTORWAY has come to a standstill after a multiple vehicle crash. The smash happened on the M4, eastbound between junction 15 (Swindon) and junction 14 (Hungerford). The National Highways Agency has warned anyone travelling towards London to expect lengthy delays. The accident that has caused the long delays is believed to involve two cars...

Events

38 h. ago Ashes latest as Australia missing captain for second Test against England tourists

Australia can take a commanding 2-0 lead in The Ashes as the second Test gets underway in Brisbane next week, and England know exactly whom they'll be facing next up

Events

58 h. ago Are England actually honest with themselves? If they are, they’ll know they have to change | Mark Ramprakash

Ben Stokes’s batters must realise the aggressive option doesn’t always mean attacking Australia’s bowlers, and if they don’t, it could be all over in BrisbaneIt’s not over yet. There is still hope. Before the Ashes started I had plenty of it, because of England’s fantastic array of fast bowlers and because I felt they had improved on their crash‑bang‑wallop, one-size‑fits‑all approach to batting. Then the series got under way, and while the bowlers did their bit, the batters failed badly. After the two-day humiliation in Perth they are inevitably under the microscope – but while everyone is questioning England’s approach, how much are they challenging themselves?I based my optimism on some of what I had seen over the summer. In the first innings against India at Lord’s Joe Root and Ollie Pope put on 109 runs at almost exactly three an over, staying calm and building a foundation that eventually won their side the match. I watched that and admired the way they had refined their attit...

Politics

61 h. ago Cummins out of Australia Ashes squad as Khawaja lays into state of Perth pitch

Fast bowler deemed not ready to return for Gabba day-night TestOpener Usman Khawaja says pitch is ‘a piece of shit’The opportunity that England squandered in Perth appears to have presented itself once more after Australia opted to play it safe with Pat Cummins and name an unchanged squad for next week’s day-night second Test at the Gabba.Beyond their match-defining collapse on the second afternoon, one of the most galling aspects of England’s eight-wicket defeat in the first Test was the fact that both Cummins and Josh Hazlewood – two members of their fabled fast bowling group – were missing. Continue reading...

Politics

63 h. ago Pat Cummins: Australia make decision over captain for second Ashes Test against England

Australia have named their squad for next week’s second Ashes Test

Politics

63 h. ago Pat Cummins to miss second Ashes Test as Australia name squad

Cummins missed the first Test in Perth with a back issue and Australia have named unchanged squad

Politics

67 h. ago Australia name unchanged squad for second Ashes Test with Pat Cummins still out

Fast bowler deemed not ready to return for Gabba day-night TestOpener Usman Khawaja retains place in 14-man squad The opportunity that England squandered in Perth has presented itself once more after Australia opted to play it safe with Pat Cummins and name an unchanged squad for next week’s day-night second Test at the Gabba.Beyond their match-defining collapse on the second afternoon, one of the most galling aspects of England’s eight-wicket defeat in the first Test was the fact that both Cummins and Josh Hazlewood – two longstanding members of their fabled fast bowling group – were missing. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago England plan extra training sessions in wake of howling first Ashes Test defeat

McCullum books extra time in nets before second TestAustralian captain Cummins may return from injuryA week of inactivity for England’s cricketers will end on Saturday following confirmation of additional training sessions having been scheduled in the wake of their howling eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test.As reported by the Guardian on Monday, head coach Brendon McCullum has booked extra time in the nets ahead of the day-night second Test that starts in Brisbane on 4 December rather than send any first team players to the two-day England Lions match in Canberra this weekend. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago QPR star opens up on attack that left him with prison sentence and victim with broken skull

QPR star Ilais Chair admits a fight involving him in Belgium, which saw an individual left with a fractured skull after being struck by a rock, was the darkest day of his life

Events

4 d. ago English cricket fanatic, 18, reveals he 'fractured his skull' in a horror motorbike accident as he travels to Australia for the Ashes

An English cricket fan, who is travelling from Manchester to Australia to watch the Ashes without catching a plane, has opened up on the moment he suffered a 'broken nose and a fractured skull' following a motorbike accident.

Transport

4 d. ago Ian Botham warns Ben Stokes and Joe Root they must win Ashes in Australia to cement their legacies

Joe Root and Ben Stokes have not won a Test in Australia, and Ian Botham has claimed this will affect their legacies

Events

5 d. ago England can’t change now: Bazball approach must be seen through to its conclusion | Taha Hashim

This four-year experiment has produced exhilarating cricket – it is worth seeing the whole thing through before casting judgmentTravis Head’s latest masterpiece is three days old, the postmortems are complete and England supporters have done their pained vox pops in Australia. And somehow we’re still more than a week out from the second Ashes Test. It’s a hefty gap bound to be filled by rage, moving from the defeat in Perth to the preparation for a pink‑ball affair in Brisbane.England’s first-stringers could pass the time with a day‑night knockabout against a prime minister’s XI in Canberra. Instead, as planned, it will be a Lions side that plays this weekend, joined by Josh Tongue, Matt Potts and Jacob Bethell, unused squad members in Perth. It is understandable why this has annoyed many, why Michael Vaughan’s soundbite – that it would be “amateurish” not to play the fixture – carries some substance. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Australia plotting to unleash secret weapon for second Ashes Test

Ageing Usman Khawaja may well be dropped and replaced by a born and bred Yorkshireman who only moved Down Under at the ripe old age of 14

Events

5 d. ago Man who caused deaths of friends in horror crash handed another road ban after driving motorbike drunk

A motorist who caused the death of three school friends in a horror crash 12 years ago has been banned from the road after admitting to driving a motorbike while drunk.

Events

5 d. ago Michael Vaughan warned England would be 'absolutely stupid' after crucial Ashes decision

England lost the first Ashes Test inside two days and have chosen to take an 11-day break rather than play a day-night tour match in Canberra, with Michael Vaughan having strong views on the decision

Events

5 d. ago Graham Thorpe's widow says he would still be alive if his 'cricket family' had supported him after his England sacking left him 'teetering on the edge' before his suicide aged 55

Graham Thorpe's widow has hit out at the network within English cricket, declaring her husband would still be alive if he was given better support.

Society

5 d. ago Australia rolls out red carpet to England fans with newfound time on their hands

Last-minute side trips the norm for travelling supporters in Bazball-eraCricket Australia face $4m shortfall after first Ashes Test lasts two daysRegional centres are rolling out the red carpet to travelling England cricket supporters with newfound time on their hands, and last-minute side trips are becoming the norm for the Barmy Army as Bazball changes what it means to tour Australia.The two-day Perth Test was unusually brief, leaving Cricket Australia with a $4m shortfall and broadcasters bereft of live content to fill their schedules. Continue reading...

Politics