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

36 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

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

62 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 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

4 d. ago Lord Ian Botham – Legacy on the line for Ben Stokes and Joe Root in Australia

Neither has tasted victory Down Under, with Root winless in 15 matches and his skipper having nothing to show from 10 attempts.

Politics

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 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 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

6 d. ago Travis Head’s devastating knock gives Australia’s selectors a dilemma

Test-winning century and Usman Khawaja’s bad back make strong case for the stand-in opener to lead Australia’s innings againAccidents do not come much happier. Usman Khawaja’s mid-game back problem was annoying for the player and potentially damaging for his team, until it wasn’t. Clearing out the regular dry-powder opener created space in the final stanza of the Perth Test, allowing Travis Head to finish off England with the gory certainty and splatter count of a Mortal Kombat fatality move. Sometimes you mash the buttons and it all just works.Consider an Ashes innings of 123 from 83 balls, on a bouncy pitch where two other players nudged 50, in an effort that did not just win the match, but has sent the opposition into a demoralising tailspin. So the fortuitous success creates a quandary about what to do next. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Justin Langer tears into England as he reignites Ashes feud after forcing TV apology

Australia cricket icon Justin Langer has slammed England's two-day defeat in the first Ashes Test in Perth, accusing the tourists of showing a lack of respect for Test cricket.

Politics

6 d. ago Ian Botham lambasts England’s ‘absolute nonsense’ Ashes preparation: ‘Nets are for fishing’

Botham has once again hit out at England’s lack of a proper warm-up match after a harrowing first Test defeat in Perth, with their focus on net practice instead

Politics