10 h. ago Ashes icon denies becoming bodybuilder despite impressive body transformation

A member of the last England team to win an Ashes series in Australia now looks much different from his playing days

Politics

41 h. ago Why the Ashes’ first ball could be the most important of all

The first ball of the series between England and Australia has earned its own mythology down the years – so does it really set the tone for what’s to come?

Politics

44 h. ago How to watch the Ashes: Start times, TV channel, live stream and first Test highlights

Australia host the 2025/26 series, which kicks off on Friday morning in Perth

Politics

45 h. ago Welcome to the Ashes, the classic cricket rivalry that never really starts or stops

Some say the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is now pre-eminent, but there is nothing more intense than Australia v EnglandIf it feels like the buildup to this Ashes series has lasted 842 days that is because it pretty much has. Test cricket’s oldest rivalry resumes on Friday inside Perth’s 60,000-seat thunderdome and with it, mercifully, comes fresh fuel for the ever-raging fire.Because on one level the Ashes never really starts or stops. Since Stuart Broad nicked off Alex Carey at the Oval on 31 July 2023 – the final act of a dramatic 2-2 draw – the sides have been tracking each other, all while their supporters chip away from afar. Continue reading...

Politics

51 h. ago SIR JAMES ANDERSON: This is how I'd get each of Australia's batsmen out

SIR JAMES ANDERSON: No matter how much you try to block out the noise as an England cricketer, you are always aware of its presence in an Ashes series. Especially one hosted in Australia.

Politics

63 h. ago 'Incredible' ITV drama watched by millions returns for a second season next week

Bay of Fires season two has already aired in Australia and viewers say the second series is as good as the first

Events

3 d. ago I can’t remember ever being so confident at the start of an away Ashes series | Mark Ramprakash

Australia have big injuries and concerns over their top order: if England start well in Perth they can win back the AshesIt’s the Ashes in Australia and that is a series England have become used to losing, so much so that even Jimmy Anderson, the greatest English Test wicket‑taker of all time, has the home side as favourites. But if Australia have ever been there for the taking, it is now. Looking at how the two sides are shaping up before the opening game I feel punchy about England’s chances: the team are strong, settled, and I think that if Ben Stokes plays all five Tests they will win the Ashes and win them comfortably. I can’t remember ever being so confident before an away Ashes.That confidence is based on a strong group of seamers and a top seven that have now played a lot of Test cricket and have a lot of runs under their belt. They will look at an opposition that will be without the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in Perth and fancy their chances of racking up runs. ...

Politics

3 d. ago How to watch the Ashes: TV channel, start times and streaming England v Australia online

England’s bid to regain the urn – and win a first Ashes series in Australia since 2010 – will begin in Perth on 21 November

Politics

3 d. ago Love Island star, 24, shares devastating head and neck cancer diagnosis

Lexy Thornberry, who first rose to fame when she appeared on the 2021 series of Love Island Australia, has revealed she’s battling head and neck cancer, in an emotional post

Science

3 d. ago Why Australia will win v why England can win: two Guardian cricket writers make their Ashes cases

No 1-ranked Australia are favourites on home soil but through a forest of caveats for England, there is still a path to the urnEven the greats of the Ashes have been weighed down by 143 years of shared history, tradition and controversy. For keen observers of Australia and England, Ashes anxiety can cloud judgments, hopes and dreams. Personally, a heart still bearing the scars from more than a decade spent living behind enemy lines as a once all-conquering Australia failed to tie – let alone win – an Ashes series in England, now insists on managing expectations. But as the ICC’s top two-ranked men’s Test teams prepare for a contest set to be shaped as much by endurance as execution, the head is ready to rule with a quiet confidence that Australia will triumph in a fourth straight Ashes as hosts. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Manchester teen, 18, travelling to Australia overland seriously injured in horror incident

Tommy Lamb is attempting to reach Australia to watch the Ashes without taking a flight

Events

4 d. ago Mind guru Gilbert Enoka: ‘England are about to go to war, and I want to be in the trench with them’

The mental skills coach famous for the ‘no dickheads’ policy coined during 21 years with the All Blacks now faces his and Brendon McCullum’s acid test in the Ashes“We’ve got a smooth lake at the moment,” Gilbert Enoka says, relaxing in the bar of England’s team hotel in Perth a few days before the battle for the Ashes gets under way. “But the series is going to start and then there’s going to be really, really choppy water in terms of what we actually have to sail. All I want is to help the guys develop structures that can help them be reliable when those waves come.”Enoka is the mental skills coach most famous for instigating a “no dickheads” policy during his 21 years in the All Blacks dressing room, and a man whose path to the pinnacle of team sport is as remarkable as the impact he has had since getting there. He spent much of his childhood in an orphanage before moving back in with his mother, who had settled with a new partner Enoka describes as “alcoholic, dysfunctional”. At ...

Events

5 d. ago Furious I'm A Celebrity fans blast ITV bosses as they spot major change to show in 20 years

The series returned on Sunday night for its 25th series with Geordie duo Ant and Dec presenting live from Brisbane, Australia.

Culture

6 d. ago Ireland v Australia: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – as it happened

Hansen a revelation at fullback as Ireland dismantled the Wallabies8 mins. A clumsy breakdown effort from Ireland on the restart allows the Wallabies to win the ball back. However, their attack on the 22 is in about three minds and none of them have a discernible plan, which leads to O’Connor spilling the ball after a big hit from Prendergast. Yes, Prendergast, you read that right.6 mins. Ireland work back into the 22 and the pressure coming from the pace of the recycling forces Williams to drift offside. The ball is tapped by Gibson-Park and some quick hands find Hansen free under the posts to walk in. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago From the Met to maximum security: Joyce DiDonato is on a mission to bring opera to the people

The celebrated American mezzo-soprano has graced the world’s top opera houses, but is equally passionate about performing to first-timers – and inmatesGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailAmerican mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato apologises for the bed hair as we chat via zoom from Tasmania, where she’s preparing a series of concerts to mark her first time performing in Australia. “I’m windswept”, she laughs as she pats down her signature spiky blond hair. “I’m having a week of vacation, which is rare for me.” Downtime for DiDonato is made rarer by a punishing touring schedule that sees her perform around the globe in recitals showcasing her extraordinary vocal technique, while juggling major roles in classical and contemporary opera. She’s a regular at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and has sung in the world’s top opera houses, including Milan’s La Scala and Covent Garden in London.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend,...

Events

9 d. ago Perfect solution for ancient Aussie Ashes team as they get ready for battering

Your Daily Star has found the ideal solution for Australia's old and knackered cricket team ahead of the Ashes series starting - an inflatable Zimmer frame and walking stick

Politics

9 d. ago Kelly Osbourne's rallying message for brother Jack Osbourne as he lands for I'm A Celebrity

Kelly Osbourne had a brief message for brother Jack Osbourne after the reality TV star landed in Australia ahead of the latest series of I'm A Celebrity

Politics

1 week ago I'm A Celebrity star Aitch spotted in Australia ahead of ITV series launch

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is just days away from launching and the stars taking part are arriving in Australia

Culture

1 week ago I'm A Celebrity confirms third star as EastEnders icon lands in Australia

A third famous face has landed in Australia ahead of the new series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Politics

1 week ago Third I'm A Celebrity star and EastEnders legend Shona McGarty arrives in Australia

The third celebrity has touched down in Australia ahead of the hotly-anticipated new series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here

Politics