16 h. ago Monty is England's Mastermind! Panesar says 'sensitive' Australia captain Steve Smith is 'rattled' after crumbling in the Ashes in the wake of his TV quiz mockery

Smith had gone for a series of big shots, but played and missed on several occasions, was struck on both his elbow and hand, and survived after a top edge before being dismissed.

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20 h. ago Mitchell Starc actions in Ashes speak volumes as England crumble after Steve Smith digs

England were bowled out for 172 on the opening day of the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth, with Mitchell Starc taking seven wickets for the hosts

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22 h. ago What Mitchell Starc did in the Ashes spoke volumes as England collapse amid Steve Smith jibes

England won the toss and opted to bat at the Perth Stadium on the opening day of the Ashes series

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33 h. ago Monty Panesar's plan to wind up 'rattled' Steve Smith as England need 'foot on Aussie throats'

England cricket icon Monty Panesar has fired back at Aussie captain Steve Smith as their bizarre war of words continues - and Monty reckons he's got a plan to get at the 'rattled' batsman

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35 h. ago The Ashes LIVE: England vs Australia updates as Steve Smith at centre of angry row

Australia vs England first Ashes test live updates and wicket alerts as

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36 h. ago ‘I made mistakes on TV, he made his on a field’: Panesar strikes back at Smith’s Mastermind jibe

Captain launches attack on former bowler’s quiz answersEx-Test player later urges England to use it as ‘ammunition’Steve Smith, Australia’s acting captain, has confirmed his team for Friday’s opening Ashes Test – but saw his team announcement was overshadowed by an extraordinary verbal attack on Monty Panesar after the former England spinner suggested Ben Stokes and his touring team should try to upset him by rehashing the infamous sandpaper ball-tampering controversy of 2018.Smith insisted the comments “didn’t really bother me”, but apparently demonstrated the opposite by raking over Panesar’s notoriously miserable appearance on the TV quiz Mastermind in 2019. Continue reading...

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36 h. ago Monty Panesar hits back at Steve Smith on eve of Ashes: ‘I’d rather fail at Mastermind than be a cheat’

Panesar has responded to Smith poking fun at his performance on Mastermind just hours before the Ashes gets underway

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37 h. ago Monty Panesar hits back at Steve Smith: England cult hero takes ANOTHER swipe at Sandpapergate after Australian captain mocked rival's pitiful effort on Mastermind

Smith was asked about Panesar's comments ahead of the first Test in Perth , with the stand-in captain responding by mocking his appearance on the BBC 's Mastermind in 2019.

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37 h. ago England hero Monty Panesar fires back at Steve Smith in bizarre Ashes clash

Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith tried to get a few laughs in his pre-Ashes press conference by firing back at ex-England spinner Monty Panesar - who has since had a pop back

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42 h. ago Monty Panesar's infamous Celebrity Mastermind appearance goes viral after Steve Smith brutally mocked cricket hero  for scoring ONE point in general knowledge round 

Here, we run through the infamous 2019 appearance Monty Panesar himself described to Daily Mail Sport as 'like the Titanic ramming the Hindenburg'.

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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...

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2 w. ago ‘Brilliant’ Marcus Smith backed to bring cutting edge to England attack

Marcus Smith will start at full-back against Fiji.

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3 w. ago Borthwick rips up script with move to hybrids that could lead to Pollock on wing

Head coach may also consider playing Ben Earl at centreMarcus Smith left out of matchday 23 to face AustraliaSteve Borthwick is considering playing his fast rising back-rower Henry Pollock on the wing at some stage this autumn as he seeks fresh impetus in all areas before the looming November Tests. The England head coach says he wants his side to hit the ground running against Australia this weekend and may also start Ben Earl at centre this season.England’s team to face the Wallabies has already had a significant makeover with Tommy Freeman starting in midfield and no place for either Marcus Smith or Ollie Lawrence in the matchday 23. No fewer than six British & Irish Lions players, including Pollock, have been named on the bench with Bath’s 22-year-old flanker Guy Pepper, the Leicester prop Joe Heyes and the Sale wing Tom Roebuck all starting. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Marcus Smith left out of England 23 to face Australia with Lions made to wait

George Ford at fly-half, Itoje leads side at TwickenhamPepper gets nod with Curry among six Lions on benchEngland have omitted Marcus Smith completely from their matchday squad to face Australia on Saturday and confirmed George Ford as their starting fly-half. Head coach Steve Borthwick has also named six British & Irish Lions on his bench with Tom Curry, Ellis Genge and Henry Pollock all named among the replacements.Instead Borthwick has preferred to put his faith in lower-profile players such as Bath’s Guy Pepper, Sale’s Tom Roebuck and Leicester’s Joe Heyes in a side which also has no place for Bath’s Ollie Lawrence or Exeter’s Henry Slade, both midfield regulars last season. Tommy Freeman will wear 13 having been shifted inside from the wing to form a centre pairing with his Northampton clubmate Fraser Dingwall. Continue reading...

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