55 m. 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

Events

5 h. ago What changes can England make to salvage some pride from dismal Ashes tour?

The tourists have meekly surrendered the urn after three Tests and attention now turns to trying to avoid a whitewash.

Politics

11 h. ago ‘RIP’: Australian media revels in ‘deeply lamented’ death of Bazball after Ashes woe

Local media gleefully homed in on English pre-series predictions after Australia retained the urn having played just 11 days of cricket The sports sections of Australia’s major mastheads were on Monday largely dedicated to ridiculing pre-series predictions of an England Ashes victory, and announcing the end of the tourists’ now-compromised attacking philosophy.“Bazball is dead”, asserted the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, quoting former Australian opener Simon Katich. The West Australian newspaper fully committed to the theme, mocking up a pronouncement of Bazball’s passing on ye olde parchment, “deeply lamented by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, but basically no one else”. Continue reading...

Events

12 h. ago Sir Geoffrey Boycott calls for Brendon McCullum to be SACKED after Ashes failure

England have lost the Ashes to Australia in near-record-breaking time and there are questions marks over the future of head coach Brendon McCullum, but Sir Geoffrey Boycott is in no doubt

Events

15 h. ago Mass clearout of England leadership not in ECB plans after Ashes failure

McCullum’s position likely to come under scrutinyECB believes mass sackings would be a mistakeThe England and Wales Cricket Board is eager to avoid a mass ­clearout of England’s senior leadership in the wake of another humiliating away Ashes series defeat.England’s hopes of winning the urn were expunged inside 11 days for just the fourth time in the contest’s 143-year history with Sunday’s 82-run defeat in Adelaide, and a fourth Ashes whitewash is on the cards in Melbourne and Sydney, unless the tourists can arrest a dismal 18-match run without a win in Australia that stretches back to 2011. Continue reading...

Politics

22 h. 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

Politics

23 h. ago Arrogant England’s cricket machine collapses like a castle of dust in 11 days | Barney Ronay

So this is Christmas. And what have we done? The Ashes is over. With two Tests still to comeWhen the moment finally came the visuals were perfect: clean lines, neat angles, figures picked out in crisp afternoon sun against the almost satirical splendour of Adelaide Oval.Scott Boland took the final wicket to seal Australia’s unassailable 3-0 Ashes series lead, the 74th time this moment has been played out down the centuries, and immediately the white shapes converged to form a bobbing huddle. England’s batters stood in an attitude of formal deflation. The umpires began their priestly last-things walk, framed against that huge, empty, lime-green field. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Ben Stokes vows to stay on as captain as Brendon McCullum admits Ashes preparation ‘didn’t work’

England lost the third Test in Adelaide and face the prospect of a series whitewash, with head coach Brendon McCullum expressing regret over how the team prepared for the series

Politics

25 h. 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

Politics

26 h. ago Stokes vows to remain England captain as McCullum admits regret over Ashes preparations

Tourists’ skipper ‘absolutely’ has energy to stay in roleHead coach after defeat: ‘Sitting here 3-0, it didn’t work’As Ben Stokes stressed his commitment to leading England after losing the Ashes inside 11 days, Brendon McCullum gave his first admission of regret. Poor preparation has been widely blamed for this failed tour of Australia and, in that regard, the head coach was prepared to hold his hand up.Speaking after the 82-run defeat at Adelaide Oval that sees Australia 3-0 up with two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney to come, Stokes offered a simple “absolutely” when asked if he had the energy to continue as captain but played down England’s threadbare warmup period. Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago New dawn and new regime for England as Ashes humiliation sparks end for Bazball

England reined in their usual no-holds-barred approach in Adelaide but while Ben Stokes’ captaincy may survive, the philosophy of Bazball will not

Politics

26 h. ago England left crushed as Australia win the Ashes with Bazball project up in flames

England's Bazball philosophy was once again torn apart by Australia as they beat Ben Stokes & Co on the fifth day of the third Test by 82 runs to go 3-0 up in the series and retain the Ashes

Politics

27 h. ago Australia retain Ashes as England suffer crushing series defeat

England lose third Test by 82 runs as tour crumbles in record-equalling time

Politics

28 h. ago Australia WIN the Ashes after just 11 days of cricket as England's fightback is too little, too late

England staged a brave fightback that gave them a glimpse of what would have been a record victory - but it was too little, too late to keep the fight for the urn alive.

Politics

28 h. ago Brendon McCullum admits England’s Ashes preparation ‘didn’t work’

England finally took a Test match into the fifth day in South Australia but an 82-run defeat leaves them 3-0 down to Australia.

Politics

29 h. 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...

Politics

30 h. 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...

Politics

30 h. ago Dominant Australia defeat England in third Test to retain Ashes – live reaction

Australia win by 82 runs as England fall short of record run chase in Adelaide Ashes top 100 | Get the Spin newsletter | Email James66th over: England 214-6 (Smith 9, Jacks 11) Smith pushes a single off Lyon. It’s the only run off the over. Oohs and ahhs from the Aussie fielders, I wouldn’t say Marnus is quiet exactly.65th over: England 213-6 (Smith 8, Jacks 11) Smith drives Cameron Green for three more but it was uppish and not too far away from the bowler’s gargantuan wing span in his follow through. Jacks then nearly nicks off with a loosey goosey drive. Gah. To channel Ray Winstone in The Departed – I’m here to tell you there are ways to get out and ways to not get out, getting out caught and bowled to a loose drive is not a way to get out. Continue reading...

Politics

33 h. ago England lose Jamie Smith as Australia close in on Ashes victory

At lunch England were 309 for seven, with Will Jacks 38 not out from 120 balls and Brydon Carse in support.

Politics

47 h. ago Harry Brook’s moment of madness a fitting epitaph for England’s flawed cult of Baz | Barney Ronay

The day was transformed in Australia’s favour by the batter’s failed swish, a perfect demonstration of talent being wasted and Test matches squanderedTough on Harry Brook, yes. But we must also be tough on the causes of Harry Brook. No child is born playing performative reverse-hoicks with a Test match to be saved, just as most acts of cult-like behaviour have their roots in a smooth-talking cult-like instructor.For England the beginning of the end of the age of Baz started when the disciples of Baz began to deny such a thing even existed; to insist that the buckle-up-and-enjoy-the-ride stuff didn’t actually exist at all, but was instead a creation of another, much worse cult, also known in this world as “the outside”. Continue reading...

Politics