18 h. ago Stuart Broad picks England bowling attack for first Ashes Test against Australia

Broad has selected his preferred bowling line-up for the Test in Perth this winter and has opted for a selection gamble

Events

25 h. ago Australia unfazed by England’s aggression before Ashes, says Scott Boland

Fast bowler hoping for selection after Windies hat-trickHome Ashes series starts with Perth Test on 21 NovemberFast bowler Scott Boland says Australia will ignore any on-field aggression brought down under by England this summer, 100 days from the first Ashes Test in a tour that looks set to break records.England and India completed a thrilling drawn series last week across five Tests marked by tension between the two sides, prompting Indian captain Shubman Gill at one point to describe the hosts’ behaviour as not “what I would think comes in the spirit of the game”. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Chris Woakes could reject surgery on shoulder in bid to be fit for Ashes

The series gets under way on November 21 and an eight-week period of rehabilitation would increase Woakes’ chance of featuring

Politics

6 d. ago The Hundred helps put England’s Alice Capsey in a happy place for her birthday

The all-rounder has struggled for form on the international scene over the last 12 months.

Politics

6 d. ago Glenn McGrath makes Ashes prediction and names key battle that will decide series

McGrath is convinced Australia will mow through England when they visit later this year

Events

8 d. ago Next up, the Ashes – and England will need Ben Stokes at his all

England’s batting lineup looks settled for the trip to Australia, but their fast-bowling stocks were stretched against India and the captain can help ease the burdenThe England-India epic that ended up like two weary prizefighters trading blows will live long in the memory – a 2‑2 classic for which the players on both sides deserve immense credit. Not that Mohammed Siraj, still hitting 90mph on the speed gun on the 25th day, showed weariness. If anything, he could well hold the key to solving the world’s energy problems.Plaudits in particular go to three men who stepped up bravely when other sports would have simply subbed them off: Shoaib Bashir bowled with a broken left hand at Lord’s; Rishabh Pant batted with a broken foot at Old Trafford; and then Chris Woakes, Horatio Nelson armed with a Gray-Nicolls, followed him in folklore at the Oval. Don’t be fooled by the white flannels and the stoppages for tea – Test cricket is a brutal sport. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Pope’s form, Stokes’ fitness and pace options – the questions facing England

Attention will quickly turn from an epic series against India to this winter’s Ashes.

Politics

8 d. ago The England selection decision looming large before The Ashes

England’s dramatic 2-2 draw with India was their last taste of Test cricket before The Ashes begins in Perth in November, and there is little time left to win a place in the squad

Politics

8 d. ago Intensity of India series will help England in Ashes battle – Brendon McCullum

McCullum says the series will have built resilience within his team.

Events

8 d. ago Ashes 2025/26 UK TV broadcaster confirmed as announcement is made

Ben Stokes' England side take on Australia Down Under in a five-Test series beginning in November and concluding in January.

Politics

8 d. ago England’s Ashes series in Australia to be shown by TNT Sports

Ben Stokes’ side will try to win back the urn, starting with the first Test in Perth in November, with TNT Sports now set to show the five-Test series after a thrilling 2-2 draw with India concluded England’s Test cricket summer

Culture

9 d. ago TNT Sports secures live rights to England’s Ashes series in Australia

Broadcaster will now show all of men’s winter tourTests added to white-ball deals in NZ and Sri LankaEngland’s attempt to regain the Ashes this winter will be broadcast live in the UK by TNT Sports. After agreeing a one-year deal with Cricket Australia over the weekend TNT now has the rights for all of England’s winter tours, as the broadcaster had deals in place to cover white-ball series in New Zealand and Sri Lanka either side of the Ashes.TNT’s predecessor, BT Sport, bought the rights for the past two Ashes tours so the new deal may be inauspicious for Ben Stokes’s side as their viewers have not seen England win a single game. England have lost 13 of the past 15 Tests they have played in Australia, which shows the size of the task for the touring side this winter. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Stokes’ fitness, Pope’s form and pace options – the questions facing England

Attention will quickly turn from an epic series against India to this winter’s Ashes.

Politics

9 d. ago ‘Amazing’ series shows Test cricket is not dying – Ben Stokes

India completed a dramatic victory in the fifth Test at the Oval, despite Chris Woakes batting with a dislocated shoulder, to draw the series 2-2.

Events

3 w. ago Why hosting the first test in Perth will shake up the Ashes formula

The Perth Stadium hosts its first ever Ashes test match this November and CEO Mike McKenna explains what fans and players alike can expect

Politics

3 w. ago Martin Offiah backs Junior Nsemba to become next English rugby league superstar

The 20-year-old was selected in Shaun Wane’s preparation squad for the ABK Beer Ashes Series against Australia, which begins in October, having made his England debut last November against Samoa

Sport

3 w. ago Adam Hills backs Aussie stars to be fired up for Ashes clash and aims subtle England dig

England’s last win against the Kangaroos came 30 years ago while their most recent Ashes series win was 25 years before that in 1970 as Great Britain

Events

4 w. ago That’s how he’s built – Joe Root hails unstoppable Ben Stokes after Lord’s feats

The England captain pushed his body through a remarkable workload in the third Test.

Politics

4 w. ago Joe Root concedes defeat in battle with England cricket captain Ben Stokes

Joe Root is back at No.1 in the world rankings after his 37th Test century, but admits he and his team-mates are losing the battle when it comes to restricting Ben Stokes' workload after the thrilling win over India

Events

4 w. ago The Spin | Why is KL Rahul’s average so low? Here are some explanations

A walking wicket on the 2018 tour of England, stats suggest Rahul’s average of 35 is more impressive than it seemsThe Guardian’s over-by-over coverage is built on reader interaction. We probably receive more than 1,000 emails during an average Test, hundreds of which are published. As an epic Lord’s Test unfolded, the same question kept dropping into our inboxes. “This is the second innings of the series that has left me baffled as to how KL Rahul averages only 35 in Tests,” began one such email from Ned Blackburn. “He seems to have the temperament, technique and discipline to be absolutely elite. What am I missing?”Rahul’s Test average has become the unsolved mystery of the English summer. But after a day in the statistical dirt – and Ben Stokes thought he went to some dark places on Monday – we can offer some potential explanations. The simplest reason is that after a fine start to his career he became a superstar of Indian cricket, a status that is Kryptonite for an overthinker. ...

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