17 h. ago Starc showed Australia they didn’t need the Big Three – the Big One would do | Geoff Lemon

With no Cummins and Hazlewood, Boland off the boil and Doggett on debut, the veteran quick notched a career-best seven for 58 to dominate the opening stanza in PerthWhen an Ashes series finally begins and the interminable prognosticating reaches its end, it is customary to discover anew that all of the talk is just talk. So it was for all of us who have offered opinions on the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, and how losing two champion fast bowlers would drastically weaken the Australian side. Instead, it only gave space to their remaining colleague to dominate the first stanza of the Perth Test on his own. In barely a session, Mitchell Starc turned the Big Three into the Big One.Scott Boland was off the boil – it didn’t matter. Brendan Doggett was on debut, chipping in around the edges – it didn’t matter either. Starc has now notched a career best in consecutive innings: six for nine in Kingston back in July, followed by seven for 58 here. Continue reading...

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20 h. ago ASHES BREAKFAST: What you missed overnight as Joe Root's live interview is interrupted in TV gaffe, plus Shoaib Bashir's revealing role in official team photo

Tuck into Daily Mail Sport's Ashes Breakfast, the first such edition on the opening day of the much-anticipated tour of Australia, keeping you up to date with all the nuggets you may have missed.

Culture

25 h. ago Ashes 2025 live: Australia v England score and updates with visitors in trouble after Joe Root duck

Ben Stokes’ side face Australia in Perth to kick off the Ashes down under, with the visitors winning the toss on Friday

Events

34 h. ago The Ashes 2025: Schedule, UK test start time and where to watch or listen

The Ashes 2025 will see England heroes Ben Stokes and Joe Root take on the Aussies in the classic five match series in front of England's 35,000-strong 'Barmy Army' of away fans

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4 d. ago Scott Boland names Australia’s most prized England scalp before Ashes

Boland says Joe Root remains England’s most prized wicket despite having yet to reach three figures in 14 matches in Australia

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4 d. ago Scott Boland: Joe Root is still most prized wicket for Australia

Root has yet to reach three figures in 14 matches in Australia.

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7 d. ago Aussie cricket legend's daughter begs Joe Root to score a century for one cheeky reason

Former batsman Matthew Hayden reckons Root will score a century in the showdown next month, but said if he fails he’ll bare all at Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground

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9 d. ago Australia’s injury woes continue with scares for Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott

Scott Boland is already set to deputise for Pat Cummins, while Lance Morris and Spencer Johnson are also sidelined.

Events

2 w. ago Brendon McCullum confident England can throw off batting blues for Ashes

Smith, Duckett and Root all fail again in New Zealand loss‘In Tests we have a pretty decent idea of where we’re at’Brendon McCullum has predicted England’s batters will have no trouble shaking off the woes that have dogged their white-ball tour of New Zealand in time for the AshesTheir top order crumbled yet again on the way to a third successive defeat in Wellington on Saturday and several key members of the Test squad, including Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Joe Root, have struggled badly in recent one-day internationals. But the team’s head coach believes their troubles are limited to the 50-over format.“It’s a different form of the game and it’s a completely different kind of challenge that we’re going to be confronted with,” he said. “Sometimes the process you go through in regards to batting doesn’t necessarily translate to runs, but the game can come in time. That’s what we’re holding on to, anyway. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago New Zealand beat England by five wickets in second men’s cricket one

Hosts secure series victory after win in second ODI Sign up to The Spin newsletter | And email Tom4th over: England 25-1 (Smith 13, Root 11) Jamie Smith clatters a pull shot to the midwicket fence for four and then picks up a single in the same region. Root continues his busy start with a single past point and Jamie Smith then plays a nonchalant flick for SIX onto the grass bank on the leg side.3rd over: England 13-1 (Smith 2, Root 10) Joe Root is the new batter. He whips Duffy off his pads for two and then times the next one even better for four. Root then pings a drive through cover for four more! Ten runs and the wicket of Duckett off the over. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Crunch time nears for Australia as selectors try to fit Ashes batting puzzle pieces together | Martin Pegan

Plot twists have thrown up more uncertainty over which six batters will be included in the hosts’ squad just under a month out from the first TestThe Great Australian Bat Off has returned for a brand new season with fresh faces and forgotten favourites bidding to join the cast for the Ashes series opener. In a major subplot, captain Pat Cummins is officially out of the first Test and is all but certain to be replaced by understudy Scott Boland, while the final auditions to claim a spot in the squad will be staged across the Sheffield Shield matches that begin on Tuesday as much as the T20 series against India.The main storyline will be familiar to seasoned fans as the Australia selectors largely repeat last year’s search for an opener to partner Usman Khawaja. But the return to form of Marnus Labuschagne, and injury concerns for Cameron Green and Beau Webster, are plot twists that have thrown up more uncertainty over which six batters will be included for the Perth Test. Continue re...

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3 w. ago Rejuvenated Joe Root all revved up to end Ashes century drought in Australia

Root is yet to score century in Australia in three seriesEngland begin ODI series against New Zealand on SundayJoe Root has declared himself ready to thrive in this winter’s Ashes, having changed his approach to focus more on getting himself in the ideal frame of mind rather than fixating on his technique.Root goes into the one-day international series against New Zealand having not played since early September, since when his only batting has come in the indoor nets in Sheffield. “It’s been nice to have a break,” Root said. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Joe Root concentrating on being ‘mentally focused’ for Ashes series in Australia

Root has never scored a hundred in 14 Tests in Australia but Ricky Ponting has backed him to end that unwanted streak.

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