9 h. ago Steve Smith on top again after he resumes Ashes rivalry with Jofra Archer | Geoff Lemon

As Australia’s batting linchpin helps hosts pull away, England’s premier paceman is yet to get him out in a TestJofra Archer versus Steve Smith in 2019 is already Ashes folklore. The atmosphere at Lord’s that afternoon was charged in all senses, a huge slab of cloud bringing darkness to the day. Fresh off a match-winning World Cup final, Archer marked his Test debut with what was then the fastest spell recorded for England. Smith was in the middle of a Bradman-hued streak of 774 runs in seven innings. All that could pause him was a short-pitched attack of building ferocity, one that finally dropped Smith with a bouncer to the neck. It was a pure duel, the kind that cause spectators genuine fear.In the immediate aftermath, and again as Archer took six-fers in wins at Headingley and the Oval, one principal idea came up in every discussion: imagine, what might he be able to do in Australia? Imagine him on a fast and bouncy track in Perth or Brisbane. It was: “I can’t wait to get you to...

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10 h. ago Ashes: Australia take control of second Test despite Will Jacks' brilliance

All-rounder took one of the great catches to dismiss Steve Smith, but five others went down as the tourists’ fluffed their chances in the field

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10 h. ago England toil despite Will Jacks’ moment of magic in second Ashes Test

Jacks took a stunning catch to dismiss Steve Smith but England dropped a host of other chances as Australia pulled ahead in Brisbane.

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11 h. ago Ashes 2025 live score: Australia lead by 44 as England rue dropped catches at end of day two

The visitors looked to restrict the Aussies after Steve Smith’s dismissal but chances to drive home an advantage went begging

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12 h. ago Ashes 2025 live score: Australia take the lead but England rejuvenated after Steve Smith dismissal

Jacks’s acrobatics secured the wicket of Steve Smith (61) to give England hope as Australia close in on a first innings lead at The Gabba

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12 h. ago Ashes 2025 live score: England rejuvenated after stunning Will Jacks catch removes Steve Smith

Jacks’s acrobatics secured the wicket of Steve Smith (61) to give England hope as Australia close in on a first innings lead at The Gabba

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35 h. ago England’s Joe Root secures his first Ashes century in Australia

Root’s lack of a three-figure score in any format in Australia was a major subplot ahead of this series.

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35 h. ago Australia v England: Ashes second Test, Joe Root hits century on day one – live

Updates from the day-nighter at the Gabba in Brisbane Max Rushden: I was fearing for Crawley, not Duckett Ashes top 100 | Get the Spin newsletter | Email TanyaAustralia: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (capt), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.The speculation comes to a close but the debate will continue across the afternoon at least, as Australia turn to a horses for course approach with Nathan Lyon left out of a home Test for the first time in almost 14 years. The off-spinner was also omitted from the XI in Australia’s most recent pink-ball Test in the Caribbean, but it still feels like a huge call to leave out a bowler who has claimed 562 wickets. Michael Neser comes in to add more pace in the day-night Test, as well as reducing the length of the Australia tail. Continue reading...

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53 h. ago Cummins conundrum is key as Australia try not to overthink tactics

Will the captain return? Will Nathan Lyon play? Who will open? Ashes hostilities are renewed and the hosts don’t need to ask too many questionsAt last, at long last, an Ashes series is about to start. It feels that way, anyway, after so many months of lead-up, such an eternal blur of preview and prediction and preamble, were supposed to reach their end – only to find that the end was instead a momentary interruption, a hiccup, an indigestion-dream of a Test from Perth, a contest done in the span of 31 hours, leaving everyone to return to punditry and prognostication for a further 11 blasted and benighted days.We are, for pity’s sake, in a discussion cycle about Ben Stokes correctly applying a bike helmet while not on a bike, or Steve Smith correctly applying eye-black stickers in his Tim Tebow tribute act, or the archaeologically uncovered fact that Australian teams have a good record at the Gabba. Like farmers waiting for the rains, we are praying for play to start to let us talk a...

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58 h. ago Everything said between Monty Panesar and Steve Smith as bizarre Ashes subplot continues

Former England cricketer Monty Panesar and Australia batter Steve Smith have been exchanging words amid the 2025/2026 Ashes series Down Under.

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59 h. ago Monty Panesar takes another swipe at Steve Smith as box office Ashes feud re

Former England star Monty Panesar has responded to Australia captain Steve Smith ahead of the Second Ashes Test, with their feud ongoing

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62 h. ago Australia captain Pat Cummins leaves door ajar for dramatic comeback in Brisbane

Cummins missed his side’s victory in Perth with a back injury and was subsequently omitted from the squad for this week’s day/nigher at the Gabba.

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62 h. ago Pat Cummins latest: Steve Smith hints at surprise Australia boost ahead of second Ashes Test

The Australia captain was left out of the squad which was named last week

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62 h. ago Australia captain Pat Cummins leaves door agar for dramatic comeback in Brisbane

Cummins missed his side’s victory in Perth with a back injury and was subsequently omitted from the squad for this week’s day/nigher at the Gabba.

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63 h. ago Pat Cummins poised to return for Australia in second Ashes Test at Gabba

Steve Smith hints fast bowler may be late call-up in BrisbaneJosh Inglis favoured to replace injured Usman KhawajaThe challenge for England could be set to increase amid a growing belief that Pat Cummins will be given the green light to return for Australia this week in the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.Cummins, 32, was absent from the series opener in Perth as he underwent the final stages of rehabilitation from a lower back stress injury that was first detected back in July. Steve Smith stepped up to captain as the hosts secured a 1-0 lead with an eight-wicket victory inside two days. Continue reading...

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1 week ago England warned ‘wickets fall in clumps’ with pink ball under lights at the Gabba

‘You’ve got to stay in it and make most of middle session’Siddle and Law back tourists’ decision to skip CanberraAs they lick their wounds after a first-Test defeat in which they lost five wickets for 12 runs in their first innings and four for 11 in their second, England have been warned to prepare for conditions where “wickets fall in clumps” when the Ashes resume in Brisbane next week.David Sundarski, curator at the Gabba, is preparing for a second day-night game in quick succession after the Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and Victoria, which ended on Monday with the home side winning by seven wickets inside three days. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Daily Star Ashes sledger hits back at Aussies and says 'remember Crocodile Dundee'

Toby Tarrant has hit back at Aussie Darren Lehmann hammering England fans for not forgiving cheat Steve Smith and says 'Aussies never move on from anything in their lives'

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1 week ago Aussie cricket great slams 'drunk' English fans for abusing him and Steve Smith over shameful episode: 'They carry on like pork chops'

The star turned coach was a central figure in what many see as one of Australian cricket's biggest low points.

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1 week ago Why Travis Head was promoted to open before producing ‘one of the great Ashes knocks’

With Usman Khawaja injured, Head was pushed to the top of the order and slammed a match-winning century

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1 week ago ‘Shellshocked’ Stokes urges England to move on from mauling in first Ashes Test

Head’s century gives Australia eight-wicket victoryStokes: ‘Let emotions in but get rid of them quickly’Ben Stokes has warned his England players not to wallow in the pain of losing to Australia inside two days. A hotly anticipated Ashes series got off to a catastrophic start in Perth and he said they must “feel it and get rid of it” if they are to have a chance of levelling the scores in Brisbane.The England captain said the tourists were “very confident in our ability to keep Australia to under 200 and win the game”, having set the home side a target of 205. Instead, they were marmalised by Travis Head, bumped up to open in place of the injured Usman Khawaja, who scored 123 off 83 balls to power his side to the verge of victory. It was a contribution the Australia captain, Steve Smith, described as “one of the great Ashes knocks”. Continue reading...

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