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England 334 & 241 | Australia 511 & 69-2  England’s Ashes campaign is close to unravelling in under a week of cricket after an eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the second Test. Author |  Peter Jones Stadium | The Gabba There was a hint of resistance with the bat on the fourth day of the pink-ball Test in Brisbane, but it was not enough to prevent a second heavy loss of the tour, following the two-day collapse in the series opener in Perth. Ben Stokes, perhaps intent on setting the tone after England’s poor showing on Saturday, ground out a determined 50 from 152 deliveries. His stand of 96 with Will Jacks, who made 41 from 92 balls, was England’s longest partnership of the series and offered a brief sense of stability. That ended an hour into the middle session when Jacks fell to a superb catch from Australia captain Steve Smith at first slip. England’s innings then disintegrated, the final four wickets tumbling for 17 runs as they were dismissed for 241. S...

England have scheduled additional training sessions in Brisbane This comes after their heavy defeat in the opening Ashes Test. Author |  Peter Jones The Gabba The tourists were beaten by Australia inside two days in Perth and have announced five days of preparation ahead of the day-night Test at the Gabba, starting next Thursday. England’s decision not to send any players from the first Test to feature in an England Lions match in Canberra this weekend has drawn criticism. Instead, Ben Stokes’ side will undertake one of their longest preparation periods since he and coach Brendon McCullum took charge more than three years ago. Typically, England train for two or three days before a Test, with longer periods only seen on pre-tour camps such as those before trips to India and Pakistan. READ MORE |  Ashes news and stories The original Brisbane schedule involved three days of training at the Gabba from Monday. This has now been extended with an additional session at the grou...

England 172 & 164 | Australia 132 &205-2 A dreadful 2nd day in Perth for England as Australia claimed an eight wicket win Author | Peter Jones Stadium | Perth Stadium England slumped to a heavy defeat in the opening Ashes Test as Travis Head’s explosive century powered Australia to a remarkable comeback victory in Perth. In the first two-day Ashes Test for more than a century, Head tore through England’s attack with a blistering hundred off just 69 balls, the second-fastest in Ashes history. His 123 steered Australia to their target of 205 in only 28.2 overs, sealing an eight-wicket win and giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the series. There was a dramatic shift in momentum Australia had surrendered a first-innings deficit of 40 and were still 105 behind when England reached 65-1 shortly after lunch. But Mitchell Starc’s 10-wicket match haul, coupled with a string of loose strokes from England’s batters, turned the match on its head. Promoting Head up the order proved inspir...

An extraordinary first day of the test series in Perth Captain Ben Stokes claimed five wickets as England’s fast bowlers ripped through Australia on a gripping opening day of the Ashes. Author | Peter Jones Stadium | Perth Stadium On a lively, fast surface in Perth, England were skittled for 172 before hitting back to leave Australia reeling at 123 for nine. The frenetic contest more than matched the anticipation surrounding one of the most eagerly awaited Ashes series in recent years. England chose to bat after winning the toss, only to find themselves in early trouble. Zak Crawley departed for a duck in the first over, undone by Mitchell Starc, who delivered a superb spell to finish with figures of 7 for 58. Harry Brook struck 52 and Ollie Pope added 46, but England’s innings unravelled as the final five wickets tumbled for 12 runs, ending in just 32.5 overs. It was the shortest first innings of an Ashes Test in Australia for more than a century. England’s five-strong pace at...

The biggest series in world cricket is about to start... The Ashes between Australia and England gets underway on 21 November. Author |  Peter Jones Australia are the current holders after retaining the urn with a 2-2 draw in England in 2023. What are the dates? First Test: 21-25 November in Perth Second Test: 4-8 December in Brisbane Third Test: 17-21 December in Adelaide Fourth Test: 25-29 December in Melbourne Fifth Test: 3-7 January in Sydney The format of the series The series is held every two years, with Australia and England alternating as hosts during their respective summers. Each Test can run for up to five days, with four possible outcomes: an Australia win, an England win, a draw or a tie. The side that wins the most Tests claims the series and takes possession of the Ashes. If the series finishes level, Australia will retain the urn as the current holders. Recent winners of the series. 2009 in England: England won 2-1 to regain the Ashes 2010-11 in Australia: Engl...

England beat England Lions by five wickets Was this a useful exercise for England's players? Author |  Peter Jones Stadium | Lilac Hill Ollie Pope underlined his fine early tour form as England wrapped up a five-wicket win over the England Lions in their sole Ashes warm-up match. Fresh from a century in the first innings, the 27-year-old added a fluent 90 at Lilac Hill in Perth, peppering the boundary with 12 fours and two sixes. Chasing 202 after the Lions declared on 251 for six, England completed the job with a burst of late runs from Jamie Smith, whose brisk 39 helped settle the contest.  READ MORE |  First day of England v England Lions READ MORE |  Second day of England v England Lions READ MORE | Ashes news and stories The openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, could not repeat their earlier efforts and mustered only three runs between them. It was a similarly subdued start on Friday for Joe Root and Harry Brook, yet both found a touch more rhythm in the se...

Ben Stokes took six wickets on the first day of England’s Ashes warm-up  England were left sweating over an injury to Mark Wood on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up against the England Lions in Perth. Author | Peter Jones Stadium | Lilac Hill That's stumps on Day 1 of our warm-up game against England Lions 🤝 pic.twitter.com/HkXBn8yH4B — England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 13, 2025 Stokes, playing his first match since July following a shoulder injury, bowled 16 overs across three spells to take 6 for 52, with all six dismissals caught on the leg side. There was less encouraging news for Wood, who was featuring for the first time in nine months after a knee problem. The fast bowler delivered a planned eight-over spell before leaving the field during the afternoon session with a hamstring issue. He is due to undergo a scan on Friday. Wood’s setback took some of the edge out of an otherwise lively day, as the Lions were dismissed for 382 on a sluggish, low ...

Marcus Trescothick believes Pope will be retained at three England’s Lead Batting Coach has suggested that Ollie Pope will keep his place as number three for the Ashes, describing the tourists as “very consistent” in their selection. Author |  Peter Jones England face the Lions in their only warm-up match ahead of the series, which begins on 21 November, and are expected to name a side close to the one that will start the first Test in Perth. Pope has faced pressure for his spot from 22-year-old Jacob Bethell over the past year. The Surrey batter averages 41.60 at number three, though his form has tended to dip as series wear on. During the summer he made a century in his opening innings against India but managed just one further score above 50 in his next eight innings. When England named their Ashes squad, Pope lost the vice-captaincy to Harry Brook, a move that appeared to leave his position more uncertain. At the time, Rob Key, the director of cricket, said Pope was still t...

Australia name squad for opening Ashes Test as Smith replaces injured Cummins as captain Australia have confirmed a 15-man squad for the opening Test against England in Perth, though the starting eleven remains undecided. Author |  Peter Jones Steve Smith will captain the side in place of the injured Pat Cummins, with Travis Head named vice-captain. Chairman of selectors George Bailey said the group offered “good balance”, adding that with most players set to feature in the upcoming Sheffield Shield round, selectors would “continue to gather information” before finalising the team. Batsman Jake Weatherald and bowlers Brendan Doggett and Sean Abbott are in line to make their Test debuts, while Weatherald could open alongside Usman Khawaja, with Marnus Labuschagne another option. All-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster both return, joined by wicketkeeper Alex Carey, with Josh Inglis providing back-up. Fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, along with sp...

South Africa 319-7 (50 overs) | England 194 (42.3 overs) England’s World Cup hopes were left in ruins after a humbling 125-run defeat to South Africa in the semi-final. Author |  Sophie T Laura Wolvaardt produced one of the great World Cup innings, striking 169 from 143 balls to lead the Proteas to a commanding 319 for seven in Guwahati. It was a stunning display from the opener, whose fluency and precision left England’s bowlers helpless. Terrible start to England's innings  Set a record target in a knockout match, England endured a nightmare start, collapsing to one for three as Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight all departed without scoring. Jones and Knight were bowled by a fired-up Marizanne Kapp, while Beaumont edged Ayabonga Khaka behind. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey briefly revived England’s faint hopes with a composed partnership of 105, but the task always looked beyond them. READ MORE |  Sporting news and stories from SuperNewsAffiliate...

England 175 (36 overs) | New Zealand 177-5 (33.1 overs) England’s familiar frailties surfaced once more as their build-up to the Ashes was dented by a five-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the second one-day international in Hamilton. Author |  Sophie T Bowled out for a modest 175 with 14 overs unused, the tourists failed to impose themselves before the hosts eased to victory to wrap up the series with a match to spare. Jamie Overton provided the lone burst of defiance, clattering 42 from 28 balls to lift an innings that had drifted into anxiety. The Test quartet of Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook all made starts yet none stayed long enough to construct anything of real heft. Blair Tickner led New Zealand’s disciplined attack with 4 for 34, supported smartly by seamer Nathan Smith, as England faltered once more at the top and through the middle order. READ MORE | Sporting news and stories from SuperNewsAffiliate  A flicker of optimism arrived when Jofra...

This is a significant setback for Australia  They have confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will miss the first Ashes Test, with Steve Smith set to take the reins in his absence. Author |  Peter Jones Cummins, the side’s leading fast bowler, has been sidelined by a back injury and had earlier described himself as “less than likely” to play in the series opener in Perth on 21 November. Although the 32-year-old will not be ready for the first Test, he has returned to bowling in the nets this week. Head coach Andrew McDonald expressed optimism that Cummins could be fit for the second Test in Brisbane, starting on 4 December. It is a significant setback for Australia to lose its captain and premier pace bowler. Concerns over his fitness first emerged in September, leading to Cummins missing the white-ball series against New Zealand and India with a lumbar stress fracture. Speaking two weeks ago, Cummins said time was “tight” ahead of the first Test, noting he needed at least a m...

England 236-4 (20 overs) beat New Zealand 171 (18 overs) Phil Salt and Harry Brook led England to a commanding 65-run win over New Zealand in the second T20, giving the tourists a 1-0 series lead. Author |  Sophie T Stadium | Hagley Oval  Salt and Brook put on 129 in 69 balls as England amassed 236-4, the highest T20 total at Christchurch's Hagley Oval and the fifth-highest in England’s history in the format. Salt continued his rich vein of form with 85 from 56 balls. It was captain Brook who dominated proceedings, striking five sixes in 78 off 35 deliveries. He exploited a rare lapse in New Zealand’s fielding, including a dropped chance by Jimmy Neesham at long-on, and left the Black Caps’ bowlers struggling to contain him. Brook’s T20 international record remains modest for a player of his ability, averaging 29 with five fifties in 50 innings, but this was among his finest performances in either white-ball format as captain. His assault meant New Zealand re...

A legendary cricketing career will be extended. Jimmy Anderson is set to continue his remarkable playing career beyond his 44th birthday after agreeing a new contract with Lancashire that will keep him at Old Trafford for the 2026 season. Author |  Michael Haldsworth England’s record Test wicket-taker had already signed a one-year deal for 2025 following his international retirement in 2024, but his form across formats has prompted the county to extend his stay. Anderson claimed 17 wickets in six County Championship matches last season, though it was his return to limited-overs cricket that caught the eye. Playing T20 cricket for the first time in a decade, he took 20 wickets as Lancashire reached Blast finals day, performances that earned him a first foray into franchise cricket with Manchester Originals in The Hundred. He also captained Lancashire in the County Championship, a role he could retain into the 2026 season. The new deal means Anderson’s professional career will ha...

Bangladesh 178 (49.4 overs) | England 182-6 (46.1 overs) Heather Knight’s unbeaten 79 guided England to a nervy four-wicket victory over Bangladesh, keeping their perfect start to the Women’s World Cup intact in Guwahati. Author |  Sophie T Set just 179 to win on a testing surface, England stumbled to 78 for five and then 103 for six as their long-standing struggles against spin once again came to the fore. A composed and unbroken partnership of 79 between Knight and Charlie Dean , who added 27, eventually steered England home in the 47th over. Bangladesh’s seamer Marufa Akter made an early impact, removing openers Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont with late swing. The game’s decisive moment arrived in the 15th over when Knight, on 13, survived a close call after driving a catch to Shorna Akter at extra cover. The third umpire ruled that the fielder had made contact with the turf as she dived forward. It came after Knight had already overturned both a caught-behind and a...

South Africa 69 (20.4 overs) lost to England 73-0 (14.1 overs) England opened their Women’s World Cup campaign with a crushing win over South Africa. Author |  Sophie T England launched their Women’s World Cup campaign in ruthless fashion, sweeping aside South Africa with a 10-wicket win after bowling their opponents out for just 69 in Guwahati . Linsey Smith led the way with the ball, returning remarkable figures of 3 for 7 as she dismissed captain Laura Wolvaardt, the in-form opener Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp. Sinalo Jafta was the only South Africa batter to reach double figures in a dismal display that lasted only 20.4 overs and represented their third-lowest total in one-day internationals . Nat Sciver-Brunt marked her return to competitive bowling with 2 for 5, her first spell since the Ashes, while Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean also claimed two wickets apiece. Lauren Bell set the tone by bowling Sune Luus, while Sciver-Brunt trapped Anneke Bosch lbw with her ...

An England cricket legend has retired. Chris Woakes bows out after 13 years, leaving behind two World Cups, an Ashes medal and a reputation as one of the game’s most dependable figures. Author |  Michael Haldsworth Woakes bowling for England When Chris Woakes emerged to bat with his arm in a sling in the final Test against India, there was the suspicion it would be his final act in an England shirt. Whether or not he made it to the Ashes, and regardless of the result, it seemed likely England would want to go in a new direction at the beginning of next summer. Still, it feels incredibly cruel that such a great career would end that way. In other eras, Woakes' achievements would have earned greater recognition. His misfortune was to coincide with James Anderson and Stuart Broad as new-ball competitors, and Ben Stokes as an all-rounder. Maligned as not being quick enough when he made his Test debut in the fifth Ashes Test in 2013, Woakes went on to become one of the most lethal bowl...

England have named their squad for the upcoming Ashes series. They have handed a surprise recall to Will Jacks as a back-up spinner for the Ashes, while Harry Brook has been promoted to vice-captain, replacing Ollie Pope. Author | Michael Haldsworth Ben Stoke caught out at The Gabba in 2021 will hopefully return for the series Will Jacks, who played two Tests in 2022, jumps ahead of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson and Jack Leach to provide cover for Shoaib Bashir. Brook’s promotion is notable and is likely to reignite the debate over Pope’s security at number three. Pope has served as Ben Stokes ’ regular deputy, stepping in to lead England on five occasions, but Brook has impressed since taking on the white-ball captaincy at the start of the summer. With Brook now Stokes’ deputy, Pope may face increased pressure from the rising talent of Jacob Bethell. The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne 2021 In a 16-man squad, Mark Wood has been included in a strong pace-bowling unit despite not playing a Test...

A closer look at how Somerset won the T20 Blast on a dramatic finals day Somerset, Hampshire, Northamptonshire and Lancashire arrived in Birmingham with dreams of taking home the trophy Author | Jamie P Stadium | Edgbaston How Somerset reached their third final in a row Somerset (182-7) beat Lancashire (159 all out) Tom Kohler-Cadmore's 81 off 52 balls powered Somerset to 182-7 in their 20 overs at Edgbaston. Liam Livingstone and Keaton Jennings had Lancashire well placed in the chase at 78-2 but Kohler-Cadmore's wonderful diving catch in the deep removed Jennings for 44. England all-rounder Livingstone struck three big sixes before he was given out lbw off Lewis Gregory despite claiming he got an inside edge and reviewing the decision. Replays were inconclusive with the bat next to the pad and Livingstone was furious as he left the field. At 102-4 in the 12th over when Livingstone went, Lancashire lost momentum under darkening skies and were bowled out for 159 in the...

England's poor form in white-ball cricket continues. South Africa sealed the series with a game to spare after edging England by five runs in the second one-day international. Author | Jamie P Stadium | Lord's Cricket Ground This was a far closer contest than the heavy defeat at Headingley on Tuesday, yet the scoreline disguised how much control the tourists held. A closer look at what happened Chasing 331, which would have been the highest successful pursuit in an ODI at Lord’s, England closed on 325 for nine. The loss marks their first series defeat since Harry Brook took charge of the white-ball side at the start of the summer, and their fifth in six series since the 2023 World Cup. On a damp afternoon, England chose to field and had South Africa 93 for three before Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs rebuilt with composed half-centuries. Breetzke made 85 and Stubbs 58, while Dewald Brevis’ rapid 42 from 20 balls carried the visitors to 330 for eight. Jofra Archer impres...