SuperNewsAffiliate

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 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...

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...

India (224 & 396) beat England  (247& 367) by six runs England fell agonisingly short of a record-breaking run chase as India claimed a six-run victory in one of the most breathtaking climaxes to a Test match in living memory. Author | Ajay Stadium | Oval With 17 runs still needed to reach a target of 374, Chris Woakes emerged from the dressing room with his arm in a sling to support last man Gus Atkinson in front of a raucous Oval crowd. Woakes, met by a roar worthy of a century, took his place at the non-striker’s end as Atkinson tried to haul England to a famous win. As tension reached unbearable levels, the pair scrapped for every run in the face of deafening Indian support. Atkinson cleared Mohammed Siraj for six before Woakes scampered a bye to keeper Dhruv Jurel , who missed the stumps in a frantic effort to retain strike. India held their nerve.  Prasidh Krishna ’s over allowed Woakes to steal a couple of crucial runs and another single to hand Atkinson ...

India 358 & 425-4 | England 669  India produced a remarkable display of defiance to earn a draw against England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford Author | Liam C Stadium | Old Trafford Cricket Ground After more than five sessions of resolute batting, the tourists closed on 425 for 4 in their second innings. With a lead of 114 and just 10 overs left in the match, both sides agreed to shake hands, concluding a gripping five days of play. England threw everything into the final day but were ultimately undone by India's composure, a docile pitch offering only occasional assistance, and a costly dropped catch by Joe Root. Ben Stokes, once again, carried the weight of England’s hopes. Despite not bowling the previous day, the captain pushed through physical discomfort to deliver two demanding spells. He struck early, trapping KL Rahul lbw for 90. READ MORE |  Third Test England seal 22-run win over India Jofra Archer gave England another breakthrough when he had Shubma...