Ultimate guide to the Ashes
THE greatest rivalry in cricket is back, so we have put together everything you need to know about the five Test series.
The Ashes
Why Harris retirement could save Watson
SHANE Watson in his twilight and Mitchell Marsh in his infancy offer completely different assets. So, will Australia go with a reliable seamer or explosive batsman?
Captain Clarke the England slayer
MICHAEL Clarke sits on the precipice of joining Bradman, Waugh, Chappell, Ponting and Border as one of Australia’s chief destroyers of the Old Enemy.
Harris a ‘monumental’ loss: Hogg
RODNEY Hogg says the loss of Ryan Harris is a huge blow for Australia’s Ashes hopes and has questioned Mitchell Johnson’s ability to dominate in England.
White knight Cummins ‘ready’ for red-ball test
PAT Cummins insists he is ready and able to answer Australia’s Ashes SOS and step in for the retired Ryan Harris, despite a recent diet of white ball cricket.
Botham’s Ashes plea: We need lively pitches
DESPITE the searing pace of Mitchell Johnson and Starc, England great Sir Ian Botham says flat pitches play into Australia’s hands
Cardiff pitch one for pace, not spin: groundsman
THE Sophia Gardens curator is hoping he’s set the stage for another thrilling Ashes opener, but with a bit more on offer for pacemen than 2009.
Why David Warner punched Joe Root
DAVID Warner’s explanation of why he attacked Joe Root in a Birmingham pub in 2013 has angered the English batsman.
Deck heads: Botham slams England pitches
ASHES legend Ian Botham reveals why England is playing into Australia’s hands going into the first Test on Wednesday night (AEDT).
Harris’ mum inspired his lion-hearted efforts
GAI Harris never got to see her boy Ryan become a Test hero, or even play for his country, but she was close to his heart the whole way.
Cummins risks being undercooked for Ashes combat
PAT Cummins replacing the retired Ryan Harris in the cauldron of an Ashes series is a calculated risk by Cricket Australia.
Harris reluctantly gives up ‘best job in the world’
RYAN Harris reveals he wrestled with the idea of fighting on but ultimately decided the best thing for his family, and Australian cricket, was to retire.
Bowlers prove there’s life after Harris
AUSTRALIA has won its final tour match before the first Ashes Test, with Josh Hazlewood proving he’s ready to fill the void left by the retired Ryan Harris.
Harris retires in Ashes bombshell for Aussies
RYAN Harris’ cricket career is over after the veteran re-injured the knee that has chronically plagued his entire existence in the Test match arena.
Outcast duo walk same path to redemption
ADAM Voges and Mitchell Marsh both have different stories to tell as they stand on the verge of playing in an Ashes opener in Cardiff starting on Wednesday.
Pink balls, not Warne, triggered Starc’s form
MITCHELL Starc’s bowling mentor Geoff Lawson adamant it wasn’t Warnie, but slogging through day-night cricket that was the catalyst for his recent form.
England didn’t rate me: Smith
England tried to sledge Steve Smith off the park two years ago, but the world’s No. 1 batsman is back to ask his former tormentors: ‘How you like me now?’
Can Aussies conquer English conditions?
IF Australia is to score its first win on UK soil since 2001, Mitchell Johnson and his band of bowlers must prove they are the best attack in the world.
Marsh cops nasty blow to hand
AUSTRALIAN batsman Shaun Marsh appears to have escaped a nasty training session incident without serious injury, after he was struck on the hand by Mitchell Johnson in Chelmsford.
‘You know my position on Shane Watson’
MATTHEW Hayden recalls his battle with Michael Slater in the 1993 Ashes while delivering a verdict on the Shane Watson-Mitch Marsh dilemma.
Ashes win only part of Lehmann’s grand plans
A LANDMARK Ashes win in England won’t be enough to satisfy Australia coach Darren Lehmann’s hunger for a job he started exactly two years ago.
Harris injury leaves room for optimism
THERE is a feeling that Ryan Harris’s knee setback is minor and there are no plans at this stage for the champion Australian fast bowler to be sent home from the Ashes.
Time for Hazlewood to prove Lillee right
DENNIS Lillee made the call seven months ago that Josh Hazlewood would dominate in English conditions, and now the time has come for the Australian fast bowling star to prove it.
Hopes fade for Ahmed Ashes debut
ANY hope Fawad Ahmed had of making a landmark debut this Ashes series faded considerably during a forgettable outing for the leg-spinner in Australia’s opening tour match.
Uncapped spinner in England Ashes squad
UNCAPPED Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid has been called into a 13-man England squad, along with Steve Finn, for next week’s first Ashes Test in Cardiff.
Harris set to miss first two Ashes Tests
RYAN Harris all but ruled out of first two Ashes Tests after he was scratched from Australia’s final tour match with Essex due to soreness in his knee.
Johnson to reprise ‘attack dog’ role
MITCHELL Johnson is adamant lightning can strike twice as the Australian spearhead and his captain Michael Clarke plot to replicate the same plan that ripped the heart out of England 18 months ago.
Aussie legend’s Ashes wildcard
TEST great Mark Taylor believes it could have a huge bearing on the Ashes result — but it’s out of the control of both the Australian and England teams.
The Ashes: 10 Jekyll and Hyde moments
The Ashes has served up plenty of highs and lows. We pair off the best and worst balls, catches, sledges, acts of sportsmanship, captain’s calls and more besides …
Why so angry, Mitch?
AUSTRALIA’S Ashes ace Mitchell Starc has savaged CA’s day-night Test, saying the pink ball may pose a serious threat to the integrity and quality of the game.
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