Ashes

Monty Panesar's exclusive diary

I've never shaved, so I'm reaping the rewards now

Jan 2, 2007: Monty Panesar, in his exclusive diary for Cricinfo, reflects on watching Warne at close hand and being Beard of the Year

Fourth Test, Melbourne

Australia v England 2006-07

2007: Review of the Ashes, 2006-07

England in Australia 2006-07

Pietersen hits back at loner claims

Dec 31, 2006: Kevin Pietersen has hit back at suggestions from Australia's coach, John Buchanan, that he is not a team player, insisting that the war of words that has erupted since the end of the Melbourne Test is all part of the Aussies' psychological ploy

'He's experienced and unflappable'

Clark always destined for success - Hussey

Dec 30, 2006: Stuart Clark's stunning returns in the Ashes series have not surprised Michael Hussey, who has been regularly troubled by his team-mate's accuracy and bounce

An old friend returns home

Dec 29, 2006: For three years the Melbourne Cricket Club's library collection was packed up in boxes waiting for its new home on the third level of the members' area

Coach says Lord's beats the MCG

'It's not our worst loss' - Fletcher

Dec 29, 2006: The Ashes have gone and the Melbourne Test went in three days, but the England coach Duncan Fletcher does not believe it was the worst performance of his coaching reign

England wanted him to bat No. 4 before the series

Pietersen slow to follow team plan

Dec 29, 2006: Kevin Pietersen was only convinced of a move to No. 4 when he realised England's brittle tail was limiting his batting opportunities

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 3rd day

Warne logs out of MCG in style

Dec 28, 2006: Stats highlights of the third day's play of the fourth Test between Australia and England at Melbourne

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 3rd day

Flintoff still full of cliches

Dec 28, 2006: England's captain, Andrew Flintoff, is running out of ways to express his disappointment on this tour. Another day, another defeat, another round of hollow insistences that his team is still full of "character" and "pride"

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 3rd day

Now Ponting talks about whitewash

Dec 28, 2006: Ricky Ponting's "relentless" Australia will push for the second 5-0 result in Ashes history and a 12th win in a row next week in Sydney.

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 3rd day

'I'm not sad, I'm leaving on top'

Dec 28, 2006: Shane Warne feels like he's had "50 Vodka and Red Bulls" whenever he's walked on to the field during the series, but it won't stop him from waving goodbye at the next Test at Sydney

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne

Plans were not stolen say authorities

Dec 28, 2006: It was hardly a whodunit of Murder On The Orient Express proportions, by Cricket Australia think that it has discovered the secret of how England's bowling plans came to be leaked to the media

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne

Much ado about not very much

Dec 28, 2006: The row over the England bowling plans which were leaked to the media rumbles on, with former England captain Ian Botham getting rather hot under the collar about it all

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 3rd day

England forget how to fight

Dec 28, 2006: During the tea break the on-ground entertainment has featured an obstacle race between England and Australian supporters. It has been run each day throughout the series and been more competitive than the Tests

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 3rd day

England routed inside three days

Dec 28, 2006: England have long insisted "there's a lot of heart and pride in our dressing-room". Unfortunately, nothing of the sort transferred itself to the middle on the third day at Melbourne

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 2nd day

Symonds in the spotlight

Dec 27, 2006: The second day of the Boxing day Test at Melbourne was all about Andrew Symonds's maiden Test hundred and his stand with Matthew Hayden. Cricinfo looks at the stat highlights of the day

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 2nd day

Hoggard laughs at loss of plot

Dec 27, 2006: England's cunning plan was imparted to all of Australia's listeners on ABC Radio, after a copy of their laminated, colour-co-ordinated bowling chart was lifted from the dressing-room and leaked to the Australian media

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 2nd day

Hayden 'a pillar of strength' for Symonds

Dec 27, 2006: Matthew Hayden equalled Allan Border's 27 centuries on day two at the MCG but he was much happier with the first Test hundred of his old mate Andrew Symonds

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 2nd day

Symonds matures with help from his mate

Dec 27, 2006: Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds circled like alpha males when they first met in the Queensland squad. Today they hugged so hard that two animals further down the food chain would have collapsed in the crush

Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 2nd day

Hayden and Symonds punish England

Dec 27, 2006: In the space of two sessions on the second day at Melbourne, the most closely fought contest of the summer was transformed into the stage for the biggest rout yet, as Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds flogged the final vestiges of resistance out of Englan