Cricket News

Ed Joyce, the Middlesex left-hander who has been summoned into England's Ashes squad to replace Marcus Trescothick, is still trying to take in his call-up but is determined to use the chance to push forward his international career

Joyce determined to take chance

Marcus Trescothick suffered a breakdown during day two of the match against New South Wales and had to be cared for by the team doctor for two hours

Trescothick's dressing-room breakdown

Shane Warne has dismissed as "rubbish" claims that Australia were too friendly with England during last year's Ashes series

Warne rubbishes 'friendly' fire

Allan Border and Mark Taylor have weighed into the debate on whether Australia's team is too old, but neither seemed confident of the answer

Border and Taylor undecided on new blood

Andrew Strauss has given an insight into the stresses that have caused Marcus Trescothick to fly home from the Ashes tour, and says that playing against Australia is the biggest mental test a player can face

Strauss: 'Australia is the big mental test'

Marcus Trescothick has flown home from Australia with a reoccurrence of his "stress-related illness" and will play no part in the Ashes

Trescothick out of Ashes

14-Nov-2006•Andrew Miller

Anderson happy to find his rhythm

James Anderson helped to lift England's spirits on the final day of their three-day warm-up match against New South Wales at Sydney, taking three second-innings wickets to restrict NSW to 194 for 6 at the close

Justin Langer has scoffed at suggestions the Australia team is too old to pose a threat to England during the Ashes

Langer hits back at 'Dad's Army' jibes

James Anderson produced an important spell ahead of the first Test while Michael Clarke made a final push for Australian selection in the drawn tour game at the SCG

Anderson and Clarke tune up in draw

Richie Benaud has turned his back on some of Australia's greatest captains to pick Ricky Ponting as the leader of his ultimate Ashes XII of the past 30 years

Benaud picks Ponting as best modern captain

Australia's cricket authorities face a stern test of their new hardline anti-racism laws, after it was reported that Monty Panesar had been taunted as "a stupid Indian who can't speak English", during England's three-day warm-up match against New South Wa

'Flintoff is a complete allrounder' - Sobers

13-Nov-2006•Sam Collins

Panesar abused by Sydney crowd

Darren Lehmann will lead a strong South Australian side containing two veterans of the 2005 Ashes, Jason Gillespie and Shaun Tait, when they take on England in the final warm-up fixture before the first Test at Brisbane

Tait and Gillespie prepare to face England

Kevin Pietersen shrugged off his recent problems against the short-pitched delivery after cracking a swashbuckling unbeaten 80 from 111 balls on the second day of England's warm-up match against New South Wales at Sydney

Pietersen happy with acclimatisation

Graham Manou, the South Australia vice-captain, has been dumped for the Redbacks' three-day tour match against England starting on Friday

Manou dropped for England tour game

Three half-centuries to key batsmen provided England with their first good day of the tour, but there were concerns over Marcus Trescothick after he failed against New South Wales at the SCG

Pietersen stirs England on day of improvement