Australia's Steve Smith scored a brilliant century to help wrest control of the third Ashes Test back from a revitalised England on a sweltering opening day at the WACA on Friday. When stumps were drawn for the day, Australia were 326 for 6 after 87 overs.
The umpire referral system is proving effective despite controversial decisions in the fifth Ashes Test but it should be used in all Test cricket or not at all, Australia captain Michael Clarke said on Wednesday.
Former pacer Geoff Lawson has said that Ben Hilfenhaus's removal of England skipper Andrew Strauss in the fifth Ashes Test does not disguise the bowler's glaring inadequacies in a series in which he is averaging 69.2 with the ball.
England rode their luck through a rocky afternoon spell to reach 167-3 in their first innings at the close of play on the second day of the fifth Ashes Test after dismissing Australia for 280 on Tuesday.
Debutant Usman Khawaja briefly lit up a gloomy first day of the fifth Ashes Test on Monday but Australia's batting frailties and rain returned later in the day to leave the hosts wobbling on 134-4 at the close of play.
In the line of fire following miserable form in the Ashes, England middle order Paul Collingwood has admitted that he faces an uncertain future and the Sydney Test, starting tomorrow, could be his last.
Batsman Usman Khawaja and spinner Michael Beer will make their Australia debuts in the fifth Ashes Test against England, stand-in captain Michael Clarke said on Sunday.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting's frustration over a TV referral decision boiled over into an ugly row with umpire Aleem Dar on the second day of the fourth Ashes Test on Monday.
Australia's captain Ricky Ponting, who injured the little finger on his left hand when attempting a catch in the third Test in Perth, practised against a bowling machine indoors then went outside to face a raft of different bowlers on a sunny morning in Melbourne on Friday.
Australia captain Michael Clarke has hit out at critics who have questioned his desire in the wake of his poor run of form during the current Ashes Test series.
Mercurial paceman Mitchell Johnson found his inswinging form to help Australia skittle England for 187 and wrest back the initiative on a topsy-turvy second day in the third Ashes Test in Perth on Friday.
Images from Day 2 of the third Ashes Test played in Perth on Friday.
Michael Clarke conceded his side's middle-order woes were down to his poor form with the bat and vowed to get among the runs in the last two Ashes Tests after Australia lost the third match to trail England 2-1.
Towering England seamer Chris Tremlett was pleased to belie his 'gentle giant' reputation with a fiery three-wicket haul that took the wind out of Australian sails on day one of the third Ashes Test on Thursday.
Shock call-up Michael Beer is simply unqualified to play for Australia in the third Ashes Test this week, according to former Test spinner Stuart MacGill.
More than the million dollars, it is Australia's captaincy which can pull spin legend Shane Warne out of retirement to rescue the team's floundering Ashes campaign, claims cricketer-turned-commentator Dean Jones.
Ricky Ponting has defiantly vowed to fight on as Australia's Test cricket captain despite facing the possibility of his third Ashes drubbing since taking over from Steve Waugh.
England batsman Kevin Pietersen was booked for speeding in a Lamborghini arranged by his friend Shane Warne while driving back from a beach resort near Melbourne on Thursday, local police said.
'I said before the game that if they bowl a lot at my head then they're not bowling at my stumps and trying to get me out lbw and caught behind the wicket. And I think that perhaps played into our favour a little bit in this innings'.
England batsman Kevin Pietersen's true destiny is to become his adopted country's first great cricketer since Ian Botham, according to noted cricket commentator Peter Roebuck.
England ripped through Australia's top order in a stunning start to the second Ashes Test on Friday, taking three wickets in the first 10 minutes before the hosts were able to find their feet in the contest.
Batsman Kevin Pietersen labelled groundstaff at Australia's Adelaide Oval "pathetic" after England's practice session was forced indoors due to rain just two days before the start of the second Ashes Test.
Australia and England drew the first Ashes Test on Monday but the tourists will claim a moral victory after Alastair Cook dominated the last two days with an unbeaten double century to rescue a match that had looked lost.
Australia, with Steve Smith back in their line-up, will retain the Ashes with victory in the fourth Test, while a win for England would set up a decider at the Oval next week.
England are relishing the prospect of ending Australia's 22-year unbeaten run at the Gabba in the first Ashes Test to make the best possible start to their campaign to retain the urn, captain Andrew Strauss said.
Australia batsman Michael Clarke is fit to start the first Ashes Test against England on Thursday but fast bowler Doug Bollinger will miss out, captain Ricky Ponting said on Wednesday.
Uncapped Australian batsman Usman Khawaja has been brought into the squad for this week's first Ashes test after vice captain Michael Clarke failed to train because of a bad back on Monday.
Almost four years after Shane Warne finally departed the Test arena and with another Ashes series almost upon them, Australia appear no closer to figuring out how to replace him.
Paceman Mitchell Johnson is still a class act despite a poor first Test with the ball but Australia know he will not get the fast pitches he thrives on in the rest of the Ashes series, coach Darren Lehmann said.
Opening batsman Simon Katich, who fractured his thumb during Australia's recent tour of India, has decided against immediate surgery to make himself available for next month's Ashes duty.
Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson again found the WACA a happy hunting ground to inspire the hosts to a 57-run victory and a 6-1 series hammering of England in the seventh and final One-Day International on Sunday.
'It was a combination of all sorts of things, craft, skill, versatility and most of all, an 'over my dead body' attitude without which you are not a great player'
Australia wrapped up a morale-boosting one-day series victory over England with two games to spare after a 51-run win in the fifth match at the Gabba on Sunday.
Australia wrapped up a morale-boosting one-day series victory over England with two games to spare after a 51-run win in the fifth match at the Gabba on Sunday.
England won the fifth Ashes Test by an innings and 83 runs on Friday to claim a first series triumph in Australia in nearly a quarter of a century.
A dominant Alastair Cook scored 189 and Ian Bell his first century against Australia as England took a commanding first innings lead of 208 at the close of play on the third day of the fifth Ashes Test on Wednesday.
The Australia batsman has overtaken New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and is now only nine points behind India skipper Virat Kohli.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting is to undergo surgery on Tuesday on the fractured finger which forced him to miss the Sydney Test, his first in six years, this week.
While Australia will hope to use local knowledge to their advantage in the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) next week, debutant Michael Beer has admitted that his contribution will be zero.
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