Factbox on the Ashes series between England and Australia played this century.
England opener Michael Carberry looks set to make his Ashes debut next week after being included in the team to face an Invitational XI in a warm-up match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Ajinkya Rahane scored his maiden One-Day International century as India trounced England by nine wickets in the fourth one-dayer to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has hinted that he could continue his cricketing comeback with a stint in Australia's domestic Twenty20 Big Bash league.
England may have been utterly humiliated in their second World Cup pool match against co-hosts New Zealand but Sunday's nine-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka was much more damaging, according to former England captain Mike Atherton.
Australia rode David Warner's belligerent 127 to chase down a modest target and beat England by three wickets with 10 overs to spare in the first match of the tri-series, also involving India, on Friday. England's new One-Day International captain Eoin Morgan roared back into form with a scintillating 121 but his team was dismissed for 234 inside 48 overs against some impressive bowling by Mitchel Starc (4-42) and James Faulkner (3-47).
Following is reaction to England's victory over Australia by an innings and 87 runs in the fourth test on Saturday which ensured they will regain the Ashes.
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.
A magnificent century by Moeen Ali proved in vain as England suffered a 25-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the first of seven one-day internationals on Wednesday.
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.
New Zealand ripped through England's top order to close in on a series-leveling victory as the hosts limped to 102 for five at lunch on the last day of the second and final Test on Tuesday.
England cricket director Andrew Strauss gave his full backing to Test captain Alastair Cook on Tuesday and appointed Joe Root as his deputy in a significant move for the future.
England need six wickets on the final day to win the third Test against India after a superb bowling performance helped them reduce the tourists to 112-4, still 333 runs short of victory, at the end of day four at Southampton on Wednesday.
Under-fire captain Alastair Cook at last found his form but fell for 95 as he and century-maker Gary Ballance put England in control at the end of the first day of the third Test against India on Sunday.
Joe Root made a half-century as England rallied to 130 for three at the close of the fourth day of the second Test, in Dubai, on Sunday, 360 runs behind Pakistan after the hosts' Younis Khan had made a swaggering 31st Test century.
England face an uphill battle to save the second Test at Lord's after slumping to 105 for four at the close of Sunday's fourth day in pursuit of 319 to beat India.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews and paceman Dhammika Prasad pushed England to the brink of defeat as the home side, set 350 to win, slumped to 57 for five on the fourth day of the second and final Test on Monday.
After taking a first innings lead of 233 on Friday before conceding three quick wickets, England batted throughout the day to reach 333 for five at the close with Joe Root unbeaten on 178, his second Test hundred.
India held their nerve to beat England by five runs in a rain-disrupted Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday. Congratulate Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys.
Australia bundled out England for a paltry 103 in their second innings to win the second Test match at Lord's on Sunday by a massive margin of 405 runs on the fourth day.
Players with the maximum work load in 2015.
South Africa's status as the top-ranked Test-playing nation has been dented after their crushing defeat in India last month and is in danger of being eroded completely by England over the next month or two.
England will head into this year's Ashes series against Australia heartened by their performances against New Zealand but with nagging doubts about key areas in the team.
Tom Latham and Luke Ronchi lifted a New Zealand side bristling with attacking intent to 297 for eight at the close on a rain-disrupted first day of the second Test against England at Headingley on Friday.
With a new cricket director, coach and chairman, England return to the field of play in the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday following an extraordinary period of upheaval.
James Anderson became England's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he claimed his 384th victim in the drawn first Test against the West Indies in Antigua on Friday.
England ripped out India for 94 to win the fifth Test by a crushing innings and 244 runs at The Oval on Sunday and clinch the series 3-1.
With two days remaining and 17 wickets still potentially to fall, a draw looks the probable outcome, although Wahab Riaz's removal of Bell (63) and Mark Wood (4) in successive overs near the close again put the hosts in the ascendancy.
Younis Khan became Pakistan's all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket and Shoaib Malik scored his first century in almost six years, as the home side posted 286-4 at the end of the opening day of the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi.
Uncapped Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari was named in England's squad on Tuesday for the forthcoming three Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
New Zealand cruised to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over England.
New Zealand's Tim Southee produced a brilliant spell of swing bowling for career best figures of 7-33 to dismiss England for 123 in their World Cup Pool A match at Wellington Regional Stadium on Friday.
England's World Cup opener is only two days away, but captain Eoin Morgan will delve into the past for inspiration to reverse his poor batting form and help his team cope with their demons facing Australia on home soil.
England crumbled meekly to 107 for eight in reply to Australia's 481 to put the touring side firmly on course for victory in the final Ashes Test after a dramatic second day at The Oval on Friday.
Images from the sixth ODI of the tri-series, between India and England, on Friday.
Chris Rogers and Steve Smith plundered superb centuries to lead Australia to a commanding 337 for one on the first day of the second Ashes Test against England at Lord's on Thursday.
Eoin Morgan calls for England to make a 'fresh start' after dismal World Cup
BJ Watling scored a fine century as New Zealand dominated the final session with steely resolve to reach 338 for six on the third day of the second Test against England on Sunday.
Adam Lyth upstaged his captain Alastair Cook by scoring his maiden Test century to lift England to 253 for five at the close on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday.
England cricket captain Alastair Cook has denied there is any need for a review of the team's failure to win the Test series against West Indies but coach Peter Moores may feel uneasy on the flight back from the Caribbean.
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