Ashes

A former Olympian has angered England cricket fans on social media, with some going to vile lengths to retaliate, suggesting that her Great Great Grandfather was a rapist

I took my seat in the Gabba lower tier, a few rows back from the boundary. The crowd was somewhere between paralytically drunk and wantonly feral.

The news will send a shiver through the Australian camp, coming on the back of a string of damaging injuries to top-line stars.

The England veteran silenced the critics with a dominant century - but a well known Aussie newspaper wasn't letting up with its criticism.

Cricket fans were left short-changed at the Gabba after the Aussies made a stunning call at the toss - and plenty went online to complain.

Grace Hayden, 23, took to social media on Thursday to thank the England batter after his majestic 135 on day one of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane rescued England.

Thursday was Crawley's day for defusing bombs. It seems that those who despise England's brand of attacking cricket regard Bazball as a many-headed monster with Crawley's face etched on every one.

When England bat, the ball often goes into the air. Usually, Sky Sports - whose excellent coverage is sadly missed - are quick to say if there is a fielder under it, which tends to be quite important.

England legend Stuart Broad was unable to hide his disbelief as Ben Stokes' side endured a nightmare start to the second Ashes Test, before embarking on a recovery in Brisbane.

Fans raised several different issues with the commentary on social media, ranging from complaints about the commentators talking too much to the lack of an Australian presence.

Cricket fans have called for Australian cricket great Matthew Hayden to be axed from Channel 7's coverage of the Ashes after watching his pre-game monologue.

Ben Stokes was involved in an awkward exchange with an Australian reporter on Wednesday, while the England captain faced questions about photos that had emerged this week of himself, Mark Wood and Jamie Smith riding e-scooters in Brisbane while not wearing helmets.

Former Australia coach Buchanan believes England must stick to their high-octane approach for the rest of the Ashes series - and it could see them win the series 4-1

One of the questions people have been asking in the build-up to Brisbane, given his elite record of 81 wickets in pink-ball Test matches, is how best to keep out Mitchell Starc.

Vaughan has compared Ben Stokes' side's preparations unfavourably to how other England national teams and golf legend Tiger Woods would prepare for major events.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN BRISBANE: If England could hand-pick the hardest possible assignment to avert an Ashes meltdown and save the Bazball project, this might be it.

It has taken Mitchell Starc only about a decade to come round to the idea of pink-ball Test cricket. In the end, it was the sheer weight of his own numbers that persuaded him he had little choice.

Sam Konstas has gone from Aussie cricket's new hero to out of the Test team - and now he's been slammed over some embarrassing footage.

The staggering feat of alcoholic endurance helped make the Tasmanian batter an Australian cult hero.

The 55-year-old had long battled depression before taking his own life in 2024. Earlier this week, Amanda took aim at the England and Wales Cricket Board for 'pulling the rug' from underneath him'.

When Chris Broad suggests it will be 'tricky at the Gabba, because all eyes are going to be on him', it hardly needs explaining that he's talking about England's troubled opener Zak Crawley.

As if making a good impression with Andrew Flintoff's Lions in Australia was not enough, Durham's Emilio Gay has lined up an unusual route to further his England ambitions.

Australian cricket legend Ian Healy has sensationally claimed England coach Brendon McCullum could be sacked if the tourists fail to bounce back from the Perth Test.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: Jason Gillespie knows a thing or two about Ashes comebacks, featuring in both of the most recent series that were won from behind.

The Roosters enforcer and his fiancée Taylah Cratchley made the joyful announcement on Wednesday.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: Robin Smith has had plenty to be grateful for, and much to test him. By his own admission, he is lucky still to be here.

Bashir is in the unusual position of being England's established Test spinner, but a free agent at domestic level after his Somerset deal expired four weeks ago.

RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: Some of England's oldest living cricketers are to be invited as special guests for the 150th anniversary Test match extravaganza in March 2027.

Graham Thorpe's widow has hit out at the network within English cricket, declaring her husband would still be alive if he was given better support.

Droves of English fans have spent a fortune to come Down Under to follow their team - and what happened in Perth has left them furious, according to two former Three Lions skippers.

JIMMY ANDERSON: England have now got to treat this as a four-Test series, and forget that the first Test happened. They've got to try to win all four matches, starting in Brisbane.

The crushing loss in the first Test in Perth extended the gap before the day-night contest in Brisbane, which begins on December 4, to 12 days.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN PERTH: Not a single member of the England team who lost the first Ashes Test inside two days will fly to Canberra this weekend for a pink-ball practice match.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN PERTH: The former Australia opener said the early finish had left children with tickets for the third day 'heartbroken', and 'robbed of the dream of seeing their heroes live'.

RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: As reported by Daily Mail Sport in August, England's Ashes long-term planning included packing their second-string travelling party with pace reserves.

'Swervin' Mervyn' brought out the big guns to win an argument with an England fan online.

The star turned coach was a central figure in what many see as one of Australian cricket's biggest low points.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN PERTH: The manner of England's surrender has reignited doubts about their ability to think on their feet. And those doubts were not assuaged by McCullum's response.

RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: The crack for four from Zak Crawley's bat that opened the previous Ashes took on almost mythical status, as if the elixir to England's eternal batting woes in Australia.

England had appeared in pole position at 59-1 at lunch on the second day, holding a lead of 99 runs and still having nine wickets still in hand, before collapsing to 164 all out in Perth.

With another whirlwind hundred, the second fastest in Ashes history, Travis Head was the toast of Australia at a raucous Perth Stadium as he out-Bazballed the Bazballers.

England had a humiliating start to the Ashes as Ben Stokes' side endured a batting collapse to lose the first Test by eight wickets to Australia. Daily Mail Sport's Lawrence Booth rates the players

The Ashes chaos spilled into the commentary box on another pulsating day of action in Perth , with Stuart Broad 's stunned reaction to Joe Root 's dismissal going viral on social media.

England took lunch 99 runs ahead with nine second-innings wickets in hand, only for another huge batting implosion to be followed by a Travis Head-inspired Australia romping into a 1-0 lead.

At 65 for one after lunch on the second day of the first Test, they led by 105, and had Australia by the short and curlies. In the blink of an eye, they were 88 for six, fighting for their lives.

On a raucous second evening at Perth Stadium, Australia were hurried to their target of 205 by a remarkable 123 off 82 balls from Travis Head, deputising for the injured Usman Khawaja.

RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: This was a rare day in modern Ashes history down under as England began it in the ascendancy, but ceded the momentum.

Mitchell Starc grabbed career-best figures in England's first innings, then pulled off a freakish effort at the start of the tourists' second dig.

Khawaja's disastrous absence from the field in Perth on Friday has been thrown into new light - and local supporters are furious.

The 2025-26 Ashes will be the 73rd instalment of the famous series. Cricket has changed tremendously in that time, and the players' partners now command plenty of the spotlight, too.

Smith had gone for a series of big shots, but played and missed on several occasions, was struck on both his elbow and hand, and survived after a top edge before being dismissed.

Vaughan reckons England's bowling cartel have already opened up 'scars' on Australia's batters following a gripping first day of the Ashes series in Perth.

As England's five-man bowling unit ran riot on the opening day at Perth, the thought occurred that they may never have had at their disposal a more threatening attack.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN PERTH: An electric display from England's five-man pace attack, led by five wickets for Ben Stokes , turned a thrilling opening day on its head.

Australia great Tom Moody was left furious after Usman Khawaja was barred from opening the batting because of a toilet break on a pulsating first day of the Ashes.

The Aussies got off to a spectacular start when England chose to bat in the first innings - but many fans weren't over the moon when the team first took to the field.

England's inauspicious start to the Ashes was matched by TNT Sports, with the broadcaster's coverage branded 'a poor product' and 'travesty'. 

England came into the series opener with great expectations, only to land themselves in trouble from the very first over.

The England all-rounder is carrying some very heartfelt inspiration with him onto the pitch as he leads the Three Lions.

Smith was asked about Panesar's comments ahead of the first Test in Perth , with the stand-in captain responding by mocking his appearance on the BBC 's Mastermind in 2019.

COMMENT BY LAWRENCE BOOTH IN PERTH: What seemed clear from Steve Smith's mockery of Monty Panesar was that the wounds of Sandpapergate have not fully healed.

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has continued the Ashes mind games by questioning whether England are good enough to seize the big moments across the five Test series.

England's cricket stars are gearing up for the first Test against Australia in Perth , which starts on Friday, hoping to win a series Down Under for the first time since 2011.

SIR JAMES ANDERSON: No matter how much you try to block out the noise as an England cricketer, you are always aware of its presence in an Ashes series. Especially one hosted in Australia.

'Hit the ground running,' says Andrew Strauss. Mike Gatting advises: 'If you get on top, stay on top.' For Mike Brearley, it was 'seize your moment'. It sounds simple. But it is not.

Cricket legend Mark Butcher has hit back at Australian media outlets by claiming their attempts to get under the skin of several England stars were lame.

RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: Ben Stokes has claimed the chance to join a select band of winning England captains in Australia represents the biggest motivation of his career.

With combined XIs floating around and this being one of the closest-matched series - especially Down Under - in recent memory, who really has the better weapons heading into this all-out assault?

The Aussies head into the first Test on Friday in Perth with a weakened and ageing team.

Cricket great Glenn McGrath has been dumped from his commentary job, with the news breaking just two days before he was due to work at the first Ashes Test.

The veteran broadcaster had plenty to say when Carey's stumping of Jonny Bairstow became one of the most controversial moments in Ashes history.

Cricket great Glenn McGrath has been dumped from his commentary job, with the news breaking just two days before he was due to work at the first Ashes Test.

When Archer makes his first international appearance on Australian soil later this week, it will be the culmination of a very careful strategy.

Aussie cricket legend Matthew Hayden has made a pact with his former team-mate Greg Blewett that he'll walk around the MCG naked if Joe Root doesn't get a ton.

England's Barmy Army are set to take over one of the most iconic areas of the MCG for the upcoming Boxing Day Test, in a move that has ruffled the feathers of some Aussies.

A total of 445 cricketers have played an Ashes Test for England against Australia, going all the way back to the first official series under that name in 1882.

The Aussie cricket hero was diagnosed in 2016, but kept his condition a secret until 2023.

Stokes, top-order batter Ollie Pope, fast bowler Matthew Potts and many others have been pictured hitting at the Araluen Estate course just before the first Test.

It is the vision that will delight locals but terrify England cricket fans - Aussie paceman Pat Cummins bowling with gusto in the nets ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth.