Cricket news

• How England lost the Ashes in five charts

  23-12-2025 13:01 via bbc.com
  It took England just 11 days of cricket to lose the Ashes to Australia - BBC Sport looks at five charts that show why the hosts have gone 3-0 up after three Tests.
  
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• Ashes review launched by ECB as Stokes gives full backing to under-fire McCullum

  08-01-2026 12:10 via theguardian.com
  ‘I love working with Baz. He’ll be getting my full support’Coach will push back if told what to do by governing bodyBen Stokes has backed Brendon McCullum’s continuation as head coach despite England’s 4-1 Ashes thrashing in Australia. McCullum, in turn, has accepted the need for improvement but will push back if he is told what to do.“If I’m asked my opinion he’ll be getting my full support and backing,” Stokes said after England’s fiv
  
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• 'We're losing more': Ben Stokes admits England need to go back to the drawing board – video

  08-01-2026 11:42 via theguardian.com
  Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, has said the team 'need to go back to the drawing board' after losing the Ashes 4-1.'When you come up against a team like Australia, who know how to play cricket out here and you are adding to your own downfall then you're going to end up losing the series 4-1 like we have done,' Stokes said.'In the first couple of years, teams found it difficult to try and come up with anything ​to combat the way we played, but now teams are coming up with plans that
  
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• Harry Brook’s pre-Ashes scuffle with bouncer deepens crisis around England

  08-01-2026 09:27 via theguardian.com
  White-ball captain issues apology for October incidentLatest revelation just hours after abject Ashes reversalEngland’s white-ball captain Harry Brook has issued a public apology for becoming embroiled in a late-night incident in New Zealand just before the Ashes, admitting his actions “brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team”.A matter of hours after England’s 4-1 defeat to Australia was confirmed in Sydney and shortly after ECB chief executive Richard G
  
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• Australia beat England by five wickets on day five of the fifth Ashes Test – as it happened

  08-01-2026 05:38 via theguardian.com
  Despite a late wobble at the SCG Australia held their nerve to secure victory and win the series 4-178th over: England 312-8 (Bethell 145, Potts 7) Bethell finally has the strike … and he immediately takes a single off Webster. I wonder if he’s going to play some shots before that second new ball? The singles continue as Webster tosses the ball up, inviting a potential hoo-ha. Bethell gets the reverse-sweep out, but with the field back he gets just one.77th over: England 307-8 (Beth
  
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• Talismanic Mitchell Starc adds final flourish to his imperious Ashes series | Geoff Lemon

  08-01-2026 05:17 via theguardian.com
  The bowler’s smarts and stamina from the first ball in Perth to the last in Sydney – not to mention his batting – made him a worthy man of the seriesIt was right that Mitchell Starc should clean up the last two English wickets of this Ashes. Right, too, that Travis Head should mop up a few more runs, but for all of the enjoyment that Head brings with his Jayasuriya-lite batting and his Boon-lite persona, the difference in the series has been the other left-hander. The fifth mor
  
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• Australia beat England by five wickets on day five of the fifth Ashes Test – live reaction

  08-01-2026 04:53 via theguardian.com
  Over-by-over updates from Sydney Cricket Ground
  The Ashes top 100 | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Angus78th over: England 312-8 (Bethell 145, Potts 7) Bethell finally has the strike … and he immediately takes a single off Webster. I wonder if he’s going to play some shots before that second new ball? The singles continue as Webster tosses the ball up, inviting a potential hoo-ha. Bethell gets the reverse-sweep out, but with the field back he gets just one.77th over: England 307-8 (Be
  
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• Australia hold on to win fifth Ashes Test leaving England to rue missed chances

  08-01-2026 04:47 via theguardian.com
  5th Test, D5: Australia, 567 & 161 bt England 384 & 342, by five wicketsAlex Carey hits winning runs at SCG as hosts wrap up series 4-1 There were a couple of wobbles along the way but at 2.30pm on the final day in Sydney, Australia had knocked off a target of 160 runs to win the fifth Test by five wickets and claim this Ashes series by a 4-1 scoreline.Like their tour as a whole, there was a nagging sense of what might have been for England with a few more runs on the board, or better ca
  
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• Australia hold on to win fifth Ashes Test and leave England rueing missed chances

  08-01-2026 04:47 via theguardian.com
  Australia, 567 & 161 bt England 384 & 342, by five wicketsCarey hits winning runs at SCG as hosts wrap up series 4-1There were a couple of wobbles along the way but at 2.30pm on the final day in Sydney, Australia had knocked off a target of 160 runs to win the fifth Test by five wickets and claim this Ashes series by a 4-1 scoreline.Like their tour as a whole, there was a nagging sense of what might have been for England with a few more runs on the board, or better catching and tighter b
  
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• 'A wonderful innings' - Bethell's brilliant knock ended by Starc

  08-01-2026 01:14 via bbc.com
  Jacob Bethell's memorable innings comes to an end as he's caught for 154 by Alex Carey, off the bowling of Mitchell Starc to leave England 328-9, with a lead of 146 on day five of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
  
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• Australia v England: fifth Ashes Test, day five – live

  07-01-2026 23:25 via theguardian.com
  Over-by-over updates from Sydney Cricket Ground
  Play starts at 10am local at the SCG/11pm GMT
  The Ashes top 100 | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail TahaBeau Webster continues to impress, those numbers particularly appealing at present: he’s averaging 41 with the bat and 23 with the ball in Test cricket. England are lucky they’ve only had to face him in one game. Here’s Geoff Lemon on Australia’s all-rounder debate.Yeah, but can he do it in the County Championship? Anyway, here
  
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• Teen Peake takes Renegades to win over Scorchers

  07-01-2026 12:55 via bbc.co.uk
  Australia Under-19s captain Oliver Peake hits a match-winning six off the final ball of the game as Melbourne Renegades beat Perth Scorchers by four wickets in the Big Bash League.
  
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• Injured Stokes to spend final day of Ashes tour watching from SCG pavilion

  07-01-2026 12:21 via theguardian.com
  England captain suffered groin injury in opening sessionBethell says ‘I knew it was coming’ over maiden centuryBen Stokes is set to spend the final day of this Ashes tour watching on from the old pavilion at the SCG and hoping for a miracle in his absence after seeing yet another Test series cut short by injury.The all-rounder had worked hard to get through all five Tests in Australia only to fall at the final hurdle, limping off 10 balls into his opening spell on the fourth morning
  
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• Injured Ben Stokes at risk of watching final day of Ashes tour from SCG pavilion

  07-01-2026 12:21 via theguardian.com
  England captain sustained groin injury in opening sessionBethell says ‘I knew it was coming’ over maiden centuryBen Stokes is set to spend the final day of this Ashes tour watching on from the old pavilion at the SCG and hoping for a miracle in his absence after seeing yet another Test series cut short by injury.The all-rounder had worked hard to get through all five Tests in Australia only to fall at the final hurdle, limping off 10 balls into his opening spell on the fourth morning
  
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• The Spin | Revealed after 100 years: how a corrupt official robbed Percy Fender of the England captaincy

  07-01-2026 11:53 via theguardian.com
  Documentary makers seeking funds to finish making film of an extraordinary man and his influence on the gameAfter a mere 100 years the Spin, always first with the news, is finally able to reveal the details of one of the more extraordinary secrets in the history of English cricket. The story comes from the private family archives of the former Surrey captain Percy Fender, which are being compiled into a fascinating new documentary film. It has always been a mystery that Fender, who was described
  
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• Jacob Bethell plays starring role in Ashes Wars Episode 5: A New Hope | Barney Ronay

  07-01-2026 11:31 via theguardian.com
  A brilliant hundred against an elite attack on a wearing pitch shows this England team can survive and evolveEt in dystopia ego. In the midst of death, we are in life. On a throbbingly hot deep blue afternoon in Sydney, as this ghost ship of an England Ashes tour creaked towards its final dock, the fourth day of the fifth Test produced an unexpected late plot twist. Something good happened.Jacob Bethell batted for six hours from mid-morning to close of play and scored a hundred of rare beauty at
  
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• Sleep Tracks

  07-01-2026 10:44 via bbc.co.uk
  A uniquely calming cricketing soundtrack combined with soothing classical music.
  
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• Bethell learnt from NZ mistake to reach century

  07-01-2026 10:39 via bbc.com
  Jacob Bethell describes the "goosebump" moment of securing his first Test century, but says he used the disappointment of falling short of reaching the milestone in the Test series with New Zealand to ensure he stayed focused to get over the line on day four of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
  
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• McCullum and Key given chance to retain roles despite Ashes loss

  07-01-2026 10:29 via bbc.com
  Head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key will be given the chance to stay on and show they can improve the England set-up.
  
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• Stokes suffers adductor injury in final Ashes Test

  07-01-2026 09:33 via bbc.com
  England captain Ben Stokes leaves with the field with a right adductor injury on day four of the fifth Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney
  
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• 'Born to play international cricket' - how Bethell came of age

  07-01-2026 09:14 via bbc.com
  Jacob Bethell looks "born to play international cricket" and came of age with his maiden Test century in the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
  
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• Bethell scores stunning century but England edge towards defeat

  07-01-2026 09:11 via bbc.com
  Jacob Bethell's stunning maiden first-class century gave England an Ashes silver lining but could not prevent the tourists from sliding towards defeat in the fifth Test against Australia.
  
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• Beau Webster steps off the sidelines into the light as promise of Cameron Green wilts | Geoff Lemon

  07-01-2026 09:08 via theguardian.com
  With his one Ashes opportunity Webster outscored his fellow all-rounder while looking calmer, more organised and switching to off-spinThere was an irony to the fact that Cameron Green’s catch made Beau Webster’s day look even better. Green had not had a good one, having earlier dived in front of Australia’s most prolific slip catcher to spoil a simple Steve Smith catch. It followed a poor day the day before, skying a pull shot after getting settled on 37, and a poor series befo
  
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• Daily Ashes Debrief: McGrath & Guha on Bethell and day four

  07-01-2026 09:00 via bbc.co.uk
  Alex Hartley and guests react to the day's play.
  
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• Bethell’s elegant first Test century presses pause on Australia’s Ashes party

  07-01-2026 08:21 via theguardian.com
  Fifth Test; day four: England 302-8 & 384; Australia 567Tourists lead by 119 after late wickets let hosts back inIt was good. So good. So unbelievably good. On the penultimate day of an Ashes tour packed with regrets for England, a star was born when Jacob Bethell, 22 years young, raised his bat to all corners of the Sydney Cricket Ground in celebration of a hundred that offered hope for the future.There was no reason why England should collapse to defeat on this sun-soaked fourth day but ev
  
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• Bethell century gives England Ashes silver lining

  07-01-2026 08:14 via bbc.com
  Jacob Bethell's majestic maiden century gives England a lead of 119 after day four but Australia look on course to win the fifth Ashes Test.
  
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• Commentator Hartley struggles to understand 'stupid' Jacks dismissal

  07-01-2026 07:36 via bbc.com
  Will Jacks' "stupidity" leads to a two-ball duck and frustration in the Test Match Special commentary box as the batter holes out to leave England on 219-5 on day four of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
  
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• 'Absolutely brilliant!' - Bethell brings up maiden Test century in style

  07-01-2026 06:53 via bbc.com
  Jacob Bethell smashes Beau Webster for four over deep mid-wicket to reach his first ever Test century, leaving England on 210-3 with a lead of 27 on day four of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
  
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• 'Magnificent innings' - Bethell makes first Test century

  07-01-2026 04:52 via bbc.com
  Watch the best of Jacob Bethell as he makes his maiden first-class century on day four of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
  
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• Crawley trapped lbw in first over playing no shot

  07-01-2026 01:36 via bbc.com
  Mitchell Starc strikes in the first over yet again as Zak Crawley is trapped lbw for one, having made no attempt at playing a shot, to leave England 4-1 on day four of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
  
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