Ashes 2025 Live: Smith takes strange dig at Panesar’s mastermind outing

Good news for Sussex supporters – the county have announced that Jofra Archer has signed a one-year contract extension at Hove and he will join next summer whenever he gets the chance. Archer has been given a two-year central contract by England following his return to the Test side during the domestic summer.

Sussex head coach, Paul Farbrace, said: “We are delighted to have Jofra [Archer] Enjoying his time with us at Hove, he is a fantastic person to have at the club and is obviously a great example to all our players as he works hard to maintain his status as one of the premier fast bowlers in world cricket.

We would definitely like him to play more matches for us, but his schedule makes it quite difficult. However, the role he plays as a fantastic ambassador not only for Sussex cricket, but for the game as a whole, makes us a very fortunate club. We are all excited to see Jofra’s impact on the upcoming Ashes series, and we all take great pride in watching him play and obviously enjoy the way he plays the game.”

On signing his contract extension, Archer said: “I’m delighted to continue my journey with Sussex. Since my debut in 2016, I have always felt at home here and it was another easy decision to stay here for another year.”

TNT Sports is the broadcast partner in the United Kingdom for this Ashes series, their plans for coverage came under some criticism as it was confirmed that they would not be sending a full commentary team for the entire series. Although those plans have changed somewhat, with a greater presence in Australia, their staff have defended the decision – Lawrence Ostlere Catch up with Rob Hatch, a familiar voice to cycling audiences who is now set to step into cricket commentary, to find out more.

It has been a long time since England last won the first Test in Australia. Even in the 2010/11 series win, Andrew Strauss’s side could only manage a draw in a match affected by rain and bad light at the Gabba. To find England’s winning start you have to go back to 1986/86 and Ian Botham’s brilliant century in Brisbane.

Can going to Perth give England hope? This will be the first Ashes series in Australia not to start at the Gabba since the 1982–83 series.

Ollie Pope He believes he is more prepared than ever for the hostilities of the Ashes series after fighting hard for himself England Position for last year.

Jacob Bethel’s Surprising Emergence Last Winter new zealand This visit increased anger at the Pope and since then he has faced constant scrutiny.

century against zimbabwe and India He was trying to cement his place in his first two innings of the summer, but low returns in the following months and the decision to remove Pope as vice-captain in September kept the debate largely alive.

Pope finally resolved the issue with confident innings of 100 and 90 in a three-day warm-up against the England Lions before they take on the Australians at the Optus Stadium in Perth this week.

The seriousness of the occasion cannot be underestimated, but he feels that the kind of constant speculation being placed on him will prove to be beneficial to him.

There is always pressure when facing or bowling the opening ball of any Test, but the first ball of the Ashes has created a legend of its own in the long history of the series. Before the first Test in 2023, before entering Tali folklore through Jack Crawley’s cover, Lawrence Ostlere Recorded history.

When England’s playing XI takes to the Perth Stadium, it will not be alone, which is a matter of great interest among the English fans. Cricket Australia is understood to have sold around 9,000 tickets to UK-based fans, with the number significantly increased due to a strong diaspora.

England’s 4-0 defeat four years ago was played in front of small, socially distanced crowds, with Covid restrictions preventing supporters from travelling.

Ben Stokes said, “As players, there’s no doubt we know how excited everyone is for this series. We know we’ve got a lot of English fans coming.”

“The last time we were here, there were obviously some things that were out of our hands, people not being able to come out and support us like they normally do. But I’m really looking forward to seeing what the atmosphere is like.

“We know our numbers are obviously going to be lower in terms of people supporting England and people supporting Australia, but it’s going to be good fun.

“The Barmy Army goes wherever we go. In the last few days, when we have time and we try to get out, there are a lot of English people here.”

Actor and director Russell Crowe has taken to social media to give his opinion on the Ashes.

Following a tweet expressing his excitement at the start of the series, New Zealand-born, Australia-raised Crowe was asked by a user who he would support.

And it’s fair to say that Crowe was a little hesitant in writing his response; “As much as I love this place, it won’t be sunshine like England! Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game.”

So…um…not Ben Stokes and Co., then Russell…?

There was a simplicity in the statement. Australian cricket has a knack for straight talk and Dan Christian, the all-rounder who came out of retirement last winter to feature in the Big Bash in his forties, justified the presence of veterans in four words: “Old men win things”. This was his philosophy in Twenty20 tournaments and he won tournaments in four different countries, often in his late thirties.

Since then, it is an attitude that has spread throughout Australian cricket. The absence of young people is glaring. When Australia last played a Test at home, there were no players under 20: there were 10 30-somethings, including teenager Sam Konstas. when they named his squad For First Ashes Test in PerthKontas was dropped, 31-year-old Jake Weatherald was selected and 26-year-old cameron green He was the only person under the age of 30, accompanied by 14 of his elders. The Cameron Green generation includes only Cameron Green.

England bowler Gus Atkinson He is happy to fly under the radar as he prepares for his first taste of Ashes cricket.

Surrey The seamer has made a promising start to his Test career, taking 63 wickets at 22.07 in just 13 matches, but he has attracted little attention in the build-up to Friday’s first Test.

With live surface expected at Perth Stadium, England likely to field express quick pair jofra archer And Mark Wood has dominated the build-up for the second time in red-ball cricket.

And the soft-spoken Atkinson – who took 12 wickets on debut, bagging a hat-trick against New Zealand last winter and eight in his previous outing against India – is content to stay out of the firing line.

Chris Tremlett has experienced both sides of it ash,

There was immense joy in 2010/11, when Andrew Strauss’s England cricket team became the first English team to win the series in 24 years.

And then four years later, when unmatched sorrow occurred Michelle Johnson England had to go through a test to which they had no answer.

Both series had only one common thread.