Kevin Pietersen's knee, rain trouble England
ANDREW WU Kevin Pietersen is downplaying the seriousness of the knee problem that has him in doubt for the first Test, as England's meticulous Ashes preparation continues to be foiled by injuries and weather.
Top stories
Australia's big questions for the first Test
ANDREW WU Apart from the injury concerns over Shane Watson, Australia appear in far better health than England 10.
Clarke to miss last round of Sheffield Shield
ANDREW WU Michael Clarke will miss the final round of Shield games before the first Test but knows most of his batting line-up are fit and in form in the countdown to the Ashes.
Latest cricket news
Shaun Marsh ready for second chance at Test team
Shaun Marsh admits he lost his passion for cricket after being dropped with a thud from the Test team two summers ago.
Australian batting form gives Ashes campaign a lift
ANDREW WU Michael Clarke knows the bulk of his batting line-up is fit and in form in the countdown to the Ashes.
Spinner Nathan Lyon must be in Ashes side, Dean Jones says
DAVID POLKINGHORNE Nathan Lyon's Sheffield Shield form might be average, but Dean Jones says he must play in the Ashes.
Meteors ready to build on winning streak
DAVID POLKINGHORNE The post-game message to the ACT Meteors was simple - enjoy the win, then refocus.
NSW cricket results for weekend November 9-10
2:13am NSW cricket results for weekend November 9-10
Clarke, Harris, Siddle to rest for Test
5:35pm Australian captain and frontline pacemen to miss this week's Sheffield Shield round ahead of the first Ashes Test.
Pietersen 'fine' for first Test
ANDREW WU 9:26pm Kevin Pietersen is downplaying the seriousness of the knee problem that has him in doubt for the first Test
Ashes and a summer of cricket: experts agree a scorcher lies ahead
The experts - Damien Fleming, Ian Healy, Brendon Julian and Stuart MacGill - have spoken. Find a comfy chair, grab a coffee and read through their views on all you need to know about the Ashes and another crucial summer of cricket.
Summit called to fix pace woes
CHRIS BARRETT First, there was the national batting forum; now it is the fast bowlers' turn.
Warner impressive in Ashes workout
JESSE HOGAN Victoria's inability to shackle David Warner continued on Saturday as the Test opener continued his encouraging Ashes preparation with an unbeaten half-century.
Cricket experts answer the burning Ashes questions
The Sunday Age asked some of Australia's leading cricket thinkers to offer their views on the summer ahead. Our panel of Geoff Lawson, Damien Fleming, Ian Healy and Stuart MacGill reckons there's plenty of action to come as Australia tries to wrest back the Ashes
Dave Warner is happy and hitting big
JESSE HOGAN David Warner says a return to the bold tactics he relied on when entering Test cricket two years ago has been crucial in his prolific run-scoring in the lead-up to the Ashes.
Shane Watson keen to play major role in Ashes
CHLOE SALTAU In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character re-lives the same soul-destroying day over and over, but eventually re-examines his life and breaks the cycle.
Matt Prior injured and may be ruled out of first Test
CHLOE SALTAU England's Ashes plans have been clouded by an injury to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Sara Hungerford hammers Tasmania Roar
DAVID POLKINGHORNE Tasmania Roar can consider themselves lucky Sara Hungerford had a rush of blood when the ACT Meteors took their powerplay - otherwise the 182-run belting could have been a whole lot worse.
Tons of runs in ACT cricket first grade round one
CHRIS DUTTON More than 2200 runs, three double centuries, last-gasp wins and heartbreaking defeats, Cricket ACT's two-day competition was off to a blistering start as batsmen dominated and bowlers had nightmares on Saturday.
Sayers sends Warriors crashing to heavy defeat to Redbacks
Amy Price A brilliant Chadd Sayers spell sparked a dramatic Western Australia batting collapse on Saturday at the WACA Ground to hand South Australia a 108-run outright victory in their Sheffield Shield match.
Clarke unfazed by spinners' meagre returns
JESSE HOGAN Test captain Michael Clarke is not downhearted about the lack of success for spin contenders Nathan Lyon and Fawad Ahmed in their last match before the first Ashes.
Australia can exploit English over-confidence to regain Ashes
Geoff Lawson Former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson weighs in on the big issues facing cricket leading into what is shaping as a crucial summer for the sport.
Ashes 2013: England vulnerable, says Australian legends
ADRIAN PROSZENKO England may be hot favourites to win their fourth straight Ashes series but a panel of former Australian cricketers believes they are vulnerable and ready for the taking.
Dave Warner sets tongues wagging with another blazing knock
NSW has drawn their Sheffield Shield match with Victoria at the MCG after another blazing knock from Test opener David Warner.
Ashes: Shane Watson out of Sheffield Shield match but hopeful of playing first Test
Shane Watson has been officially ruled out of Sheffield Shield duty next week as he fights to prove his fitness for the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Quick Doug Bollinger suffers stomach strain in Shield clash
NSW and former Test quick Doug Bollinger has joined Australia's injury list after suffering an abdominal injury during the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the MCG.
Live cricket scores
Four matches crucial to Ashes selection are underway at various venues around Australia.
Alby Shale's marathon batting effort breaks world record at The Oval
A British graduate who batted for 26 hours solid at The Oval cricket ground in London has broken the world record, officials confirmed on Friday.
Don't grumble, it's time to rumble with old enemy
DEAN JONES WE are just 12 days away from the first Test of the Ashes and I'm fed up with the bitching, moaning and criticism of our Australian team. The Test squad will be selected on Tuesday and it's high time we got behind captain Michael Clarke and our boys.
Features
England's cricket team demands silver service on dietary needs
England has issued an extravagant 82-page list of demands for catering for its players during the Ashes.
Will goji berries help England win the Ashes?
The England cricket team has some fancy tastes to help them through the Ashes, from quinoa to delicate truffles - could it be a recipe for disaster?
Brukner takes aim at Tottenham manager
It is in England where Australian team doctor Peter Brukner has been making a splash.
Fairfax secures cricket broadcast rights
Fairfax Radio will be broadcasting cricket over the coming summer.
Our writers
