England must hammer home their spin advantage during First Ashes Test: Willis

September 3rd, 2009 LONDON - Wicketkeeper Matt Prior says he has proved the selectors right, both with the bat, as well as through his flawless work behind the stumps, as England sealed a 2-1 Ashes victory over Australia. Dubbed 'Dire Prior' by England legend Bob Willis before the series, the 27-year-old turned in some excellent performances to help win back the little urn.

August 25th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Chairman of Australian selectors, Andrew Hilditch, has rejected criticism for not playing spinner Nathan Hauritz in the fifth Ashes Test, and said that Australia lost the Test because they got 160 in the first innings. Hilditch admitted that his panel was "gutted" by Australia's 2-1 Ashes loss to England.

August 24th, 2009 LONDON - Former spin king Warne, Test opener Michael Slater and former captain Ian Chappell have led the chorus on calling for the selection panel, chaired by Andrew Hilditch, to be made accountable for Ashes failures and the fact Australia may drop to as low as No.4 Test nation. Former coach John Buchanan also said the days where selectors were part-timers, some participating in decisions on players they had limited opportunity to see - particularly when 12,000km away, may be passing.

August 20th, 2009 LONDON - England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has said that he is prepared to risk losing Andy Flintoff's farewell Test to try to win back the Ashes. Asked if he was prepared to risk losing the Ashes to force the pace against Australia, Strauss replied: "We've got to.

August 18th, 2009 LONDON - England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff says his retirement from Test cricket will not be a distraction for the team in the last Ashes Test at the Brit Oval. FLintoff expects to be fit for the fifth Test against Australia that starts Thursday as he continues to battle with the knee injury that forced him to call time on his Test career.

August 9th, 2009 LONDON - England needs a hero in the form of Ian Botham to make something of the fourth Ashes Test, which they are sight of losing inside three days, said injured batsman Kevin Pietersen. "This match may have slipped away - although while we're still fighting I'll be praying for a miracle - but there's still the Fifth Test to play and that's when we'll need somebody to stand up and be counted.

July 25th, 2009 LONDON - England fast bowler Steve Harmison will retire from Test cricket after the ongoing Ashes series. Harmison, 30, is said to be tired of the treadmill and will apparently also quit one-day international cricket and Twenty20 internationals.

July 22nd, 2009 LONDON - England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen Wednesday predicted the death of Test cricket in a decade. "A few months ago I was so clear in my thoughts that nothing would affect Tests, but then you see what certain players are saying in the media and what kind of players are retiring to continue with the Twenty20 format as well as the riches of Twenty20 cricket," the Daily Telegraph quoted Pietersen as saying.

July 7th, 2009 LONDON - England captain Andrew Strauss is confident that his boys have the ability to handle the pressure of playing in the Ashes. Strauss believes that England cricketers have to stay calm even in a tense situation if they want to repeat the success of 2005, when they won the Ashes after 18 years.

July 5th, 2009 LONDON - England skipper Andrew Strauss is unhappy over selection of Cardiff as venue for the first Ashes Test, as he wants to capitalize on the home advantage during the series. Strauss last played a first-class game at Cardiff in 2002, and the ground was known as Sophia Gardens.

July 1st, 2009 MELBOURNE - Former Australian pacer Jeff Thomson pulled a barbed shaft at compatriot Ricky Ponting, calling him a "crap" skipper with few supporters in the country. Thomson believes England with Andrew Strauss have a clear advantage in leadership and in reclaiming the Ashes in a series that begins July 8.

June 30th, 2009 WORCESTER - Australian captain Ricky Ponting appears to be quite desperate to get as much information about the pitch at Cardiff, the venue for the first Ashes Test against England, that he is preparing to send a spy to unravel the confusion surrounding the controversial Sophia Gardens pitch. Reports about how the new strip will play in the first Test, beginning Wednesday week, have been so contradictory that Ponting is desperate for more information.

June 25th, 2009 LONDON - Spin legend Shane Warne insists that England is wrong to line up Monty Panesar to play in the first Test against Australia, starting July 8. Warne says Adil Rashid should partner Graeme Swann in Cardiff on July 8 instead of Panesar.

June 11th, 2009 SYDNEY - Shane Warne feels that the inability of Australians to play spin resulted in their early exit from the World Twenty20. The former Australian leg spinner said the England team must have noted the team's weakness against spin and used it to their advantage ahead of the Ashes series that begin July 8.

June 4th, 2009 LONDON - England's pre-Ashes treatment of Australian all rounder Andrew McDonald has the backing of Australian selector and former master on-field sledger Merv Hughes. "It's open slather - if you've got red hair and freckles and you look like he does, it's just open slather for mine," Hughes said, with the slightest hint of a grin.