Desparate Bell wants a crack at the Aussies, but on merit

September 20th, 2009 LONDON - Spinner Graeme Swann reckons that the current England team would not be able to make it to the top honours of the upcoming Champions Trophy, and the maximum that they hope to achieve is to reach the semi-finals. England team has been looking out of sorts after the historic Ashes win, and in the absence of experienced players like Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, they have not been able to prevent a 6-0 drubbing in the seven match ODI series, with one game still left to be played at Chester-le-Street.

August 21st, 2009 LONDON - England batsman Ian Bell has said that there is no need to panic, and pleaded with England fans to cling on to their Ashes dreams in the fifth and final Test match at The Oval. "I don't think we have thrown it away.

August 18th, 2009 LONDON - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that the idea of a European Super League could be a reality in 10 years' time, as he felt that the growing number of clubs could not be accomodated by the Champions League alone. Wenger said that he has nothing against Europe's elite competition in its current format, but he envisaged a time when a more exclusive trophy could be on offer.

August 15th, 2009 LONDON - England will give Warwickshire opener Jonathan Trott a Test debut against Australia at The Oval next week as they seek to reverse the horrors of Headingley by pulling off a victory to regain the Ashes. Essex batsman Ravi Bopara is the only batsman to be dropped from the squad.

August 7th, 2009 LONDON - England fast bowler Stuart Broad reckons England's tough nuts have caught the Aussies on the hop. Tempers flared during the Third Test and, with The Ashes now in sight, there could be fireworks at Headingley.

July 28th, 2009 WARWICKSHIRE - England batsman Ian bell says that he is ready to grab his Ashes chance with both hands - and ram the Aussies' taunts straight back down their throats. Bell will be back in England's side for Thursday's Third Test thanks to Kevin Pietersen's Achilles injury, four months after being axed in the West Indies.

July 26th, 2009 LONDON - Andrew Flintoff has been retained while Ian Bell replaces Kevin Pietersen in the England squad for the third Ashes Test against Australia starting Thursday at Edgbaston. Flintoff, who will retire after the series, is battling a knee injury while Pietersen has been ruled out of the series after he underwent a surgery on his Achilles tendon.

July 26th, 2009 LONDON - Discarded by the England set up more than two years ago, Irish-born Ed Joyce, who now plays for Sussex, is one of a select group of England batsmen to have scored a century against the Australians. And now, he is keen to resurrect his international career by taking another crack at the Kangaroos.

July 26th, 2009 LONDON - England's cricket selectors are likely to confirm Ian Bell as injured Kevin Pietersen's replacement for the third Ashes Test that gets underway from Thursday (July 30), even as rumors are afloat that fast bowler Steve Harmison is set to announce his retirement from international crcket after this year's Ashes series. Though Harmison and Monty Panesar are in all likelihood to be retained in the national squad, the Daily Mirror reports that Harmison will announce his international retirement after the Ashes.

July 20th, 2009 LONDON - England off-spinner Graeme Swann is insisting that his team will not panic on the final day of the second Ashes Test being played at Lord's. The Aussies need another 209 with five wickets remaining to complete a historic world record run chase.

July 15th, 2009 LONDON - England's most expendable fast bowler Steve Harmison keeps coming back after being discarded, and is hoping to win his 62nd cap in the Second Npower Ashes Test against Australia. "Every time I get knocked down, I'll fight hard to win my place back for the simple reason that I love playing for England, and I love earning the right to put on an England cap by playing for Durham," he said.

July 7th, 2009 GLAMORGAN - England fast bowler Simon Jones has warned the Australian squad to prepare for five horrendous days at Cardiff, where the first test match of the Ashes series will begin on Wednesday. Jones, one of England's 2005 Ashes heroes, said that the crowd at Glamorgan's 10 million pounds Swalec stadium will be supporting the England team.

June 30th, 2009 MELBOURNE - South Africa has handed over England its successful blueprint on how to beat the Australians in the Ashes 2009. England will head into the Ashes series with fresh intelligence after Proteas coach Mickey Arthur revealed his game plans on hoe to put one over the Aussies.

June 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Ahead of making his Ashes debut, English batsman Ravi Bopara has warned the Aussies not to waste their breath trying to sledge him. England's No 3 was tickled by Oz legend Shane Warne labelling him vain, and claiming he is "too worried about how he looks" on the field.

June 20th, 2009 LONDON - As cricket fever sweeps England, Marmite and Phil Tufnell have got together to give the Aussies a sound verbal thrashing with their new cricket anthem The Ashes Song.hil and the Wooden Urns' comic song aims to sledge the Aussies and cheer the England players on to victory this summer. Throughout the song Tuffers and his Wooden Urns holler their undying support for Straussy, Flintoff and the rest of the England players, SKY News reports.