Ashes dreams still alive, says Bell

September 20th, 2009 Czink beats Safarova to win Bell ChallengeQUEBEC CITY — Melinda Czink won her first career singles title on the WTA Tour, beating Lucie Safarova 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 Sunday at the Bell Challenge. After the fourth-seeded Safarova won the first set, No.

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 9th, 2009 LEEDS - England fast bowler Stuart Broad blasted his team's brainless batsmen as its dream of winning the Ashes appeared to evaporate on the second day of the Headingley Test. England at 82-5 in their second innings is still 261 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat.

August 2nd, 2009 BIRMINGHAM - Injured England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has said that after the retirement of Andrew Flintoff, swing bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Graham Onions would keep English bowling line-up alive. Anderson and Onions had bagged nine wickets amongst them on the second day of the Third Ashes Test to skittle the Aussies for a paltry 263, which robbed the Aussies of any chance to make a comeback in the series.

July 28th, 2009 MELBOURNE - England batsman Ian Bell has laughed off former Australian spin king Shane Warne's taunts that he looks like the "Shermanator" - the red-haired nerd in the American Pie films. Warne has suggested the Australians taunt Bell, who has been drafted into England's third Test team to replace injured batsman Kevin Pietersen, as he did during the 5-0 whitewash in Australia in 2006.

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 26th, 2009 LONDON - Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell is England's only change for the third Ashes Test. He comes in for injured Kevin Pietersen.

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 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell is almost certain to play in the Npower Third Ashes Test starting on his home ground of Edgbaston next Thursday, and is desperate for a crack at the Aussies. But he says that he would rather have been picked on merit than benefit from Kevin Pietersen's series-ending Achilles injury.

July 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Having undergone an Achilles heel surgery here on Wednesday, England's best batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that he is heartbroken about being ruled out of the rest of The Ashes series. KP will not play for at least six weeks, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is likely to recall Ian Bell for the Npower Third Test against Australia to be played from July 30 at his home ground Edgbaston.

July 22nd, 2009 LONDON - England batsman Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the rest of the Ashes series against Australia following an operation on his Achilles tendon Wednesday, the team doctor said. Pietersen, who will be out of action for six weeks and therefore will have to sit out the remaining three Ashes Tests, said he was devastated.

July 22nd, 2009 LONDON - England's Ashes hopes suffered a severe blow as Kevin Pietersen was ruled out of the rest of the series following a surgery that rules him out of cricket for six weeks. "As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game, so I'm absolutely devastated," said Pietersen.

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 3rd, 2009 WORCESTER - A little help from former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath has Brett Lee now dreaming of Ashes glory. McGrath popped into the team hotel this week to give Ponting's men a few tips on knocking over English batsmen.

May 29th, 2009 LONDON - England all rounder Andrew Flintoff believes his Ashes dream is still alive, despite being ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup due to injury. England pulled their talismanic all-rounder out of the tournament, which starts from June 5, as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.