The best and worst of England encapsulated on a day of disorder | ✍️ @georgedobell.bsky.social #Ashes

A chaotic opening day at the MCG. #Ashes

How England earned the prized Alex Carey wicket | @oscarress.bsky.social

Josh Tongue helped England bowl Australia out for 152 before tea on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG.

England enjoyed a strong start to the Boxing Day Test against Australia, with four wickets in the morning session of day one at the MCG.

"Winter struggles for England in the Ashes are set to re-sharpen the focus on the domestic game's production of international cricketers" | ✍️ @oscarress.bsky.social

"A certain amount of hostility is always expected, as it is in reverse when Australia tour England. But the antipathy that has followed England since before the series started has been brewing" | ✍️ @melindafarrell.bsky.social

"As those ghosts of Christmas past remind us, there won't be much peace and goodwill on the pitch over the next few days" | ✍️ @georgedobell.bsky.social

Australia shake up XI for Boxing Day Test | @melindafarrell.bsky.social

Happy birthday, Sir Alastair Cook! 🧑‍🍳

"The approach came from chief executive David Collier. It was very unexpected." 💬 Ken Schofield tells @huwzat.bsky.social why another report into England's latest Ashes failure is unnecessary.

"In short, 2026 is a big year, with plenty of improvement needed." ✍️ @nickfriend.bsky.social reviews a challenging 12 months for England Women.

➖ What is being investigated? ➖ Why is there a delay? ➖ What happens next? ✍️ @sightscreen.bsky.social lifts the lid on the allegations facing Bangladesh cricket.

"It's never a nice place to be in when not only the media world, but also the social media world." 💬 Ben Stokes has called for "a little bit of empathy" for his England team | @georgedobell.bsky.social #Ashe

"I just didn’t really feel comfortable with it." 💬 How "hungry" Australia have stood up to England | @melindafarrell.bsky.social #Ashes

England have made two changes to their XI for the fourth Test against Australia at the MCG | @georgedobell.bsky.social #Ashes

"We will not comment further at this stage while we establish the facts."

Former England spinner Kirstie Gordon has committed her international future to Scotland, eight years after her last cap for the country of her birth.

"In attempting to explain away England's defeats, Rob Key was interrupted by a very loud announcement repeated multiple times. In every sense you wanted to look at it, alarm bells were sounding" | @georgedobell.bsky.social

Somerset youngster Thomas Rew will captain England at the Under-19 World Cup.

➖ McCullum ➖ Specialist coaches ➖ Preparation Rob Key explains where England's Ashes campaign went wrong, and what the future holds | @georgedobell.bsky.social

Changes beckon for Australia as the Boxing Day Test at the MCG approaches. #Ashes

"If they're drinking lots and it's a stag do, that's completely unacceptable." 💬 Rob Key reponds to Noosa drinking reports | ✍️ @georgedobell.bsky.social

"Justin's heart is in the cricket, he loves the game, he loves working with players, and he wants to win all the time." 💬 Justin Langer would "love" to be a future coach of the England Men's team, says Damien Martyn.

"I wouldn't be playing Ollie Pope in the next game, I'd either play Bethell or Jacks at three." Nasser Hussain is pushing for England to reshuffle their batting lineup for the fourth Men's Ashes Test.

"I'm pretty happy with how my winter is turning out." James Coles is part of Sunrisers Eastern Cape's squad for the upcoming SA20 after coordinating with the ECB around his plans for the off-season | @nickfriend.bsky.social

"Will I be in the job this summer? I don't know. It's not really up to me, is it?" 💬 Brendon McCullum addresses future as England head coach | ✍️ @georgedobell.bsky.social

"Everything is just getting a bit more professional, the staff we have for the tour we've just had, and the tour coming up is unbelievable." 💬 Liam O'Brien reflects on a momentous summer for disability cricket | ✍️ @oscarress.bsky.social

"Why don't we use the same technology in all different series, that's going to perhaps create less confusion or less frustration?" 💬 Mitchell Starc clarifies "worst technology" remark | @melindafarrell.bsky.social

English cricket's blindspot for spin bowling is deep-seated and maddening | ✍️ @nickfriend.bsky.social READ HERE ➡️ tinyurl.com/4b3ehuhf

"You're not going into a Test match not wanting to win, so we're going to Melbourne and absolutely desperate to win that one."

"Can the management survive this Ashes surrender?" 🎙️ @georgedobell.bsky.social 🎙️ @melindafarrell.bsky.social WATCH HERE ➡️ youtu.be/y0OuP4pXpGk #AskGeorge | #Ashes

"If Ronball is a thing, it might be summed up as planning meticulously, playing to your strengths, setting high standards and valuing consistency and patience" | ✍️ @melindafarrell.bsky.social

"Nothing's changed" 💬 Ben Stokes makes future captaincy intentions clear | @georgedobell.bsky.social

"They've just lost their fourth Test in succession. And their 13th in 25. They've won one series in four. They've lost the Ashes in 11 days of cricket." Second-best in all departments, England's failure to prepare prepares them to fail | @georgedobell.bsky.social

Player ratings from Adelaide 🔢

"We had a pretty aggressive build-up knowing that it's the Ashes there to be won, and we thought that was worth it. Now that the series has been won, there might be a sense of job's done, and let's reassess the risk." Pat Cummins outlines Ashes availability | @melindafarrell.bsky.social

"We probably could we have done more leading into game one and could we have done less leading into game two." Brendon McCullum admits to preparation mistakes as England fall to Ashes defeat

Australia have retained the Ashes with a hard-fought win in the third Test over England at Adelaide Oval.

Nathan Lyon suffered a hamstring injury on day five of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, ruling him out for the remainder of the Test.

Australia moved one step closer to winning the third Ashes Test against England in the morning session of the final day at Adelaide Oval.

"No sooner has Joe Root conquered one personal mountain than he's been confronted by another" | ✍️ @nickhowson.bsky.social

"English cricket tolerates mediocrity" 💬 🎙️ @georgedobell.bsky.social 🎙️ @melindafarrell.bsky.social WATCH ➡️ youtu.be/8Pc_9Dgp59s #AskGeorge | #Ashes

Why does it always seem as though Australia are more competitive in England than the reverse? | ✍️ @melindafarrell.bsky.social

"He's another batter who has seen this series - the sort of series which can define a career - sweep by him without making a significant impact. "With better advice, in a more sophisticated regime, it could have been so much better" | @georgedobell.bsky.social

"We were this close, you could argue, in Perth and in Brisbane, at times we were right in it."

Australia are on the brink of victory over England in the third Ashes Test.

"When you factor in his unique ability to take wickets, it is surprising that Josh Tongue was forced to wait until the third Ashes Test for an opportunity" | @oscarress.bsky.social

Australia moved one wicket closer to victory over England in the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval during the afternoon session of day four.

England lost an early wicket in pursuit of a record run chase to win the third Ashes Test.