 Australia vice-captain Clarke was forced to watch Monday's training session
GOSSIP Michael Clarke remains confident he will be fit for the first Ashes Test which starts in Brisbane on Thursday despite sitting out Australia's training session on Monday.
Full story: Courier Mail (Brisbane) Former England coach Duncan Fletcher has riled the Aussies by claiming their Test team has not been in such a muddled state for 30 years. Australia coach Tim Nielsen bit back: "His opinions on most things in Test cricket are irrelevant. Have a look at his record here. "His record speaks for itself [Fletcher lost nine of 10 Tests]. He doesn't know what he's talking about, but that's no great surprise. He isn't fit to lace Ricky Ponting's bootstraps."
Full story: The Sun Australian spin legend Shane Warne reckons England's treatment of Kevin Pietersen is the reason the batsman has scored so few runs recently. Warne said: "The way they have treated him is ordinary and he has been made to feel as if he is a bit of an outcast."
Full story: Daily Telegraph (Sydney) However, England coach Andy Flower has dismissed Warne's claims saying Pietersen, who averages over 50 in 12 Tests against Australia, is a "good guy to have in the dressing room and a dangerous player that the opposition worry about".
Full story: Herald Sun Warne has also offered some advice to England captain Andrew Strauss, saying that if he wins the toss at Brisbane he should elect to bowl first. However, Australia have won 16 and drawn four of the last 20 Tests they have played at the Gabba and eight years ago Nasser Hussain put the Aussies in and they racked up 492 to set the tone for that series.
Full story: The Age James Anderson insists there is no chance of his first ball in the Ashes flying straight to second slip as happened to Steve Harmison in England's last tour down under. "The only way it will end up there is if it comes off the edge of the bat," said the Lancashire paceman.
Full story: The Sun Expectant father Anderson will dash back to England so he can be at his wife's side after the second Ashes Test. Anderson and his wife Daniella are set to welcome their second child into the world on 8 December, one day after the second Test is scheduled to end. The plan is for him to return in time for the third Test in Perth which starts on 12 December.
Full story: Daily Mirror England spinner Graeme Swann has made a mockery of Australia's decision to drop Nathan Hauritz by revealing he intends to copy the off-spinner.
Full story: Daily Mirror AND FINALLY Should Australia's bowlers struggle in this week's opening Ashes Test, could the selectors turn to Ellyse Perry? The 20-year-old created history on Sunday by becoming the first woman to play Sydney grade cricket in 117 years. Perry, who has represented Australia's women teams in cricket and football, opened the bowling for Sydney Tigers and took 2-14 off four overs in a Twenty20 match against Blacktown. Her first wicket? An Englishman, Joe Robbins. Commit that name to memory for future quizzes.
Full story: Canberra Times England are flirting with danger by practising what the Aussie press believe to be a victory dance to celebrate Australia wickets called the "sprinkler". Unsurprisingly, Graeme Swann is at the heart of the matter.
Full story: Herald Sun
Listen to the Ashes live on Test Match Special on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and online (UK users only) - series starts 25 November 2010.Archive: Relive past Ashes series
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?