Ashes gossip column

Steve Warner, the brother of Australia batsman David, posted a tweet criticising Shane Watson, who is struggling in his role as opener for the tourists in their Ashes campaign. The account was later removed with David, who is with the Australia A team in Zimbabwe, distancing himself from his brother's views.

Full story: Daily Express 

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott has criticised the ability of the Australian top order. "Without runs you are never in the game and at times Australian technique or mental application is no better than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh," he says in his newspaper column.

Full story: The Daily Telegraph 

Australia's elite cricketers have lost out on £1.2m as a result of their poor performances and are set to miss out on more unless they show an improvement.

Full story: Adelaide Advertiser 

The capitulation of Australia in the second Ashes Test have meant a drop in television ratings for Australian channel Nine from the closely fought opening match of the series.

Full story: Sydney Morning Herald 

Michael Hussey retired from Test cricket earlier this year and the former Australia number three says he is not missing the "stress and tension" the current team are suffering because of their Ashes woes.

Full story: Sydney Morning Herald 

Australia have come in for ridicule with Cricket Germany offering to replace them as England's opponents to provide "a competitive game".

Full story: The Age 

Former Australia spinner Shane Warne says the current side's batsmen need to stop playing "adrenalin" cricket and show patience as well as character.

Full story: The Sunday Telegraph 

England batsman Joe Root says he was being sledged by his brother Billy, who was 12th man at Lord's, before reaching his century.

Full story: Sunday Mirror 

Simon Katich has been in fine form with the bat for Lancashire this season and has left the door open to returning to the international fold to help Australia's struggling batting order.

Full story: The Sydney Morning Herald 

England's players could strike before the Ashes series in Australia as talks of pay rises have come to a halt.

Full story: the Mail on Sunday

Fawad Ahmed, the Pakistan-born spinner who now has Australian citizenship, took eight wickets for Australia A in their win over a Zimbabwe XI.

Full story: Canberra Times 

Australia coach Darren Lehmann has blamed batsman Chris Rogers for the side's latest problems over the decision review system (DRS). Rogers was wrong to tell fellow opener Shane Watson to refer his LBW decision before failing to review his own dismissal off Graeme Swann, which was shown to be not out.

Full story: the Guardian 

Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath says it was "unacceptable" for the side to be 128 all out in their first innings at Lord's, while his ex-team-mate Shane Warne was also critical of the tourists.

Full story: The Daily Telegraph 

Former England captain Nasser Hussain says Australia need to pick players on character rather than talent as he labelled the tourists as "awful".

Full story: Daily Mail 

"Of Australia's many collapses in recent times - including its 47 in Cape Town two years ago - this was the most slapstick. Flash followed upon swipe, upon prod, upon bungled referral, upon panicky run-out. England scarcely had to do more than introduce the ball to play," writes Australian cricket columnist Greg Baum following the batting collapse of captain Michael Clarke's side.

Full story: The Age 

David Warner made six and 11 for Australia A against a select Zimbabwe XI as his hopes of a recall to the Ashes side took a blow.

Full story: The West Australian 

Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris has revealed how he came close to deciding to try to qualify for England five years ago. The 33-year-old, whose father is English, was tempted to register for England during a spell with Sussex in 2008.

Full story: Sydney Morning Herald 

Ryan Harris mulled over qualifying for England in 2008 but made his Australia Test debut in 2010

Rolling Stone Sir Mick Jagger, legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne and Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe were among a host of famous faces at Lord's for the first day's play on Thursday.

Full story: Daily Mail 

Coach Darren Lehmann was furious with fast bowler Peter Siddle after the Australian's dismissal of England's Jonny Bairstow was crossed off for a no-ball.

Full story: The West Australian 

The third umpire will have his own private feed of TV replays rather than one supplied by the host broadcaster at the third Test in an attempt to reduce incorrect decisions after a string of umpiring controversies in the first Test.

Full story: The Sun 

Pace bowler Ryan Harris and batsman Usman Khawaja will replace Mitchell Starc and Ed Cowan in the Australia side for the second Ashes Test at Lord's, which begins on Thursday.

Full story: Sydney Morning Herald 

The team selection decision is a further sign that Cowan's Test career is over, following on from the call to demote the out of form 31-year-old from opener to number three for the defeat by England at Trent Bridge in the first Ashes Test.

Khawaja (right) has seemingly usurped Cowan (left) in the Australia starting side

Full story: Fox Sports 

England fast bowlers Steven Finn, Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions all had long sessions in the nets on Wednesday, before team director Andy Flower, captain Alastair Cook and fast bowling coach David Saker held a long meeting at the end of practice to discuss which one of them starts against Australia.

Full story: Daily Mail 

England captain Alastair Cook believes Stuart Broad has the strength of character to deal with the attention surrounding him after his spiky display at Trent Bridge. "Whether you call him a hate figure or whatever, there is always one person on either side who gets that - it was Ricky Ponting a few years ago. If it's Broady, it's Broady. He is a fine cricketer and he can deal with anything," he says.

Full story: the Sun 

The rift reported in the Australian media between Michael Clarke and Shane Watson began when Clarke was named captain. Watson thinks he was part of a group of senior men who became victims of Clarke's decision to give favourable treatment to a set of youngsters brought into the international set-up.

Full story: The Age 

Legendary Australia bowler Glenn McGrath says he has not "seen any problems" between Clarke and Watson. "My impression is that the unity in the squad is really good and that the energy is very good," he adds.

Full story: the Guardian  

Ex-Australia coach Mickey Arthur says he is "extremely upset and disappointed" that confidential legal documents in regards to his decision to sue Cricket Australia have been leaked to the media.

Full story: The Australian 

Queen Elizabeth II is to attend the opening day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Thursday. The Queen will be introduced to the players and match officials on the pitch, before meeting management staff of the two teams and watching part of the match.

Full story: Daily Telegraph 

Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist criticises the use of the decision review system in cricket. "One of the strongest elements of the spirit of any sport is not questioning the umpires or referees," he says. "We now have a situation where players can do that, albeit limited times. That doesn't sit comfortably with me."

Full story: ESPN Cricinfo 

More than 200,000 tickets for the return Ashes series in Australia are sold within 24 hours of going on sale. The first three days of the Sydney and Adelaide Tests are believed to have already sold out.

Full story: Fox Sports 

Australian batsman David Warner, 26, is missing Test cricket and fears he may have cost Mickey Arthur his job as Australia's coach.

Full story: Adelaide Advertiser 

David Warner is missing Test cricket

Australia's selectors are likely to revamp the top order and the bowling attack for Lord's as coach Darren Lehmann promised to keep coming back at England after the narrow defeat at Trent Bridge.

Full story: The Sydney Morning Herald 

Former football referee Graham Poll insists umpires are being undermined by the Decision Review System (DRS).

Full story: Daily Mail 

Former England captain Sir Ian Botham believes James Anderson, 30, is the best bowler in the world at the moment and tips him to become the first Englishman to 500 Test wickets.

Full story: Daily Mirror 

Former Australia bowler Shane Warne believes his countrymen are going into the second Test in a better position than England and have the momentum. He believes England were lucky to win at Trent Bridge.

Full story: the Daily Telegraph 

England team director Andy Flower insists his bowling attack does not rely on James Anderson.

Full story: Daily Express 

Flower also refuses to criticise Stuart Broad for not walking and insists teams now wait for umpire's decisions after the controversy in the first Ashes Test.

Full story: Independent 

England has been told that the International Cricket Council may use an umpire from below the top tier to stand in the Ashes if one of the leading officials needs to be pulled from the action.

Full story: the Australian 

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has given England an injury scare ahead of the second Test at Lord's after being forced to skip the team's golf day with a sore Achilles.

Full story: Metro 

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