Australia has been the world's most batsman-friendly country but times have changed. And England will have to adapt if they're to win a first Test there for 15 years.

Anxious England cricket fans have turned on captain Ben Stokes ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth - despite the veteran snaring six wickets against the England Lions in a warm up match.

The former England captain's new marriage comes seven years after his first wife Ruth McDonald died aged 46 following a battle with a rare form of lung cancer on December 29, 2018.

While it remains unknown if Marnus Labuschagne will open the batting for Australia or come in at No.3 in The Ashes, he has been given a hilarious reason to perform no matter where he bats

Former Australia fast bowler Rodney Hogg has issued a damning assessment of Joe Root's game, claiming the former England captain will be a 'failure' during the Ashes.

RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: Mark Wood has given England a huge Ashes injury scare ahead of the first Test after experiencing left hamstring pain.

You can count on the home team using the foul concoction during the series against England, which begins in Perth on November 21.

The England skipper has responded to the intense scrutiny the Australian media is subjecting his team to as he prepares for an enthralling Ashes series.

High drama struck at the NSW vs Victoria Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday afternoon.

The headlines since England arrived Down Under have not been nice. And yet if the local hacks want a real story, they might look at Australia's fragile fast bowlers.

RICHARD GIBSON IN PERTH: Australia's Ashes plans were thrown into chaos on Wednesday when two of their first Test bowlers were sent for scans.