COMMENT BY LAWRENCE BOOTH IN PERTH: What seemed clear from Steve Smith's mockery of Monty Panesar was that the wounds of Sandpapergate have not fully healed.

Smith was asked about Panesar's comments ahead of the first Test in Perth , with the stand-in captain responding by mocking his appearance on the BBC 's Mastermind in 2019.

A total of 445 cricketers have played an Ashes Test for England against Australia, going all the way back to the first official series under that name in 1882.

Stokes, top-order batter Ollie Pope, fast bowler Matthew Potts and many others have been pictured hitting at the Araluen Estate course just before the first Test.

Steve Smith embarked on an astonishing broadside against former England spinner Monty Panesar as the build-up to tomorrow's first Ashes Test took a twist.

Here, we run through the infamous 2019 appearance Monty Panesar himself described to Daily Mail Sport as 'like the Titanic ramming the Hindenburg'.

England are breaking what has become a customary practice ahead of their opening Ashes Test against Australia on Friday.

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has continued the Ashes mind games by questioning whether England are good enough to seize the big moments across the five Test series.

England's cricket stars are gearing up for the first Test against Australia in Perth , which starts on Friday, hoping to win a series Down Under for the first time since 2011.

Fast-bowler Mitchell Starc has taken aim at Cricket Australia for their decision to schedule the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, rather than The Gabba in Brisbane.

SIR JAMES ANDERSON: No matter how much you try to block out the noise as an England cricketer, you are always aware of its presence in an Ashes series. Especially one hosted in Australia.