England's sore and sorry Ashes squad have been gifted a vacation straight out of a tourism brochure.

Smith won his war of words with the English fast bowler before he hit the winning runs in the second Test at the Gabba on Sunday night.

Steve Smith delivered a savage eight-word sledge to Jofra Archer as tempers flared during Australia's eight-wicket victory against England in Brisbane.

Skipper Ben Stokes and his team crashed to their second humiliating defeat in a row as Australia won by eight wickets on Sunday night.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN BRISBANE: England turned down the chance to play a two-day pink-ball game in Canberra before the floodlit Test at the Gabba, opting instead for five days of training.

OLIVER HOLT: Ben Stokes knew he had nicked Michael Neser's ball and he turned and walked. His face was consumed by self-loathing and self-disgust.

England are staring at another Ashes series defeat in Australia after slumping to a huge eight-wicket defeat in Brisbane. Here Daily Mail Sport's LAWRENCE BOOTH rates the players.

Geoffrey Boycott did not hold back in his assessment of England's dire eight-wicket defeat by Australia at The Gabba, with the England great branding the Brisbane Test a 'horror show'.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN BRISBANE: If England didn't know the scale of their task before they arrived, they know it now. Two-nil down with three to play is not a situation they have remedied ever.

A fuming Ian Botham has launched a scathing attack on England's cricketers, claiming that travelling fans should demand a 'refund' from the ECB.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN BRISBANE: Ben Stokes and Will Jacks put up a fight, but the Australian victory that felt inevitable when play resumed was finally sealed at 7.29pm local time