England v Australia - Men - Ashes 2022 & 2023

Test Match Special: BBC Sport agrees new audio rights deal with ECB until at least end of 2028..

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England's home internationals will be broadcast live on Test Match Special until at least the end of the 2028 season after BBC Sport renewed its audio rights deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The new four-year agreement with the ECB has secured exclusive ball-by-ball commentary on BBC radio and via BBC Sounds for all of England's men's and women's matches.

In addition to every England Test, one-day and T20 international the deal has extended the BBC's commitment to provide live commentary of all matches in The Hundred as part of its comprehensive coverage of the domestic game.

BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said: "We know how much listeners cherish cricket on BBC radio and especially TMS with its unique combination, of expert analysis, lively, engaging and entertaining commentary.

"It is part of the fabric of cricket and we are delighted this new deal ensures TMS continues its great tradition of making cricket accessible to all."

TMS has covered the fortunes of the England cricket team since it launched in 1957 and ECB chief commercial officer Tony Singh added: "For many people, TMS, BBC radio and BBC Sounds will be constant companions through a thrilling summer of cricket.

"As well as being the only place to go for live audio commentary of the Ashes, it's also the home of so much great coverage of men's county and women's domestic cricket and The Hundred.

"We're delighted that we have also now agreed an extension to this winning partnership so that listeners can continue to tune in to BBC Radio and BBC Sounds for live cricket commentary for a further four years."

Every ball of the Ashes this summer...
As part of its existing broadcast deals, which runs to 2024, the BBC will provide extensive coverage of this summer's eagerly-anticipated Ashes series between England and Australia.

There will be live commentary of every ball of both the men's and women's series from TMS across BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.

Today at the Test will provide highlights of every day's play on BBC TV and iPlayer from 19:00.

The BBC Sport website and app will also have in-play clips, highlights, reports and analysis as well as the latest Ashes news and live text commentaries.

There will be a new episode of the Test Match Special podcast every day throughout the summer, while the Tailenders podcast with England bowler James Anderson - and No Balls with England bowler Kate Cross and former England spinner Alex Hartley - will also provide their unique take on the action.

Yes, everything happened yesterday, Bazball and much more, that final hour sets up today perfectly.

Light rain showers up to 1pm are predicted for Edgbaston, 2pm to 6pm is clear, it's in the lap of the gods...

England were as wide as 9-2 before wickets fell yesterday evening. Currently Evens, with Aus at 6-5, 8-1 the draw.
Perfectly scripted for the final days play. Australia chasing almost exactly the same score as back in 2003 when England thrashed them by 2 runs.

Wow, Wow and another Wow, what a thrilling end to the 1st test match, Bazball will make this series very entertaining and memorable...

Australia 2nd Innings need 281 to win the 1st Test at Edgbaston - Day 5 of 5

Australia 282-8 (92.3 overs) Khawaja 65, Warner 36, Green 28, Cummins 44 not out, Broad 3-63, Robinson 2-43

Close - Australia won by 2 wickets - Australia lead 1-0 with 4 test matches to play.

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The Ashes 2023: England denied by Australia in Edgbaston classic..By Stephan Shemilt, Chief cricket writer at Edgbaston.

Australia somehow prevailed in one of the all-time great Ashes Tests to beat England by two wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

On an unbearably tense final day of another Edgbaston classic, ninth-wicket pair Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon added an unbroken 55 to defy the raucous crowd and get Australia to their target of 281.

In doing so, they extracted revenge for Australia's famous two-run defeat on this ground 18 years ago, when the tailenders just fell short of reaching a target of 282.

Cummins, with 44 not out, and Lyon's unbeaten 16 took Australia to their narrowest Ashes win in terms of wickets since 1907.

England looked to be surging towards victory when captain Ben Stokes produced a magical slower ball to bowl Usman Khawaja for 65 and Joe Root held a stunning return catch off Alex Carey.

But as a breathless match entered its final hour, Cummins and Lyon swung the bat at England's short-ball plan to inch Australia closer.

Stokes almost dismissed Lyon with a flying catch for the ages when 37 were still needed, the skipper losing control of the ball as he dived backwards at square leg.

The target ticked down, the evening drew in. With three runs required and less than five overs remaining, Cummins deflected Ollie Robinson towards third man, a diving Harry Brook fumbled and Australia had an incredible victory.

A series that has already lived up to the hype continues with the second Test at Lord's on 28th June.

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Captain Cummins hits the winning runs


The Ashes 2023: England players in 'absolute pieces' after defeat, says captain Ben Stokes..By Matthew Henry, BBC Sport at Edgbaston.

England's players were in "absolute pieces" in the dressing room after their agonising two-wicket defeat by Australia, says captain Ben Stokes.

The tourists pulled off an unlikely victory on a dramatic final day of the first Test at Edgbaston.

England were strong favourites at one stage but Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon combined for a stunning ninth-wicket stand of 55 to take Australia home.

"Losing sucks," Stokes said. "We always want to win."

He added: "We are absolutely devastated that we have lost.

"The lads are up there in absolute pieces, especially Robbo and Broady [bowlers Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad] who put in an unbelievable shift there.

"But if that's not attracting people to the game we love then I don't know what will.

"There are still four games left. Keep following us and we will keep trying to do what we do."

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Devastated England players


Quote of the day - Stokes defends decision

Ben Stokes on his much talked about first-innings declaration: "I thought that was a time to pounce. I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes. Who knows, we could have got an extra 40 runs or lost two wickets in two balls. I am not a captain who gets by on what ifs.

"We were in control of most of the game and managed to produce a result. Obviously we wanted to be on top. We are devastated but that's sport. It is great and an emotional rollercoaster."

And finally...

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After spending five long, hard days in the heat of a white-hot Ashes battle, captains Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins still had time to share a laugh and a joke at the post-match presentation.
It summed up the spirit, respect and friendly rivalry between the two sides, kicking off what promises to be a thrilling series.
See you at Lord's.

'England, keep creating chaos but please pick your moments'..By Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent, Talking to BBC Sport's Matthew Henry.

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It terms of something to light the Ashes fuse, we could not have asked for more than what we got at Edgbaston.

Australia's gripping two-wicket victory was one of those classic Ashes Tests - up there with the Headingley matches of 1981 and 2019 and the epic in Birmingham in 2005.

Someone had to lose and someone had to leave victorious. This time it was Australia's turn to win a tight one.

England captain Ben Stokes did little wrong on the final day.

His field placings were excellent. As the game got tight in that final hour, he was right not to take the new ball right away, despite only two wickets being needed and Australia still having 54 to get.

He was rewarded with Carey's wicket - Joe Root taking that incredible return catch - but at that point I would have taken the new ball.

Stokes waited 4.3 overs, in which time Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon crucially scored 27 runs, clearly thinking that the harder ball would have raced away for quick runs.

It is easy to reflect on a decision like that in hindsight. Stokes got far more right than he got wrong.

For Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to play like that, in front of the baying Hollies Stand and with all of the pressure on their shoulders, was a superb effort.

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It will deflect criticism from how they played the rest of the match because Cummins striking Root for two sixes at the start of that stand was the first time they took the initiative all game.

They had fielders on the boundary from the outset and must change that when we get to Lord's next Wednesday.

For England, well, we know exactly what they will do. They will continue to attack and keep playing the same way.

My big hope is that they keep creating chaos but just pick their moments to do so.

I define Bazball, if you want to call it that, not by the big shots but the psychological impact on the match.

It is like the big rock thrown into the tranquil pond.

So much of cricket is formulaic. When a team comes out to bat or bowl, you almost always have a pretty good idea of what your opposition is going to do.

Bazball changes that. We have seen it work for more than a year now and we did so again in this Test.

We have seen bowlers looking at the feet or hands of England batsmen because they are not sure if they are going to come down the pitch or ramp the ball over their head.

England's opponents get distracted. They look to their captain for leadership and he doesn't know either. He has not experienced this before.

But what England need to do is use that chaos to create further damage by picking off the runs and driving home the advantage.

When they have achieved the initial goal, take the professional approach - the hard-nosed approach of winning game.

In the second innings at Edgbaston, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were both guilty of winning that first battle but then throwing their wicket away when the runs were at their mercy.

Root tried to hit Lyon over deep mid-wicket when he had pushed the field back. Bairstow had done the same before he was out playing a reverse sweep.

Do England want to be entertaining losers or winners? You cannot be entertaining all of the time.

I think we all know the answer. Everyone wants to win.

That said, I will not sit here and criticise Stokes' early declaration on day one.

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As someone who played three-day cricket in the 1980s, I could see exactly what he was trying to do. He trying to be positive, seeing an ideal chance to pick up a wicket or two when the Australians were tired after a day in the field.

It did not work. Maybe a few more runs would have been the way to go, looking back, but I am certainly not going to condemn him.

I remember criticising former England captain Andrew Strauss for batting on, sending James Anderson out to bat half an hour before lunch rather than declaring in a Test.

Having been critical then, I can hardly be so again now.

In the run-up to Lord's next week, there will be a lot of talk around Bairstow's place in the side.

You cannot hide the fact he made mistakes as wicketkeeper in this match - the miss of Usman Khawaja late on the fourth day was obviously particularly crucial, given the role the Australian played in blunting the attack a day later.

Bairstow will hope to perform far better with the gloves at Lord's and I would still retain him in the team.

He brings so much with the bat. It is always a balance you have to weigh up.

Moeen Ali will have to get that injured finger right and, if the pitch is going to be as slow as the surface in Birmingham, Mark Wood has to come into contention. I know he is raring to go.

England have shown enough positives this week.

If they can get over the line in London, we could be on for quite a summer.

The Ashes 2023: England choose Josh Tongue for second Test against Australia..By Stephan Shemilt, Chief cricket writer at Lord's.

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Josh Tongue (right) has taken 167 first-class wickets at an average of 25.9

England have included Josh Tongue in an all-pace attack on a green-tinged Lord's pitch for the second Ashes Test against Australia.

Tongue replaces off-spinner Moeen Ali, who was fit despite suffering a cut spinning finger in the first Test loss at Edgbaston.

"We turned up at Lord's and saw there was quite a lot of grass on the pitch," said England captain Ben Stokes.

"We thought we would get more out of our fourth bowler being Josh Tongue."

Though Moeen, 36, has been able to bowl in the nets this week, there remained a concern that he would be susceptible to a recurrence of the finger injury.

That, the conditions and ongoing management of Stokes' own persistent left knee problem has led England to pack their pace attack.



England XI: Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Bairstow, Broad, Robinson, Tongue, Anderson.

Wednesday 28th June 2023 - 2nd Test Match - Lords, London - Day 1 of 5 - England won the toss and decided to field

Australia 339-5 (83 overs) Smith 85 not out, Head 77, Warner 66, Labuschagne 47, Tongue & Root 2 wickets each.

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A lacklustre display from England and an ominous unbeaten 85 from Steve Smith gave Australia much the better of the first day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's.

After England won what appeared to be a crucial toss in dank conditions, their bowling lacked penetration and fielding again included costly errors.

And Smith, looking determined after missing out in both innings of Australia's victory in the first Test, capitalised to move the tourists to 339-5.

David Warner made 66 before Smith added 102 with Marnus Labuschagne and 118 with Travis Head, who swatted 77 from 73 balls.

Josh Tongue, on his Ashes debut, was the pick of the England attack, bowling each of Warner and Usman Khawaja with lethal movement down the Lord's slope.

Joe Root at least removed Head and Cameron Green in the same over late in the day, but Smith's continued presence is a huge danger to the home side.

On a day when an attempt at disruption by Just Stop Oil protestors was largely thwarted, England's Ollie Pope suffered a shoulder injury and spent most of the last two sessions off the field.

And by the end, England were left needing a swift turnaround on day two to get back into this Test and the series.

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Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan: "England can get back into it but they are going to have to be sharper in the field, I will be intrigued to see how they cope.

"I do think this pitch will get harder over the next few days. I worry about England. It's very tough at this stage. They switched off at Edgbaston and today, they haven't been switched on at the key moments."

Former Australia bowler Glenn McGrath: "I love Bazball, I love the aggression, I love the attitude, but you've got to back it up. When it's tough, you've got to play tough. If they don't play well in this Test match and lose, it's 2-0 and the series is virtually gone."

Ashes: Just Stop Oil protesters briefly disrupt opening morning of England v Australia Test at Lord's..By Stephan Shemilt, Chief cricket writer at Lord's.

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Just Stop Oil protesters briefly disrupted the first morning of the second Ashes Test, with one carried off the Lord's ground by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

Two people entered the field attempting to spread orange powder.

As the players guarded the pitch, one was picked up by Bairstow and another stopped by England captain Ben Stokes.

The powder did land on the square, but was cleared by groundstaff and the game resumed after a short delay.

The Metropolitan Police said three arrests were made after the protest.

Guy Lavender, chief executive of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) which owns Lord's, said he condemned the protest "in the strongest possible terms".

"Their actions not only endanger themselves and those who work at the ground, but they have consistently shown complete disregard for the people who pay to attend events, not just here at Lord's but around the country at other sporting venues," he said.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: "Cricket is an important part of our national heritage, but how can we enjoy the Ashes when much of the cricketing world is becoming unfit for humans to live in?

"We can no longer afford to distract ourselves when the sports we play, the food we eat, and the culture we cherish is at risk.

"It's time for cricket lovers and all those who understand the severity of this situation to get onto the streets and demand action."

Just Stop Oil protesters have disrupted other sporting events this year, including the rugby union Premiership final and the World Snooker Championship.

The environmental protest group is calling for the government to halt all new oil, gas and coal projects.

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Security has been heightened around major cricket matches. With the pitch and conditions more important to the outcome in cricket than most sports, the potential for damage and disruption is greater if protesters are able to reach the middle.

England's team bus was briefly held up by protesters before the Test against Ireland at Lord's earlier this month.

At the World Test Championship final at The Oval, the International Cricket Council took the unusual step of preparing a reserve pitch in case the original one was damaged.

Wednesday's match was only one over old when the protesters entered the field from the Lord's Grandstand.

Initially confronted by the players, they were also tackled by security staff from the venue and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Bairstow was cheered by the crowd as he carried one protester from the middle to the boundary edge. The other, who got closer to the pitch, was blocked by Stokes and Australia batter David Warner.

Bairstow then left the field to apparently change his shirt and wicketkeeping gloves as the orange powder on the square and outfield had found its way onto his kit.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "The Prime Minister is pleased play was able to resume quickly and thanks security staff, the swift hands of Jonny Bairstow and other England players who stepped in."

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Thursday 29th June 2023 - 2nd Test Match - Lords, London - Day 2 of 5 - England won the toss and decided to field

Australia 339-5 (83 overs) Smith 85 not out, Head 77, Warner 66, Labuschagne 47, Tongue & Root 2 wickets each.

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England's demeanour 'absolutely shambolic' - Pietersen
Michael Vaughan wasn't the only former player to have a pop at England during day one though.

Former batter Kevin Pietersen, who is working as a pundit for Sky Sports, was less than impressed by England's urgency to get back on the field after a rain day.

With grey skies over Lord's the Australia openers were back on the field before England, with Ben Stokes still pictured on the England balcony.

Pietersen described the situation as "absolutely shambolic".

"It is one thing swanning around saying 'this is a wonderful team to play in', 'we are creating the best environment'," Pietersen told Sky Sports.

"The England bowlers should have been on the stairs saying 'we want to bowl at Australia'. It is all too easy and nice."

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