COMPLIMENTS of the season from festive Heathrow where the annual snow crisis has arrived a little earlier this year.

RICKY PONTING believes Mitchell Johnson’s “unbelievable” spell of fast, swing bowling transformed not just the third Test but perhaps the entire Ashes series.

ENGLAND shut out Australia’s bowlers for more than 10 hours in Brisbane, but are under orders to close the door much earlier in Adelaide.

Teenage left-arm spinner George Dockrell has been omitted from Ireland’s 13-man squad for this month’s one-day international against Australia because he will be taking school exams.

ENGLAND face an anxious wait to see whether key batsman Kevin Pietersen will be fit to withstand another battle with Australia in next week’s third Ashes Test.

JAMES ANDERSON revealed a desire not to waste their ‘get-out- of-jail’ card was behind England’s dominant display in the second npower Ashes Test at Lord’s yesterday.

CAPTAIN Andrew Strauss billed his unbeaten 161 as the best Test hundred of his career after England’s day of two halves against Australia at Lord’s.

ENGLAND salvaged a dramatic draw in Cardiff as the first npower Ashes Test was embroiled in controversy during a tense finale.

Two wickets in four deliveries from Mitchell Johnson helped Australia take control of the first Test against South Africa, with the hosts collapsing to 158 for eight at lunch on day three – still 109 runs short of the follow-on.

Australia salvaged a consolation win against South Africa after dismissing the tourists for 272 with only 10 balls remaining on the fifth day to clinch a 103-run victory in the third Test at the SCG.

INDIA put themselves in a strong position to deny Australia a new Test wins record thanks to some valiant batting from VVS Laxman and a fine all-round showing from Irfan Pathan in the third Test at the WACA.

SHANE WARNE is backing Australia to continue their relentless domination of world cricket — even after more than a third of their star-studded line-up has retired.

UNDERFIRE coach Duncan Fletcher has admitted he made selection blunders in choosing the England team for the disastrous Ashes series against Australia.

AUSTRALIAN selectors yesterday opted for bowling cover ahead of Friday’s second Ashes cricket Test, amid doubts over Glenn McGrath’s ability to get through back-to-back Test matches with a heel problem.