Captain Ben Stokes has extended his England central contract through to the end of the next home Ashes series in 2027.
Stokes, whose previous deal was due to expire at the end of next summer, is one of 14 players to sign on for two years.
They include pace bowler Jofra Archer, who has signed an extended contract following his return to Test cricket.
England said the contracts reward performances in the past year, while also looking ahead to the upcoming schedule. The home Ashes in 2027 is followed by a 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
All of the 16 players in the squad for the upcoming Ashes in Australia have been handed a contract of at least one year.
Eleven of the Ashes squad – including Stokes, Archer, Joe Root and Harry Brook – have signed two-year deals.
Four of the five with one-year contracts – batters Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, spinner Shoaib Bashir and seamer Matthew Potts – are not multi-format players, while 35-year-old pace bowler Mark Wood is entering the final part of a three-year contract he signed in 2023.
The extension of Stokes’ contract is particularly eye-catching.
The 34-year-old all-rounder has a chequered injury record and is currently recovering from a shoulder problem.
However, he is on track to be fit for the first Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November, which would be his first action since July.
In signing a longer deal, it indicates the potential for him to lead England into the 2027 Ashes and also aligns his future with head coach Brendon McCullum, who is contracted to England until the end of the World Cup that year.
Tries from warp-speed back-row pair Ben Earl and Henry Pollock helped England see off Australia as their power-packed bench ultimately swung an untidy opening autumn Test.
After the Wallabies edged a 10-try classic last year, England took revenge with a performance heavy on perspiration, if a little short on cohesion, at Allianz Stadium Twickenham.
Australia trailed by only three points at the break after wing Harry Potter’s breakaway try had given them a lifeline back into the contest.
But replacement Pollock scampered in just before the hour to restore England’s cushion, before a snipe from Alex Mitchell and a rolling maul steered over the line by Luke Cowan-Dickie ensured they could see out the final stages in comfort.
England have won eight successive Tests, a run stretching back to their defeat in the opening game of this year’s Six Nations in Ireland.
While Brook has had two weeks in New Zealand, Root, Smith and fellow opener Ben Duckett were in the middle for the first time in more than six weeks.
The two remaining matches in this series, plus the one warm-up in Australia, will be their only further opportunities to find form before the first Test on 21 November.
Four runs combined for three players so crucial to England’s hopes is clearly not ideal but significant credit must be given to New Zealand’s new-ball bowlers.
Henry began the match with a delivery that jagged back significantly to bowl Smith through the gate and barely relented with his accuracy throughout his opening spell of eight overs.
Playing only his second ODI, Zak Foulkes was highly impressive and found 0.96 degrees of seam movement plus 1.99 degrees of swing in the first 10 overs – a significant jump from the recent average of 0.89 and 1.41 respectively at this ground.
Duckett nicked a Foulkes ball from round the wicket that angled in before moving away and Root was bowled by a hooping inswinger, albeit one not full enough for his booming drive.
Perhaps the 23-year-old’s best delivery was saved for Jacob Bethell.
The left-hander looked to play another from Foulkes straight down the pitch but was bowled when the ball swung away late to beat his outside edge.
It left Bethell helpless as he tried to apply more pressure to Ollie Pope’s position as Test number three.
Ben Stiller has made a lovely, dreamlike film about his parents, the comedian-actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, which is also a film about himself, his sister, Amy Stiller, and his own fatherhood as reflected back by his children and his wife, the actor Christine Taylor. Premiering Friday on Apple TV, “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost” is a show business story, in large part, but will be emotionally familiar to anyone who has had the occasion to wonder about their parents’ lives, in their parents’ absence.
Though both had set out to be actors — “I carried Eleanora Duse’s life under one arm,” says Anne, “and ‘An Actor Prepares,’ Stanislavski, under the other” — Jerry had been thinking of getting into comedy when he met Anne. They married in 1954, but it wasn’t until 1963 that the conjoined career of Stiller and Maera took off, with an appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” They might play the last two people on Earth meeting for the first time, or an Irish girl and a Jewish boy matched by computer dating. He was a fretful perfectionist who would endlessly rehearse; Anne was naturally funny; she flowed.
As documentary subjects go, the Stillers were not remarkably dysfunctional — no violence, no skeletons — past the not uncommon situation of parents whose work, or fixation on work, often took them away from their kids, physically or mentally, with the added fillip of that work having made them famous. (There are references to Anne’s drinking, which bothered Jerry, but this is not a hole the film runs down, and there’s nothing here to suggest it diminished her life or work.) As different people with different goals — “My mom wanted to be happy independent of performing,” says Ben, “and I think for my dad performing was so important to him it was part of his happiness” — there was tension, but they loved each other, and they loved their kids, and stayed married for 62 years, until Anne’s death in 2015.
Stiller frames the film with his and Amy’s return to the Upper West Side apartment where they were raised in order to clear it out to be sold, providing the opportunity to see what their parents had left behind. (Jerry died in 2020.) And it was a lot — nothing is lost if nothing is thrown away. There are love letters, diaries, scripts, manuscripts. (Anne: “I think Jerry has a need to keep his name going and for some reason he thinks that when we check out and pass over that the Smithsonian institute is going to want his memorabilia.”) Jerry had a habit, amounting to a compulsion, of documenting their life on film and tape; some of their conversations, and arguments, would turn into routines. (“Where does the act end and the marriage begin?” Anne wonders.) Raised voices in another room might be rehearsing or fighting. One routine consisted of escalating declarations of hate: “I hated you before I met you.” “I hated you before you were born.”
They quit playing nightclubs in 1970 (they drove her “meshuggah”), but remained in public view — in guest appearances, game shows and talk shows, where, unlike the highly managed appearances of today, they seemed ready to dish the dirt on themselves, providing Ben Stiller with material for this film. And they went to work as actors, each amassing a long list of screen and stage appearances. Jerry, of course, is now best known from “Seinfeld,” where he played George’s father, Frank Costanza, and “The King of Queens,” acting in nearly 200 episodes.
Much of it has to do with Ben and Amy as children of famous people, of family vacations that became working vacations, and growing up on display. In one clip from “The Mike Douglas Show,” the siblings perform “Chopsticks” as a screechy violin duet. Young Ben, already interested in film and asked by an interviewer if his parents will feature in his movies, says that they won’t: “I’ll be making adventure or a murder or something like that, but never a comedy. I don’t like comedy.”
We get glimpses of Stiller’s own prolific career — in comedy, mostly, as it turned out — as well as confessions of his own failings as a family man. (His children, Quin and Ella, get to have their good-humored but penetrating say, as does Taylor, from whom he separated in 2017, and with whom he reunited during the pandemic.) But there’s no evident resentment on the part of Ben and Amy, just curiosity and self-examination as adults whose own lives have taught them something about being adults, amid the knowledge that their parents had parents, too, and some of their imperfections became imperfections of their own.
Both Anne and Jerry had come from dark places. “Their lives were always reaching for the light,” says the playwright John Guare, whose black comedy “The House of Blue Leaves” Anne performed in off-Broadway. “Why don’t you become a stagehand?” Jerry’s father told him when Jerry first told him of his ambition. “Where do you get off trying to be Eddie Cantor?” Anne’s mother died by suicide. “Your father was kind of a saint, you know,” Christopher Walken tells Ben.
Stiller’s approach is musical; his assembly of clips and photos is musical — poetic, not prosaic. He ends his film with a conversation between Jerry and his aged father, Willie, cut to a montage of the family through time.
“Isn’t this better than anything, just being alive?” says Jerry. “When we go, we’ll go together, you and me”
Willie: “Yeah, OK, hold hands and everything else.”
“You’ll take me to shows again when we get up there?”
“Yeah, when I go I’ll take you any place. … What is this?”
“It’s a tape recorder. … Whatever you say is on that tape. They’ll hear you forever. You’ll never be lost.”
And we see young Ben, filming a camera that’s filming him, as his father steps in behind him.
Ben Stokes and Mark Wood will be “raring to go” in time for the Ashes, according to England pace bowler Brydon Carse.
Talismanic England skipper Stokes missed the final Test against India in July because of a shoulder injury, while express paceman Wood has not played a Test since August 2024 as a result of elbow and knee problems.
Both are looking to be fit for the first Test in Perth on 21 November, a series opener that Australia captain Pat Cummins has said he is “less likely than likely” to feature in because of a back injury.
Carse, a Durham team-mate of Stokes and Wood, said: “Ben and Woody are going well.
“I’ve been down to Loughborough in the past couple of weeks, had a couple of nights with them. Ben is looking near enough 100% fit and so is Mark. I’ve been bowling with them.
“It’s exciting to see where they have got to after their setbacks during the summer. They will be raring to go come Australia time.”
Pace bowling and the durability of the respective attacks could be a decisive factor in the outcome of a five-Test Ashes series crammed into the space of seven weeks.
With Aussie spearhead Cummins a huge doubt for Perth and possibly beyond, the home side will rely on Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, all in their mid-30s. Beyond that, their other seamers are inexperienced or untried at Test level.
The group of fast bowlers named by England is set to be their fastest and most hostile to tour Australia in more than 50 years, albeit with some fitness doubts among them.
By the time of the first Test, Wood will not have played any competitive cricket since February. Despite that lack of action, the 35-year-old – probably the fastest bowler in the world – often claims he is at his best when fresh.
All-rounder Stokes, 34, is vital to England’s Ashes hopes, but has a history of pushing himself to breaking point. He has not completed any of England’s past four Test series and in the home summer against India his large bowling workload resulted in the shoulder injury.
Stokes and Wood are also the only pace bowlers in the England squad to have played in a Test down under before, but Carse believes the touring seamers will not suffer for their lack of time in Australian conditions.
“You can look at it two ways,” said Carse, speaking at the Toyota Professional Cricketers’ Association awards.
“Stokesy and Woody have played in Ashes series down in Australia, so they have the experience to fall back on.
“A couple of the other seamers have played in A trips out there. Hopefully that experience will allow them to feel a level of confidence going into the Ashes.”
When Davies was asked about that block before Wales met Slovakia again three years later, he simply remarked: “It’s a good memory, but hopefully I won’t have to do it again this time around.”
Those moments are all well and good, Davies thought, but he would prefer a straightforward victory, a clean sheet and, frankly, less of a fuss.
By this time, however, he had already joined Tottenham, with whom he would play in one of the most extraordinary ties in Champions League history.
Just 24 hours after Liverpool had overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit to stun Barcelona at Anfield, Spurs mounted another comeback for the ages against Ajax.
Trailing 3-0 on aggregate with 35 minutes left to play in Amsterdam, two Lucas Moura goals had dragged Spurs back into contention.
Then in the sixth minute of added time, Davies intercepted an Ajax clearance to launch the counter-attack which culminated in Moura’s hat-trick and sealed the most dumbfounding of triumphs on away goals.
At the final whistle, it was telling that then-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, overcome with emotion, ran on to the pitch and leapt into Davies’ arms.
The Welshman had been Pochettino’s first signing following his appointment in 2014 and, five years later, Davies was the first person with whom the Argentine shared his greatest moment as Spurs boss.
“He is still young, but his mentality, his maturity – he is so professional – he is helping the team every season,” said Pochettino.
“He’s fantastic, not only today but from the day he arrived. He’s a great professional, a great player and a great man.”
Davies is now Tottenham’s longest-serving current player, with more than 300 appearances to his name.
Son Heung-min, who left Spurs during the summer of 2025, was one Davies’ best friends at the north London club.
“Ben is one of my closest friends,” Son said in 2023. “He helped me settle in London very well.”
Davies and Son caught a train from London to Cardiff together before Wales played South Korea in a friendly in September 2023.
True to form and even with one of the world’s most globally renowned footballers for company, Davies managed to navigate the journey without much attention, gave Son a hug goodbye on the platform at Cardiff Central and set off to rejoin the Wales squad.
FIA statutes state that the body will “respect the highest standards of governance, transparency and democracy, including anti-corruption functions and procedures”.
FIA rules require it to be neutral in the election process and that it has an obligation to provide “equal treatment between candidates for the FIA’s presidency”.
Mayer declined to comment, while the FIA has not responded to a series of questions from BBC Sport on the matter.
Robert Reid – who resigned as Ben Sulayem’s vice-president of sport in April, citing “a fundamental breakdown in governance standards within motorsport’s global governing body” – wrote earlier this week in a post on LinkedIn, external: “Each presidential candidate must present a full slate, including seven vice-presidents drawn from list of World Council nominees.
“If the incumbent already controls those names in any region through persuasion, pressure or promise, then no challenger can form.
“The process looks democratic, but in practice it locks the door from the inside. It isn’t democracy. It isn’t even unusual. But that doesn’t make it right.”
There is also doubt surrounding the eligibility of Daniel Coen from Costa Rica for the list of world motorsport council nominees, given that members must come from countries that host international motorsport events, which Costa Rica does not.
Coen is Ben Sulayem’s nominee for vice-president for sport representing North America.
Davies has played against England three times, including a 2-1 loss at Euro 2016 – a result that still rankles.
“The 2016 one, it still hurts the last-minute goal to concede, but in that one we were playing a game more result-dependent,” he said.
“We’re very lucky in this team that we have incredible guys all across the board, players that come in, players that maybe don’t play every single time but show their best foot every time they come in.
“It’s just a fun environment to be around. We enjoy each other’s company on the pitch, off the pitch. It feels like playing with your mates at times. So when you do get out on that pitch you know that you’ve got each other’s backs whatever is thrown at us.”
Davies has also experienced two 3-0 defeats against England, at the 2022 Qatar World Cup and in a 2020 friendly at Wembley.
“They’re games that we know we’re playing against top opposition but we felt like we could have done a lot better and given a much better account of ourselves. So they’re games that stay in the memory,” he added.
“Hopefully we have a better chance tomorrow [Thursday].”
He has an unbeaten 9-0-1 record in his professional career, with six of those wins within the distance.
“I think things happen for a reason. I’m at the right stage in my career now to pick the right platform and go for the right fights. So this move just made sense,” said Whittaker.
Hearn described Whittaker as a ” generational talent” who has “the world at his feet”.
“This long-term deal will propel Ben to global superstardom, solidifying his reputation as a household name and steering him towards future world titles. He will be number one,” added Hearn.
The first bout in October 2024 ended in a controversial draw, when both men fell over the ropes and Whittaker was unable to continue because of an injury.
ARSENAL continued their impressive start to the season with a professional 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League.
Goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Buakyo Saka at polar ends of the game ensured the Gunners made it two wins from two in Europe.
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Gabriel Martinelli sent Arsenal on their way to a victory over OlympiacosCredit: Getty
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Bukayo Saka added a second in injury timeCredit: AFP
Martinelli made the most of some fortune after just 12 minutes as he tapped in the ball following a rebound off the post which presented itself to him basically on the line.
The Greek visitors threatened to create their own odyssey in north London as they forced David Raya into an excellent save at full stretch.
But super sub Saka proved to be their Achilles’ heel as he squeezed a second goal through the legs of Konstantinos Tzolakis in injury time.
Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the Gunners at the Emirates.
DAVID RAYA – 8/10
Another Champions League wonder save for the collection, tipping over brilliantly from Daniel Podence’s curled volley from 10 yards out in the first half.
Also made two lightning-fast reaction stops after the break. He barely has to do anything, but when called upon he never lets you down. Surely he needs to be considered one of Europe’s very best?
MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 7
Looked like a man with a point to prove and did so with a confident performance for a teenager who has been forced to watch from the sidelines for most of this term with Riccardo Calafiori preferred at left-back.
At 18, he already looks so at home on the European stage. Arteta will have a selection headache on his hands for this weekend.
Has been in the spotlight after signing a new five-year deal, but had a few nervy moments at the back letting long balls bounce, putting the back four under pressure.
Yet as he always does, the Frenchman recovered well.
Arsenal’s William Saliba snubs Real Madrid to sign huge five year contract
GABRIEL – 6
Not troubled much but was almost caught out with a looping cross that saw Olympiacos level only to be saved by the offside flag.
BEN WHITE – 5
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Ben White was berated by Mikel Arteta at one stage of the matchCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Received a rollocking from Arteta when taking a throw-in about his positioning and movement on the ball, and the Englishman gave some back in a worrying exchange.
This was a chance to try and usurp Timber as Arteta’s first-choice right-back, but he just looks off the pace and is reliant on right-side pal Saka to look good in attack.
At this rate, White will not be winning back his starting jersey any time soon.
MARTIN ZUBIMENDI – 7
He may be small, and a pest, but his influence is mighty. There is a reason Arteta barely ever rests him.
Tough in the tackle, accurate on the ball and the middle-man between defence and attack, giving Odegaard license to roam and dictate wherever he pleases.
It’s been said before, but he will turn out to be one of Arteta’s most important signings in his Arsenal tenure.
MIKEL MERINO – 6
Some good moments on and off the ball, adding a bit of bite to midfield, but also some moments where his final pass or attacking intent could have been better.
MARTIN ODEGAARD – 9
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Martin Odegaard is getting his groove back after injury problemsCredit: Reuters
Has his zip back, constantly creating in dangerous areas and covering every blade of grass with a purpose.
So unlucky not to double Arsenal’s lead inside the final 10 minutes and then picked up an assist for Saka in stoppage time.
Some more minutes in the tank after his shoulder issues is good to see as Arteta tries to get him back to the form that saw him notch goals and assists for fun in recent years.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 8
After shining off the bench for the majority of the season – starting just three times so far – he got his chance from the off to prove he can be the main man.
It did not start brilliantly, nodding a header wide unmarked from a few yards out before finding the net with an even easier chance that came off the post.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 7
Lively down the left. Looks to be enjoying getting more regular game time in an Arsenal shirt, and is becoming more and more useful to Arteta as he tries to rotate his talented squad much more than he usually does.
Wasted a few openings in the second half.
VIKTOR GYOKERES – 6
He continues to do the dirty work with little reward, bumping off two Olympiacos defenders and seeing his shot go through the keeper and onto the base of the post before Martinelli snatched the spoils.
Wasted several chances in front of goal but his link-up play has much improved since he first joined. The goals will surely start flowing soon…
SUBS:
DECLAN RICE (MERINO, 58) – 6
A few nice deliveries from set-pieces but booked for a silly studs-up challenge. Brought on purely to see out the win, and he did that comfortably.
JURRIEN TIMBER (WHITE, 58) – 6
One of Arteta’s most trusted players. Exudes calmness whenever he is on the pitch.
BUKAYO SAKA (TROSSARD, 72) – 8
An instant threat and his driving run and cross should have led to Arsenal’s second before doing just that with a drilled strike through the legs of the keeper
EBERECHI EZE (MARTINELLI, 72) – 6
A few nice touches, but also a few stray passes. Spent most of his time tracking back as Arsenal held on late into the game.
MOSQUERA (GABRIEL, 74) – 6
Was put under a lot of pressure with Olympiacos sending cross after cross into the box with time ticking away, but dealt with it well.
He needed that after his mistake at St James’ Park led to Newcastle taking the lead, and also led to him being hooked at half time.
This Morning’s Cat Deeley appeared to make a shock confession regarding the ITV show’s competitions during Monday’s episode
A cringe-worthy moment unfolded on This Morning when Cat Deeley seemed to confess she and co-presenter Ben Shephard “cheat” whilst hosting one of the programme’s competitions.
Cat and Ben started concluding the episode’s news section and revealed details about This Morning’s Spin To Win competition, which invites viewers to ring in for a chance to participate in a game and secure cash prizes on the ITV programme.
Ben outlined all the competition’s terms and conditions, whilst Cat disclosed that viewers could bag up to £12,000, with both wishing fans the best of luck.
“Yes, good luck!” Cat exclaimed, before turning to Ben and enquiring: “Are you saying that to me? Because of the competition?”
He responded: “Well, we know what happened when we’ve done this in the past,” prompting Cat to suddenly blurt out: “We cheat a little bit!”
Gyles appeared stunned by her admission and swiftly protested: “I don’t think we do!”.
“We know, we never have, we never will. We can’t!” Ben also interjected. Beaming, Cat declared: “We will never cheat! Sometimes, people don’t pick up the phone..”
Gyles and Ashley burst into laughter whilst Ben kept attempting to silence his co-presenter, with Cat smirking directly at the camera, reports Wales Online.
“You know Ralf [Little] and Will [Mellor] have that button that they can hit when someone’s going to say something… Someone should’ve hit that!” Ben remarked to Cat, who carried on chuckling.
The competition segments on This Morning are typically hosted by Andi Peters or Jeff Brazier, with stars like Kate Lawler occasionally stepping in to announce the competitions.
Cat and Ben helm This Morning from Monday to Thursday each week, while Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary usually present the ITV show on Friday mornings.
Gyles and Ashley are frequent guests on the programme, offering their insights on the latest news and headlines.
Other regular contributors include LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Nicola Thorpe and Tom Swarbrick. The ITV programme recently invited former GMB host Piers Morgan to discuss the day’s news.
Just one week after Max Branning’s return – another legend will be returning as Ben Mitchell makes his surprise return to the soap for Jonno Highway’s funeral
Ben returns to EastEnders next week(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
If the return of Max Branning wasn’t enough, EastEnders are giving us yet another legendary return next week, as its time for Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) to return.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Ben, along with Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) would be making a return for Jonno Highway’s funeral. But of course, with Callum’s recent fling with Johnny – there’s sure to be drama.
The Mitchells gather for the occasion at the start of the week, in which Callum tells Johnny it’s best to stay away to avoid suspicion. The pair then kiss, but Ben’s mum Kathy Beale secretly spots them. Phil, Kathy, Billy, Honey, Ian and Harvey collectively confront Callum, but things take a turn when he hits them with some home truths and tells Johnny he’s serious about the relationship – and asks him to the funeral.
The Mitchells then tell Callum he needs to reveal all to Lexi and Ben after the funeral, but Callum gets the shock of his life when Ben turns up to the funeral unannounced.
Johnny and Stuart work hard to keep the truth under wraps during the funeral, but things get too much for Callum back at The Vic when Callum reasons he must tell Ben after Johnny tells him to keep quiet. But will he tell Ben and if so, how will he react?
As we know, Ben was sent to prison in the US, but next week, it will be revealed that he was transferred to a UK prison for turning informant on his cellmate and granted release for the funeral. It was said Ben’s return was only for a short stint, but could it end up being longer in the future?
Across the other side of the Square, Joel Marshall’s storyline takes the darkest turn yet – as he turns violent towards his stepmother Vicki Fowler.
An incident at school started by Joel and Tommy, raises debate in Walford as parents and their teens discuss the ramifications of the event, and the impact of harmful content online.
Kat, Alife, Ross and Vicki attempt to police Joel and Tommy on their misogynistic views, but things take a horrific turn and escalate when Joel hits Vicki…
Elsewhere, Priya, Ravi, Avani and Nugget reluctantly move back into No.41, sale as Suki attempts to build bridges with her family, and later meets Eve for a drink. To Suki’s shock, Eve reveals that she wants to adopt a baby with Suki.
Priya then spies Suki looking up information about adoption, and the family pass judgement – but will they go through with it?
As we know, Balvinder Sopal, who plays Suki, is currently taking part in Strictly Come Dancing. The actress has revealed she isn’t leaving the soap, but working on a “reduced schedule” while she takes part in the competition.
There’s fear for Kojo as he collapses yet again, as Harry realises he is still working for Ravi and Okie. Harry’s forced to turn to his dad Teddy for help as he attempts to catch Ravi and Okie out…
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
England Test captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum make new players feel “on top of the world”, says all-rounder Will Jacks after receiving a surprise recall for this winter’s Ashes in Australia.
Off-spinner Jacks has played only two Tests, in 2022, but returns as cover for Shoaib Bashir ahead of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson and Jack Leach.
“The leadership group make you feel like you can take anyone on,” Jacks told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“For someone who comes into the team making your debut, that builds you up quickly and makes you feel like you belong there straight away.
“He (Stokes) leads with his own actions, which makes him really easy to follow. He would never ask you do something he’s not willing to do.”
England’s talismanic leader sat out of the final Test against India with a shoulder injury but the 34-year-old was back training in early September.
Stokes has also had two serious hamstring injuries in the past couple of years and England’s chances are likely to hinge on his availability.
He has played nine Tests in Australia and averages 28.61 with the bat, while he’s claimed 19 wickets at 40.94.
His presence is key to England’s ability to balance the side and he was arguably the pick of their bowlers this summer.
Ben Duckett (opening batter)
Tests: 38, Runs: 2,872, Average: 42.86, Centuries: Six
The 30-year-old will open the batting for England and has played a pivotal role with his counter-attacking style under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
He’s having a fine 2024 too, averaging 60.20, but he’s yet to play a Test in Australia.
The left-hander averaged 35.66 in the five-Test home series against Australia in 2023.
Zak Crawley (opening batter)
Tests: 59, Runs: 3,313, Average: 31.55, Centuries: Five
The right-hander has come under external pressure for his place in the side after a lean couple of years, but England have stuck by him with this series in mind.
They believe the quicker, bouncier pieces in Australia will suit Crawley and his naturally aggressive style can put the hosts on the back foot.
He averaged 27.66 in three Tests on the last tour down under.
Ollie Pope (Top-order batter)
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Ollie Pope has lost the vice-captaincy to Harry Brook
Tests: 61, Runs: 3,607, Average: 35.36, Centuries: Nine
Another whose place has come under scrutiny, but having filled in as captain when Stokes was injured he was always going to be part of the group.
However, Pope has lost the vice-captaincy to white-ball skipper Harry Brook for this series.
Pope will act as the back-up wicketkeeper in case of any injury or illness to Jamie Smith.
He’s averaged 47.70 so far in 2025, but that is boosted by 171 against Zimbabwe.
The right-hander has played three Tests in Australia and averages a measly 11.16.
England’s Mr Reliable, but not always in Australia.
He may be England’s all-time leading run-scorer but he’s yet to score a century in 14 Tests in Australia.
The right-hander averages 35.68 in that time, but let’s hope that first century comes or we’ll have to deal with a naked Matthew Hayden, external walking round the MCG in Melbourne.
Harry Brook (Vice-captain and middle-order batter)
The 21-year-old is likely to be England’s spare batter. He impressed during a debut series against New Zealand last winter but has had a frustrating summer with limited opportunities.
He scored his first professional century in a one-day international against South Africa earlier this month though and England would feel comfortable picking him if needed.
Smith has been very accomplished with the gloves and bat since making his Test debut in 2024.
However, by the end of the first five-Test series this summer he did look fatigued and frazzled.
England’s aggressive style with the bat means he could spend most – if not all – days in the field in the series so it could be another learning curve on his first tour of Australia.
The wildcard in the squad, with Jacks’ two previous Tests coming in Pakistan as a second spin option in December 2022.
However, the Surrey man has been picked over Leicestershire’s Rehan Ahmed, Hampshire’s Liam Dawson or out-and-out spinner Jack Leach as the second spin option.
He will offer England depth with the bat but his spin is untested really.
He has bowled just 74 overs in the County Championship this season, taking five wickets at 38.80.
Jofra Archer (pace bowler)
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Jofra Archer took nine wickets in two Tests against India after a four-year gap between red-ball appearances for England
Tests: 15, Wickets: 51, Average: 30.62, Best figures: 6-45
Definitely the X-factor with the ball. A series of injuries have hampered Archer’s Test career but his long-awaited return against India this summer was undoubtedly a success.
He will have to be carefully managed throughout the series – and how England do that may determine their chances.
The right-armer is yet to play a Test in Australia, but enjoyed success with 22 wickets in his debut series in 2019.
Mark Wood (pace bowler)
Tests: 37, Wickets: 119, Average: 30.42, Best figures: 6-37
England’s prime speedster, but can they get him on the field? His last Test was in August 2024 and he hasn’t played any cricket since February after surgery on a knee injury.
He was targeting a couple of matches for Durham before the end of the season but that now seems unlikely. He’s been left out of the white-ball squads for New Zealand in October too so he’ll be relying on the warm-up games to get up to speed.
The right-armer picked up 17 wickets in four Tests during the last Ashes down under.
Brydon Carse (pace bowler)
Tests: Nine, Wickets: 36, Average: 30.11, Best figures: 6-42
The Durham seamer has been impressive since his debut last summer and his style of banging the ball into the pitch could bring rewards in Australia.
He is unlikely to make it through all five Tests though, so England will again have to decide where he’ll be most effective.
This will be first taste of Ashes cricket.
Gus Atkinson (pace bowler)
Tests: 13, Wickets: 63, Average: 22.01, Best figures: 7-45
The Surrey seamer provided a pretty quick reminder of his ability and threat when he returned for the final Test against India in July.
Atkinson has been superb since being introduced to the Test fold in 2024 and he looks set to take the new ball in Australia and could be the leader of the attack in his first Ashes series.
Josh Tongue (pace bowler)
Tests: Six, Wickets: 31, Average: 30.00, Best figures: 5-66
The Nottinghamshire seamer impressed against India this summer. There were questions about his ability against the top order but he grew as the series progressed and was a banker for this squad.
He played one Test in the 2023 series against Australia, taking five wickets, but this will be his first taste of conditions down under.
Matthew Potts (pace bowler)
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Matthew Potts’ previous Tests have come in England, New Zealand and Pakistan
Tests: 10, Wickets: 36, Average: 29.44, Best figures: 7-68
The outsider who has forced his way in.
It seemed like Potts had fallen out of favour but the Durham man is included over Chris Woakes, whose record overseas isn’t as strong as at home and is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained against India in August.
Potts has taken 28 wickets in 10 County Championship matches at 39.60 this summer.
This will be first taste of Ashes cricket.
Shoaib Bashir (spinner)
Tests: 19, Wickets: 68, Average: 39.00, Best figures: 6-81
The 21-year-old will be England’s frontline spinner in the Ashes.
He’s had a successful start to his Test career and became the youngest Englishman to take 50 Test wickets, but he can be expensive and has been targeted by some sides.
That is likely to be the case for some of Australia’s batters, including dangerous middle-order batter Travis Head, so how Bashir and England can limit the damage will be important.
He could also be rusty having missed the final two Tests of the summer with a broken finger. It means the warm-up games in Australia will be his only cricket in the past four months by the time the first Test starts in Perth.
Having a fan on the board is a nice touch that will connect with supporters, but who is the celebrity producer who was James Corden’s best man and had Harry Styles live in his house for two years during the peak years of One Direction?
Winston, 43, has been a season ticket holder at the club for more than 30 years, and says he started supporting Arsenal when he was around ‘five or six’ before going to his first match aged nine.
He has had an interesting and successful life and his father is Baron Robert Winston, the world famous fertility doctor and scientist.
But it is Winston’s success as a film and TV producer which makes his appointment to the Arsenal board so interesting.
According to an article in GQ, external Winston met Corden on the show Teachers, where Winston was a runner and the two bonded over their love of football.
Winston, who went to university in Leeds, would visit Corden while he filmed Fat Friends in the city.
And Winston’s support of the Gunners is not for show.
He did not miss a European away game for 12 years and pictures on his Instagram show him in the Bernabeu Stadium for Arsenal’s wins over Real Madrid in 2006 and 2025, while he also successfully won an auction with three friends for a lunch with former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
His production company Fulwell 73 has won 23 Emmy awards and three Baftas.
In the sporting world they have produced programmes such as Sunderland’s Netflix documentary ‘Till I die and the Class of 92 around ex-Manchester United players, including David Beckham and Gary Neville investing in Salford City.
Alongside Corden, Winston came up with the successful Carpool Karaoke series on the Late Late show, which Corden hosted, and the company also produce ‘The Kardashians’.
Winston’s celebrity connections could be a key part of the next step for Arsenal as they try to lean into that fanbase.
The Gunners are supported by some huge celebrity names with Anne Hathaway, Lewis Hamilton, 21 Savage and Reese Witherspoon all making their love for the Gunners clear.
Superstar singer Dua Lipa has been pictured at the stadium, as has Romeo Beckham, who is a vocal Arsenal supporter despite his dad David’s success with Manchester United.
The club lean into their fanbase across the world with music artists being used in their transfer announcement videos and pictures of celebrities in their shirts shared on social media.
There can’t be many people better placed than Winston, with all of his contacts, to take that fandom to the next level.
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned after nearly fifty years, accusing parent company Unilever of silencing its stance on Israel’s war on Gaza. The decision follows years of tension, including a 2021 move to halt sales in the occupied West Bank.
American Ben Griffin warmed up for the Ryder Cup by moving into a three-shot lead at the end of the second round of the Procore Championship.
Griffin, who is part of a 12-strong United States team to play the Ryder Cup from 26-28 September in New York, shot a second round 66 in Napa, California.
The 29-year-old sank six birdies without dropping a shot as he moved to 14 under.
“I’ve been pretty focused on this golf tournament,” said Griffin, who was a captain’s pick by US Ryder Cup skipper Keegan Bradley and will be making his debut in the event.
“Without a doubt, off the golf course hanging out with the guys and stuff, there’s been some Ryder Cup presence. But once I get on the first tee, I’m thinking I’m trying to play well here.
“This week I’m trying to literally do the same stuff I’m doing. I’m trying to stay confident, stay motivated and keep the pedal down.”
Olympic swimmer Ben Proud has become the first British athlete to join the controversial Enhanced Games – but says he would never do anything to undermine ‘clean’ sport.
But he has now committed to an event which allows athletes to take banned performance-enhancing drugs.
He never won Olympic gold or broke the 50m freestyle world record, which has stood since 2009, but feels that the Enhances Games “give me a new opportunity to continue this pursuit and see how far I can take things”.
Asked if he thinks the event undermines clean sport, Proud told BBC Sport: “No. I think it opens up the potential avenue to excel in a very different way.
“Speaking for myself, I think realistically I’ve achieved everything I can, and now the Enhanced [Games] is giving me a new opportunity. I definitely don’t think that’s undermining a clean sport.
“I really respect the sport I’ve been part of, and I would never step back in knowing I’ve done something which isn’t in the rules.”
Proud said he sees ‘traditional sport’ and the Enhanced Games as “two very separate entities”, and that he found athletes breaking the rules “incredibly frustrating”.
“I see doping in clean sports as a complete no-go,” he said. “I don’t have any time for that.
“The fact it’s still happening is a problem. It’ll always be a cat and mouse game, there will always be people developing new techniques or people getting away with things.
“That’s one thing that has ruined sport for a lot of people. The anti-doping agencies just don’t have the ability to completely make sure everyone is clean and on a level playing field, and that to me has always been the biggest frustration.
“If you were part of my life for the past 12, 13 years, you’d see how much time you have to allocate to making sure we’re available to be tested on a daily basis, making sure we’re constantly giving our samples.”
BBC Sport has asked the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) for comment.
Wada’s latest Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) report, external was published in July, covering 2022. It said that from 241,143 samples, 1,979 (0.82%) were reported to be adverse findings, of which 1,376 (69.5%) resulted in an ADRV.
Durham head coach Ryan Campbell says England captain Ben Stokes “is back in training” after a shoulder injury and “will be ready” for this winter’s Ashes in Australia.
Stokes, 34, missed the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval with the shoulder problem he sustained during the draw at Old Trafford in July.
The all-rounder expected to be sidelined for about six or seven weeks and has now started batting in the nets again with his county side.
With the first Ashes Test to begin in Perth on 21 November, Campbell also confirmed fast bowler Mark Wood is “extremely close to playing” for Durham again after having surgery on a knee injury.
“Stokes is back in training,” Campbell told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Over the last week, he’s started to hit balls and had a really good session. Scott Borthwick was throwing to him with [coach] Will Gidman for nearly two hours.
“The batting side of things is going very well but the bowling will take a lot longer. He is being treated very steadily.”
The 35-year-old had hoped to return for the fifth Test against India before a setback and was also left out for white-ball matches against South Africa and Ireland.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed that Wood plays for us next week,” said Campbell.
“If that happens, it’s not only great for Durham but also for England. He is extremely close to playing.”
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs a mental health break from the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce engagement vortex.
Three years after “The Terminal List” ended its first season, Prime Video’s prequel to the military-espionage thriller arrives. The debut season of the flagship series concluded with — spoiler alert! — Navy SEAL commander James Reece (Chris Pratt) discovering his closest ally, Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch) was involved in the ambush mission that led to the death of his platoon, as well as his wife and daughter. “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” traces Ben’s journey from Navy SEAL to CIA operative. Creator and showrunner David DiGilio stopped by to discuss expanding the Jack Carr book universe and working with Kitsch.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations are different types of nostalgia plays: Noah Hawley’s timely television prequel to the ‘Alien’ film franchise that is set on Earth, and “Gunsmoke,” the classic western that first hit TV screens 70 years ago and is finding new life in the streaming era.
ICYMI
Must-read stories you might have missed
Olivia Colman, left, and Benedict Cumberbatch of “The Roses,” a remake of “The War of the Roses,” photographed in London in June.
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
Sydney Chandler as Wendy in FX’s “Alien: Earth.”
(Patrick Brown / FX)
“Alien: Earth” (Hulu, Disney+)
Reimagining a nearly 50-year-old franchise like “Alien” isn’t for the faint of heart (or stomach). The iconic sci-fi horror saga has already spawned a tangled web of sequels, prequels and spin-offs of wildly varying quality. But Noah Hawley — who turned “Fargo” and “Legion” into bold, brainy extensions of their cinematic roots — brings a jolt of fresh, unnerving life to “Alien: Earth.” The horror is real, the xenomorphs still terrifying (and, yes, there are new critters too). But this isn’t just eight hours of people running from acid-blooded monsters. It’s a sprawling, idea-rich vision of a future ruled by tech oligopolies, where minds are uploaded into synthetic bodies and morality is outsourced to machines — a world as indebted to Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” as his original “Alien.” The monsters are back, but the deeper thrill is how Hawley keeps you thinking even as you’re bracing for the next kill. Now midway through its eight‑episode run, “Alien: Earth” doesn’t just extend a franchise. It reanimates it with a mind of its own and a brand-new set of fangs. — Josh Rottenberg
James Arness, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis and Milburn Stone in “Gunsmoke.”
(CBS)
“Gunsmoke” (Peacock, Pluto TV)
I long for the simple times when my family and I would gather around the television to watch the latest episode of “Gunsmoke.” The drama that featured James Arness as no-nonsense Marshal Matt Dillon was a staple in millions of households throughout its 20-year run, which ended in 1975. In the streaming era, “Gunsmoke” is now sparking a lot of new heat, and has ranked at least twice among Nielsen’s top 10 list of most-streamed acquired series. Beginning Saturday, MeTV will kick off a month-long 70th anniversary salute to the drama, airing specially-themed weeks such as “Best Characters of Dodge City” and five made-for-TV movies. — Greg Braxton
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), James Reece (Chris Pratt) in “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.”
(Justin Lubin / Prime)
Taylor Kitsch rose to fame with his portrayal of brooding football player Tim Riggins on “Friday Night Lights,” but he’s spent a good portion of his career since then stepping into the military mindset — as my former colleague Michael Ordoña astutely unpacked in his profile of the actor. With “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf,” which further expands Jack Carr’s book universe, Kitsch reprises his role as Navy SEAL-turned-CIA operative Ben Edwards in Prime Video’s prequel to 2022’s Chris Pratt-led series. Premiering its first three episodes earlier this week, the series takes place five years before the events of the first season of “The Terminal List” and explores Ben’s origin story and his crisis of faith that eventually led to his betrayal of James Reece (Pratt). Showrunner David DiGilio stopped by Screen Gab recently to discuss why Ben is a worthwhile character for a spin-off, the story behind that AC/DC needle drop and more. — Yvonne Villarreal
What was it about the story of Ben Edwards that resonated with you and made you so passionate about wanting to explore his origin story?
Ben is an ever-evolving character. He was different in the book than he was in our scripts for Season 1 of “The Terminal List.” Then Taylor arrived and brought a whole new layer of empathy, complexity and danger to the role. Unlike Reece, who represents a light wolf character pulled into a dark place by a conspiracy, Ben Edwards is a man with innate darkness inside him. But he also values loyalty, brotherhood and freedom. And that dichotomy in a character means we can give Taylor a ton of great stuff to play. It makes Ben unpredictable. And we get to watch how Ben evolves from a leader in the SEAL Teams to a Black Side Operator who thinks he can use his dark wolf for good.
You had involvement from real veterans in the making of the series, including in the writing of the season. There are seven episodes and five were written by veterans. Walk me through finding the voices to join the room and how did that enrich discussion as you broke stories?
As we were making Season 1 of the flagship series, we made a commitment to military authenticity. The lived experience is what defines Jack Carr’s writing in the books, and we wanted to make sure it translated to the shows. During Season 1 of “The Terminal List,” two military veteran storytellers in particular — Max Adams, a former Army Ranger, and Jared Shaw, a former Navy SEAL — really stepped up our action and authenticity and our storytelling overall. When it came time for “Dark Wolf,” we elevated Max and Jared to executive producer[s]. And we were able to include Jack Carr in more of the writing and creating side of the show as well. But we didn’t stop there. We brought writer-producer Kenny Sheard — also a former SEAL — into the writers room and brought back Ray Mendoza — a former SEAL and technical advisor on Season 1 — to second unit direct. So, between Max, Jared, Kenny, Ray and Jack Carr himself, I don’t think you have a show that’s more committed to getting it right for the military veteran audience.
Is there a personal connection — for you or the veterans who worked on the show — behind the use of AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” to score the time jump in the first episode?
Interesting story. We were trying to use Led Zeppelin for that training montage in the pilot. The band is notoriously tricky to clear, but we made it to about the five yard line before it got denied. Sadly, we’d been temp-editing with that song for months and were all quite attached. So we now had to pivot … quickly. We found AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” by asking our military veteran storytellers for bands/songs that were big for them during deployments. AC/DC was near the top of the list, and the civilian side of our EP team had connections to the music as well. We tried three AC/DC songs for the sequence, and “Hells Bells” was a no-brainer. But, truly, a classic example of the adage “don’t fall in love with the temp.” We made this music selection way tougher than it needed to be!
Tell us a good story about Taylor Kitsch and his time on the inflatable boat.
I think the biggest thing we learned from putting Taylor on that boat in the pilot is that we weren’t in Kansas anymore. Meaning, Budapest production is very different than production in the U.S. In the States, you would have a full “marine unit” dedicated to getting a scene like that. Half a dozen camera boats and follow boats built specifically to capture that sequence. In Budapest, we were tying camera men down on the boat itself, and turning tourist river boats into parts of our armada. Boats could not keep up with those beastly gunship engines. Smaller boats got waked. We got the scene, and we got it safely. But after the ease of filming the flagship series in Los Angeles, I think that day told all of us that Budapest would be a city with unique production challenges. But I give a huge hat tip to the Budapest crew, because even on a day like that, they never complained. And I think having the cast and American crew together in a foreign city really helped bond us all into one big family.
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
My last watch was probably while flying to and from South Africa and Toronto for the filming of “The Terminal List” Season 2. I downloaded and binged “Adolescence” [Netflix] and Season 2 of “Andor” [Disney+]. I’m surprised more folks don’t talk about “Andor.” It’s probably the most smartly-written show on streaming these days. A World War II resistance film wrapped up in incredible sci-fi visuals. And on “Adolescence,” the performances were incredible. But note to all, whatever you do, don’t watch that show’s finale in a crowded airport lounge in London. I was bawling.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
Might not surprise folks to hear, but it’s either “Saving Private Ryan” [Prime Video, Pluto TV] or “Gladiator” [Prime Video, Paramount +]. Both movies capture the warrior’s ethos and sense of brotherhood that we strive for in the “Terminal List” shows. They also combine great action with big emotional character-driven scenes. Hollywood’s balance of VFX and character work was probably at its zenith right around the turn of the century. So I love to rewatch those films as a reminder of the balance I strive for in my writing, and for the balance we try to build into the Jack Carr Universe shows.
