My surf addiction didn’t need more fuel. Then I found the WSL third-tier live stream | Kieran Pender

At first, it seemed like a natural progression. I have long been a surf fan, I regularly write about the World Surf League Championship Tour, and once even tried my hand in a local surf competition. And so in recent years, during breaks between top-tier WSL events, I found myself glued to live streams for the second tier, the Challenger Series.Only this year, the WSL wrapped up in September, and the Challenger Series had major gaps in its schedule. And that was how I found myself addicted to third-tier surfing, the WSL Qualifying Series (QS)

Arrogant England’s cricket machine collapses like a castle of dust in 11 days | Barney Ronay

So this is Christmas. And what have we done? The Ashes is over. With two Tests still to comeWhen the moment finally came the visuals were perfect: clean lines, neat angles, figures picked out in crisp afternoon sun against the almost satirical splendour of Adelaide Oval.Scott Boland took the final wicket to seal Australia’s unassailable 3-0 Ashes series lead, the 74th time this moment has been played out down the centuries, and immediately the white shapes converged to form a bobbing huddle. England’s batters stood in an attitude of formal deflation

Stokes vows to remain England captain as McCullum admits regret over Ashes preparations

As Ben Stokes stressed his commitment to leading England after losing the Ashes inside 11 days, Brendon McCullum gave his first admission of regret. Poor preparation has been widely blamed for this failed tour of Australia and, in that regard, the head coach was prepared to hold his hand up.Speaking after the 82-run defeat at Adelaide Oval that took Australia 3-0 up with two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney to come, Stokes offered a simple “absolutely” when asked if he had the energy to continue as captain but played down England’s threadbare warm-up period.“That dream that we came here with is now over, which is obviously incredibly disappointing,” said Stokes, at the ground where he made his Test debut 12 years ago. “I hate living in hindsight because you can never change what you have done

Dominant Australia defeat England in third Test to retain Ashes – as it happened

With the third Test wrapped up, I’ll do likewise. Thanks for your company throughout five (!) thrilling days of Test cricket and see you all in Melbourne.Ali Martin has delivered his match report.And Geoff Lemon has written about Pat Cummins and his Ashes legacy. Enjoy!Having wrapped up the series in 11 days and retained the Ashes in ruthless fashion, Australia will have a very merry Christmas indeed

Pat Cummins is in rare air as an Ashes captain. Can his Dad's Army go around again? | Geoff Lemon

While it took longer than expected on the fifth day in Adelaide, eventually it was done. A series won, the Ashes retained for another year and a half until they next go up for grabs in England. For Pat Cummins, this makes three consecutive Ashes series as captain without giving up the urn. The feat leaves him in sparse but fine company: the others to do it are Joe Darling, Don Bradman, Richie Benaud, Mike Brearley, Allan Border and Mark Taylor.It made things neater that Steve Smith missed this third Test, having captained the first two wins in Cummins’ absence, so that it didn’t feel like the full-time captain was swooping in to hoover up the stand-in’s lunch

Starc breaks England hearts again as Australia retain the Ashes in tense third Test

“England are talking themselves up more, they’re confident coming to Australia with the group of players they’ve got and fair enough, this is the best team they’ve had probably this century.”As Marnus Labuschagne wheeled away in delight after pouching the catch that sealed the Ashes for ­Australia in tranquil Adelaide, it wasn’t just pre-series optimism from the English – or delusion, as per plenty since – that had been popped into a blender and turned into mush after 11 largely one-sided days.The above came from Ricky ­Ponting, one of the sharpest minds in the sport, and reflected belief on both sides of the divide that this time things would be different: that this England team, forged in the image of their aggressive captain, Ben Stokes, and boasting a phalanx of quicks, would be able to compete.But all this was underpinned by faith in the non-negotiables being in place: that details such as conditioning, workloads and fielding skills would be ticked off; that, despite a positive outlook fostered by Brendon McCullum, pitfalls such as driving on the up in Perth and Brisbane, or the intensity of the spotlight, would be well known.Instead, following a whirlwind of dropped catches, scattergun seam bowling and general batting confusion from the tourists, it is Australia who go into Christmas 3-0 up and can start plotting another whitewash