Brendon McCullum labels upcoming Ashes as ‘biggest series of all of our lives’
Brendon McCullum has ramped up the Ashes hype before the trip to Australia this winter, describing England’s pursuit of the urn they last won a decade ago – and have brought back from tour just once since 1986‑87 – as “the biggest series of all of our lives”.England returned to international action last week for the first time since a thrilling five-Test series against India concluded in early August, and though they lost against South Africa over three one-day internationals that run ended with a historic, one-sided win in Southampton on Sunday.A spellbinding performance in that game from Jofra Archer, who took four wickets for 18 runs – “There was an ‘ooh’ or an ‘aah’ every single over,” he said afterwards – set imaginations racing with thoughts of what the injury-prone seamer might achieve in more high-profile assignments to come.The first Ashes Test starts in Perth on 21 November.“That was an unbelievable spell,” McCullum, England’s head coach, said.
“It was box-office bowling and I know we had 415 on the board but you didn’t want to miss a ball,I thought it was brilliant and not just his pace but his skill, his ability to shift it both ways and to test batters with the steep bounce he gets,He’s a proper cricketer, hence why we’ve taken our time with him to make sure that we give him every chance to be in the biggest series of all of our lives,”McCullum also had positive updates about the fitness of the Test captain, Ben Stokes, who has not played since July because of a shoulder injury, and Mark Wood, who has been out since surgery on his left knee in March but will return this month for Durham in the County Championship,“They’re progressing well,” the New Zealander said.
“Woody’s going to play a championship game and Stokesy will be training his arse off as he always does, and making sure he gets as fit as he possibly can.Sign up to The SpinSubscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s actionafter newsletter promotion“I think the last series we saw from Stokesy [against India] is probably the best series he’s had as captain, so that’s a good sign and we know that for us to be competitive in Australia, a fit, firing and motivated Ben Stokes is going to give us every chance.”
Anglo American agrees mining mega merger; Londoners face commuting struggles as tube strike enters second day – business live
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has called for “more flexibility” from Brussels in relation to targets for the transition to electric vehicles – siding with German car manufacturers and opening up a divide with other European carmakers who want to stick to the deadline for phasing out combustion engines. The bosses of Volvo and Polestar were among 150 car chiefs who wrote to the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Monday urging her to maintain the 2035 target for cars and vans and arguing that any change would hand an advantage to Chinese rivals.Michael Lohscheller, Polestar’s chief executive, said in a statement:Weakening targets now would send a signal that Europe can be talked out of its own commitments. That would not only harm the climate. It would harm Europe’s ability to compete
Anglo American to merge with rival Teck in $53bn mining group
The London-listed miner Anglo American has agreed to merge with its Canadian rival Teck Resources, in a deal that will create a $53bn (£39bn) global copper group but raises the prospect of job cuts.The merger, the biggest mining tie-up in years, would form one of the biggest copper producers in the world, the companies said on Monday.Anglo American fended off a series of takeover attempts by its larger rival BHP last year, pushing it to radically restructure its business.The chief executive of Anglo, Duncan Wanblad, said the merger formed “a global critical minerals champion with the focus, agility, capabilities and culture that have characterised both companies for so long”.“Having made such significant progress with Anglo American’s portfolio transformation … now is the optimal time to take this next strategic step to accelerate our growth,” he said
The women in love with AI chatbots: ‘I vowed to him that I wouldn’t leave him’
Experts are concerned about people emotionally depending on AI, but these women say their digital companions are misunderstoodThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.A young tattoo artist on a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains cozies up by the campfire, as her boyfriend Solin describes the constellations twinkling above them: the spidery limbs of Hercules, the blue-white sheen of Vega.The Guardian’s journalism is independent
Apple to debut new, thinner iPhone at ‘awe-dropping’ annual product event
Expect Apple’s latest iPhone to look slimmer when it debuts on Tuesday. The company is slated to unveil its thinnest iPhone yet at its annual product showcase, promoted with the title “awe-dropping”. The event will take place at its Cupertino headquarters in the Steve Jobs Theater at 10am PT.Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup is expected to include standard, Pro, and Pro Max editions, along with a newcomer to the family, the iPhone Air. This newest edition of the iPhone is christened to be Apple’s lightest flagship phone to date in the lineage of its line of slim MacBook laptops, observers have predicted
Asa Tribe scores 200 for Glamorgan, Leicestershire v Gloucestershire and more: county cricket – live
DIVISION ONEChelmsford: Essex 49-1 v Durham 333Taunton: Somerset 229-4 v YorkshireThe Oval: Surrey 246 v Warwickshire 206-8Hove: Sussex 122 v Hampshire 226New Road: Worcestershire 182 v Nottinghamshire 119-4DIVISION TWOCanterbury: Kent 293 v Lancashire 118-3Grace Road: Leicestershire 40-1 v Gloucestershire 482Lord’s: Middlesex 106-3 v Derbyshire 283Northampton: Northants 2-0 v Glamorgan 467And Budinger parties no more, stumps akimbo. A wicket for Taylor. Leicestershire 35-1.Some beautiful, if streaky, boundary hitting by Budinger, who is has kept Gloucestershire on their toes but remains at the crease. Leicestershire 35-0
The Breakdown | England’s juggernaut must be wary of wheels coming off as World Cup stakes rise
It was the basketball great Kobe Bryant who best summed up the precarious status of the dead cert. His multi-talented LA Lakers team came into the 2004 NBA finals as clear favourites to beat the less fashionable Detroit Pistons only to lose 4-1 in the series. “Talent doesn’t get it done, you have to be able to execute,” reflected Bryant. “When you have talent and you execute, that’s when you win.”In other words there is no such thing in sport as an absolute certainty, no matter how good you are
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