Five things England must do to make it two Ashes Test wins in a row in Sydney
Keira Knightley may not spring immediately to mind as a source of inspiration for Ben Stokes’ captaincy but her tactics for dealing with the paparazzi at the height of her fame recalled some of Stokes’ early forays with the armband.Knightley recently explained to Graham Norton that she refused to have anyone follow her, so would stand stock still for hours at a time until the photographers got bored or, better, weirded out.“I do think I freaked them out, they were like: ‘I don’t understand what’s happening here.’”When Brydon Carse came out to bat at No 3 in England’s successful chase in Melbourne, it drew gasps from the crowd in the stadium and saw a spike in social media and texts from those watching at home.“That’s not … Is that Brydon Carse?”Carse made only six runs, largely playing like a man at a silent disco who has his headset tuned to thrash metal.
The experiment was unsuccessful by dint of the scorebook but it did allow Jacob Bethell a few more minutes before arriving out in the middle and punctured the tension a little.There was logic.Carse is an aggressive batter with two first-class centuries (that’s two more than Bethell … ) and he can clear the boundary rope – only Harry Brook has hit more sixes than him in this series.A few meaty swipes would have taken a decent chunk out of England’s remaining target of 126.It was also refreshing to see Stokes get back to the funky captaincy that was such a hallmark of his early time in charge.
More of this would be welcome in Sydney, especially if Cricket Australia orders up a flat pitch in order to try to recoup lost funds from the pair of two-day finishes in this series.Remember Stokes setting those umbrella fields in Pakistan and opting to kick off a Test with the spin of Jack Leach? Leach became the first England spinner to open the bowling on day one of a Test match for 101 years.Three years later and England’s specialist spinner, Shoaib Bashir, has gone unselected in this series and is unlikely to be seen in Sydney, never mind opening the bowling.Stokes’s early tenure was all washing-machines-in-the-pub freak’-em-out energy and ideas but, understandably, some of that has gone missing on this tour.Most notably when Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland were batting England out of the game in Brisbane and Stokes looked like he had run out of plans, the game drifted into Australia’s hands.
Which brings us to …England have bowled too short and wide on this tour, Stokes has been hamstrung by bowlers who have at times seemed unable to execute simple plans, namely hammer the top-of-off-stump line and length that has served Australia’s bowlers so well all series.That Starc-Boland partnership in Brisbane was the nadir, with Carse’s pitch map resembling some sort of nihilistic experiment in Brownian motion as the man Stokes has backed all series struggled to pitch consecutive deliveries within the same postcode.But Carse was a different beast in Melbourne, albeit on a surface that assisted above and beyond, his off-bail-trimming wicket of Travis Head was a beauty and should be the blueprint for him heading into Sydney.A replica of that delivery will cause problems for any left-hander in the Aussie lineup.He is the series’ second-highest wicket taker with 19 to Starc’s 26 but if you compare the impact both men have had on the series those numbers can be accused of telling fibs.
In Sydney, Carse has one more opportunity to repay the faith shown in him by his captain throughout the tour,Can he expand on his newfound rhythm and put something tangible behind the somewhat stat-padded numbers of his series thus far?After taking 19 wickets in three Tests against India in the summer, Josh Tongue once again showed how he can significantly affect games by picking up the player-of-the-match award for his seven wickets in Melbourne,The Nottinghamshire seamer’s omission from the first two matches of the series appears to be a significant blunder with the benefit of hindsight but is perhaps indicative that he wasn’t seen as a main figure in this squad,He should be now,Stokes should give him the new ball in Sydney and back him to make an impact once again.
In many ways, Zak Crawley’s entire Test career has been built on the back of the 77 off 100 balls he scored in Sydney on the last Ashes tour,Crawley hit 14 fours and looked extremely comfortable against high pace and bounce,He’s been a shoo-in for this series ever since, despite a feast-or-famine record that has locked his Test average in the low 30s,The Sydney innings four years ago could also be seen as symbolic of Crawley’s Test career in that it looked good while it lasted but he failed to convert it into a meaningful score that affected the result of the game,Crawley is England’s highest scorer of the series and, despite the pair he bagged in Perth, has looked in good nick since.
Sydney would be a fitting place for his Test career to fire into its next phase … or fizzle out once and for all.With Gus Atkinson missing the final Test with a hamstring injury picked up in Melbourne, it opens the door for Matthew Potts.A redoubtable bowler built in the Fred Trueman-approved way – that is to say strong of heart and backside – the Durham seamer impressed with seven wickets on Test debut at Lord’s in the first Test of the Stokes and McCullum era but has been seen only sporadically for his 10 Test matches across three years since.He hasn’t played under Stokes for more than a year but is the closest England have to Boland and Michael Neser.After carrying the drinks for two months, he’ll be champing at the bit to take his opportunity in Sydney.
Jamie Smith standing up to the stumps with Potts nibbling it around off a length may not have been on most people’s Ashes bingo card for Sydney, but by this stage of proceedings, if you can beat them only once in 15 years, you may as well join them.
Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for pimento cheese and pickle loaded crisps | Quick and easy
Pimento cheese, a much-loved American spread, has been a permanent fixture in my kitchen this month. Whether it’s a quick sandwich filling in times of chaos or an effortless party dip, I am addicted. My favourite way to serve it, though, is as part of a loaded crisp platter. Use salted or pickle crisps, and load them up with spoonfuls of pimento cheese, sliced pickles, herbs and heat. Move over nachos, there’s a new crisp platter in town
Ten things I love (and hate) about restaurants in winter
As the wildly popular social media platform celebrates its 10th year, we ask the Topjaw frontman what he loves – and hates – about eating out during the festive season.PiesI love pies. I scoff when people ask: “What is British cuisine?” First, we have the most diverse culinary scene on the planet, with great Asian and Mediterranean food everywhere. And, second, what even is British cuisine?! A pie is one of the greatest dishes ever created. Think a chicken, rabbit and tarragon pie, with good 50:50 butter:potato mash and really good gravy
‘Many over-hyped London restaurants left me cold’: Grace Dent’s best restaurants of 2025 | Grace Dent on restaurants
For reasons that may already be apparent, and that are currently playing on BBC One, I have spent much of 2025 watching people cook scallops and souffles in a windowless television location unit in Digbeth, Birmingham. MasterChef, despite being one of the most exhilarating jobs a girl can do, sucked up most of my waking hours this year, and made my free time extra-precious. So the very best restaurants I found this year – those with zinging hospitality and heart-thumpingly good food – became equally extra-crucial.I’m talking about the likes of Tropea in Harborne, just down the road from the TV studio, and where I’ve spent a fair few Saturdays eating butternut squash arancini, fresh tagliolini and whopping great deep-fried salted cannoli. Over in Bristol, meanwhile, two absolute gems revealed themselves on the very same trip: Ragù and Lapin, both in Wapping Wharf and both in repurposed shipping containers, but entirely different creatures
Countdown to 2026 – a New Year’s Eve menu
When it comes to throwing parties, the world falls into two quite distinct camps: those who love to do so, and those who would rather do almost anything else. Getting organised early is key, and finding a few delicious recipes to start the proceedings will amuse your guests while you try to keep the show on the road.These spicy, citrussy snacks by Thomasina Miers go perfectly with the pink grapefruit mocktails belowA delicious festive starter that can be adapted to serve with a sweet topping for the kidsThese drinks are a refreshing alternative to booze, but also make a delicious mixer for a tequila or gin-based cocktailHome-infused gin for a special festive martini for gifting or serving at partiesBask in the glory of this spread by Honey & Co – no one will ever suspect how little effort was involvedIn Benjamina Ebuehi’s dessert, puddles of spiced cranberry sauce are baked into the chocolate frangipane for a pairing that puts any surfeit of cranberries to good use
The joy of leftovers – what to cook in the calm after Christmas
At this time of year, I like to stay home, shut off from the world and do as little as possible for as long as possible. Eat all the food, embrace all the leftovers and be creative with whatever’s in the kitchen. After the big day, I like to turn leftovers into some sort of pie: they’re forgiving and malleable and work with whatever you have hanging about. This leftovers pie from Tom Hunt and this turkey and ham pie from Felicity Cloake are great places to start. You could absolutely make your own pastry, as Tom does, or use shop-bought if you want to keep things as simple as possible (I always store a few rolls of pastry in the fridge over Christmas for precisely this reason)
Helen Goh’s recipe for an espresso martini pavlova bar | The sweet spot
Your favourite cocktail is now a DIY pavlova party! Pile crisp coffee meringues high with espresso cream, boozy cherries, a drizzle of whisky caramel and a flicker of edible gold leaf, then shake, spoon and sparkle your way into the New Year. A few tips: arrange the toppings in glass bowls or on tiered trays for a beautiful display, add labels for fun and, if it’s sitting out for a while, keep the whipped cream chilled on ice.Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr 40 min Makes 24 meringuesFor the meringues (make up to 3 days ahead) 140g egg whites (from about 4 large eggs)220g caster sugar 2 tsp instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 tsp hot water1 tsp cornflour ½ tsp white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 pinch fine sea salt Cocoa powder Edible gold leaf (optional)For the espresso brandy cherries (make up to 3 days ahead)400g frozen black cherries 60g light brown sugar 60ml black coffee A pinch of sea salt 2 tbsp brandy, or coffee liqueur (Kahlúa, Tia Maria or similar)½ tsp vanilla extractFor the whisky caramel (make up to 3 days ahead)300g caster sugar 60ml water 150ml double cream 50ml whiskyFor the espresso mascarpone cream (make on the day) 300ml double cream 150g mascarpone 2 tsp coffee grounds 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp cinnamonTo make the meringues, heat the oven to 150C (130C fan)/300F/gas 2 and line two large oven trays with baking paper. In a clean bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium-high to soft peaks. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking until thick, glossy peaks form and the sugar dissolves – test by rubbing a bit of the meringue mix between your fingers: it should feel smooth
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