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BBC Radio 5 Live

The Test Match Special team bring you the very best reaction, insight & analysis of the Ashes Test series with daily episodes from down under.

Test Match Special

Eleanor Oldroyd is out and about in Perth for reaction to England naming their twelve-man squad for the first Ashes Test. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has his say on where the first Test could be won, England fast bowler Gus Atkinson looks ahead to the first match of the series, and Chief Cricket Reporter Stephan Shemilt and TMS commentator Simon Mann dissect the twelve in England's squad. Plus, how could Australia line up after a hint from Australia bowler Mitchell Starc said he would bat at eight.

England name their 12 for first Ashes Test

Every weekday during the 2025-26 Ashes, comedian and statistician Andy Zaltzman poses new a cricketing conundrum.
 
It won’t be easy though. You might want to take it away, share in your group chats and challenge your friends.
 
Andy will reveal the answer the following day.

Test Match Special has live commentary on BBC Sounds with a team including Jonathan Agnew, Simon Mann and Jim Maxwell. England's 2005 Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan, legendary Australia seamer Glenn McGrath and ex-England spinners Phil Tufnell and Alex Hartley will be part of the punditry team.

Daily Ashes Quiz: Most centuries scored

Ashton Agar talks through his remarkable innings at Trent Bridge in 2013, where aged 19 he scored a brilliant 98. Agar tells Stephan Shemilt all the details of a special day.

From The Ashes: Ashton Agar

Steve Crossman is joined by Mark Ramprakash, Jack Leach and Durham's Australian coach Ryan Campbell to look ahead to the opening Test of the Ashes series that begins on Friday in Perth. They will also be joined by Australian journalist Geoff Lemon.

They discuss the challenges of touring in Australia, the importance of the opening ball of the series, as well as the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two sides including; the leadership, spinners, pace attacks, and the Aussie top order.

Timecodes:
00:03:43 - expectations of the series
00:12:30 - The importance of the first ball of the Ashes
00:18:12 - Touring Australia and the phoney war
00:23:17 - What should England expect in Perth?
00:33:53 - Ben Stokes
00:45:40 - Australia without Cummins and Hazlewood
00:58:38 - Spinners
01:15:51 - England's pace attack
01:25:20 - Australia's top order
01:30:45 - Joe Root

The Ashes Preview

Daily Ashes Quiz: Centuries for nought

Eleanor Oldroyd chats to Phil Tufnell and Alex Hartley, plus we have a look around the Perth Stadium as the countdown to the first Test continues.

It's Ashes week in Perth

Jonathan Agnew and Stephan Shemilt are in Perth where the men’s Ashes begins in just 5 days’ time. Ollie Pope joins us to talk about the pressure of cementing his number three slot and losing the vice captaincy to Harry Brook. Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie discusses the loss of Josh Hazlewood and a possible Ashes debut for Brendan Doggett and Aggers shares memories of previous Perth visits including playing tennis with the England captain and being seconded to bowl at England players in the nets.

Pope on the pod and Aggers in the nets.

Jonathan Agnew and Stephan Shemilt round up all the Ashes tour news including details of England’s win against the Lions with Ollie Pope again in the runs, and we get an Australian view from ABC Radio reporter Mitch Turner plus England fast bowler Brydon Carse joins the podcast.

Huge Ashes injury blow for Australia

Ollie Pope scored a hundred in England’s warm-up game against the Lions at Lilac Hill. There were also runs for Ben Stokes, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, but Joe Root, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith missed out.

Chief Cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt rounds up the action in Perth and is joined by cricket author and Times journalist Simon Wilde 

We also get reaction from Zak Crawley and hear from multiple Ashes winner Sarah Taylor who’s part of the Lions coaching set-up,

Pope seals Ashes place with century

Chief Cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt reports from Lilac Hill on a mixed opening day of England’s Ashes tour. Ben Stokes picked up four wickets in his first competitive bowl since July, but there was an injury concern over Mark Wood.
 
Stephan is joined by George Dobell from the Cricketer and we hear from England vice captain Harry Brook.

Wickets for Stokes, but injury worries for Wood

Daniel Norcross presents from a wet Old Trafford on day four of the 3rd Test between England and West Indies. Play was abandoned due to the weather and will resume on the final day with the tourists on 10-2, chasing an unlikely 399 to win. Joe Root's side will need to take eight wickets to win the Test and series.
Due to the washout Simon Mann took the opportunity to chat with summariser Carlos Brathwaite and asked him to answer some of our listeners' questions. Inevitably much of the discussion surrounded the World T20 Final in 2016 when he hit four successive sixes in the final over to lead West Indies to victory against England. He reveals what was going through his mind as Ben Stokes bowled at him in that finale and what was said between the pair afterwards. Amidst all the cricket talk, we also let Carlos have a go at doing the Shipping Forecast!

Day 4: No play but there is Ask Carlos

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