England cricketer Alastair Cook wed his childhood sweetheart yesterday – and whisked her away from the church in a tractor.

Ashes hero Alastair Cook weds childhood sweetheart and drives her from church in a TRACTOR

THE hard work starts now for Andrew Strauss and his players.

England have the best attack in world that will rattle Pakistan

ALASTAIR COOK took 20 mates to the darts at Ally Pally – and paid for their £150-a-head night in the VIP seats.

Darts fan Alistair Cook backs England’s treble captains

RANGANA HERATH took 5-79 as Sri Lanka enjoyed an impressive 208-run win over South Africa.

Rangana Herath the hero as Sri Lanka get first win in South Africa

AUSTRALIA paceman Peter Siddle bowled Sachin Tendulkar for 73 in the last over of the second day’s play of the First Test in Melbourne.

Peter Siddle bowls Sachin Tendulkar for 73

Australian cricket legend Ian Healy looked a bit of a drongo after taking a tumble from a Segway at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Ian Healy latest Segway fall victim at MCG – video

WAHAB RIAZ, whose name was mentioned in court during this year’s spot-fixing trial in London, has been recalled to the Pakistan squad to face England next month.

Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz gets controversial recall to face England

ANDY FLOWER says England can afford no complacency in 2012 if they are to remain the No.1 Test nation in the world.

Andy Flower: no room for complacency if England are to stay at the top

WORCESTERSHIRE have opened talks with Australia opener Phil Hughes about him joining the county for the 2012 campaign.

Aussie ace Phil Hughes may join Worcestershire for longer

A bronze statue of Aussie cricketing great Shane Warne was unveiled at the home of Australian cricket, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, today.

Shane Warne unveils his new statue – and he can still take wickets, too

ANDREW STRAUSS wants to play two more series against Australia in a bid to become the first England post-war captain to win the Ashes four times in a row.

England skipper Andrew Strauss sets sights on two more Ashes victories

THEY CALL him “The Wall”, arguably the batsman in world cricket you would ask to stay in for YOUR life.

Rahul Dravid the perfect man to champion Test cricket

KEVIN PIETERSEN has revealed how he offered to be England’s one-day captain last summer – only to be snubbed in favour of Alastair Cook.

Kevin Pietersen reveals snub as ODI captain

India have fought some epic battles with Australia but now embark on a test tour with what many believe is their best chance of humbling the wearers of the baggy green caps in their own back yard for the first time.

India look to upset Australia down under

MATT PRIOR has warned his England team-mates against resting on their laurels — and believes their biggest ever test will come in the New Year when they tour the subcontinent.

Matt Prior fires England warning

RECALLED England star Monty Panesar has got into the Christmas spirit by pulling a sledge — as part of a gruelling fitness ­routine.

Monty Panesar’s guide to Christmas sledging.

WORLD T20 winner Michael Yardy has lifted the lid on life with depression and revealed his desire to help England retain their trophy.

Michael Yardy: depression left me a zombie

Melbourne Stars skipper Cameron White believes Shane Warne can still be an intimidating force ahead of his return from retirement in the Big Bash League tomorrow night.

Shane Warne still has the fear factor

British sport has received a record six nominations for the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards. 

British sport earns a record six nominations in the Laureus World Sports Awards

After the sort of break that could have been billed as once in a lifetime, England return to duty next week. They do so by entering unknown territory against a familiar foe to confront one compelling question: is the magic still there?

Strauss climbs the walls in bid to stay on top of world

Pakistan’s cricket team remain one of the wonders of the modern world. All logic suggests that they ought to be hopeless, permanently skewered by the mysteries of fractious internal politics and waspish selection, and simply representing a basket case of a country where they cannot play because everybody else refuses to go there.

Pakistan are stable again but will still amaze and infuriate

Australia yesterday brought Ryan Harris into their squad for the second Test against India, adding a fourth pace option a day after bowling their way to victory in the opening match.

Australia add Harris to winning side and consider all-pace attack

Quite a lot of high-profile sportsmen appear to have a better chance of reflecting the world, and some of its basic frailties, than making it a better place. However, if this is true, and a rash of super-injunctions and adolescent anarchy this year suggested that it might well be, the achievement of England’s cricket captain is made especially creditable.

Ten people who changed the world: Andrew Strauss, cricketer who set new standards for English sport

That this was in itself a notable victory for Australia, and in particular their still formative coaching team of Mickey Arthur and Craig McDermott, is undeniable. What is more difficult to gauge, with Australia one up with three to play, is whether the outcome offers a telling indication of a team in decline being passed by one on the up; or rather that the year ends with Australia’s glass half-full and India’s half-empty as a result of four fluctuating days in Melbourne.

Does MCG win mean Australia are back?

The diminutive left-arm spinner Rangana Herath took five wickets as Sri Lanka recorded their first Test win in South Africa with a 208-run trouncing at Kingsmead yesterday. Sri Lanka bowled the home side out for 241 just before the close on the fourth day of the second Test to level the series at 1-1. It was the tourists’ first Test victory in the country in nine attempts.

Herath spins Sri Lanka to historic victory

Sri Lanka levelled their series in South Africa with victory by 208 runs
on the fourth day of the second Test at Durban.

Sri Lanka level series against South Africa

Australia’s pace attack produced a bowling display reminiscent of the side’s era of dominance as they swept India aside to secure a 122-run victory in the first Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia snatch victory in first Test against India

South Africa’s aim of challenging England’s status as the world’s No 1 Test side is in danger of again being undermined by their inability to win at home. They have not recorded a series success on their own soil for three years and, facing a deficit of 426 runs with two days remaining of the second Test in Durban, have plenty of batting to do if they are to prevent Sri Lanka levelling the series.

Sangakkara adds to South Africa’s problems at home

Sri Lanka look well placed to level their three-match series against South Africa after claiming a 426-run lead by the close of play on day three of the second Test in Durban.

Sri Lanka set to level series against South Africa

Australia held an overall lead of 230 runs at stumps on day three of the first Test against India at the MCG, after reaching 179 for eight in their second innings.

India hit back over Hilfenhaus exploits

It’s been a year like no other for Test-match debutants. Yesterday in Durban, Marchant de Lange became the eighth bowler to return five wickets in his first taste of the game’s highest form to join an eclectic collection – three Australians, two South Africans, an Indian, a New Zealander and a Bangladeshi called Sunny – in making 2011 the year of the rookie.

Magnificent seven for De Lange but South Africa are skittled

Sri Lanka gained control of the second Test against South Africa at Durban on day two, when 14 wickets fell for 224 runs.

Wickets tumble as Sri Lanka grab control

Sachin Tendulkar threatened to bring up a magical 100th international century but was dismissed late on day two after helping put India in command of the first Test against Australia.

Tendulkar falls short of landmark century

Australia batsman Ed Cowan spent hours patiently seeing off India’s attack as he crafted a half-century on his debut in the Boxing Day Test but was quickly on the front foot after stumps, when he told cricket’s governing body to get its house in order over the decision review system.

Cowan finds lack of DRS a real turn-off

South Africa’s Marchant de Lange took 4 for 60 on debut as Sri Lanka lost two late wickets to go to stumps on 289 for 7 on day one of the second Test in Durban.

Debutant De Lange stuns Sri Lankans

Australia finished on 277 for six at the end of a controversial first
day of the Boxing Day Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Test evenly poised after controversial first day

Ten Test matches, 10 wins, a batting average of 46.43, a bowling average of 23.61 – statistics to dream of. And who can be the progenitor of these improbable figures, the basis of formidable sporting legend? It is Tim Bresnan, once all but dismissed as a chubby lad from Pontefract, now rapidly gaining credence as an authentic international all-rounder.

Tim Bresnan: England’s lucky charm

Australia used to catch the eye because they were so good, but times have changed.

Cowan the latest new boy for evolving Aussies

From a county’s point of view, signing a current England international is always something of a risk. The issue is one of availability, and in signing James Taylor, Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell has acknowledged he is putting a certain amount of faith in the form and fitness of the Test side’s current batting line-up.

Taylor aims to gatecrash England top six

Police arrested a man who broke into the home of Australia cricketer Ed Cowan, a day after he was named as an opener for the first Test against India in Melbourne starting on Boxing Day.

‘Random’ intruder caps a crazy day for Cowan

Jason Gillespie is not a man given to reminiscing, even though his entitlement in that regard is beyond question. A member of perhaps the greatest Test cricket team the world has seen, he was capped 71 times, a staggering 47 of them on the winning side. With 259 Test wickets – a tally that would have been greater but for injuries – he is the sixth most successful Australian bowler of all time.

Jason Gillespie: Dizzy confident that Australia will soon be on upward curve

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has extended his contract with Surrey until the end of his international career.

Pietersen signs new Surrey deal

England batsman Kevin Pietersen will remain a Surrey player for the remainder of his international career, it was announced today.

Kevin Pietersen staying with Surrey

Andrew Strauss wants to become the first England post-war captain to win four successive Ashes series.

Strauss targets Ashes history