Latest news with #Ashes'
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Big Brother star Ashley Ogle gifted apartment, R500k and more
Ashley Ogle's fans pulled out all the stops for her. Congratulations are in order for Big Brother Mzansi Season 5 star, Ashley Ogle, following her '29 Days of Pure Entertainment' surprise party. The celebration, which marked Ashley's time inside the Big Brother house earlier this year, was held this past Saturday at the Buitengeluk venue in Sandton. Her devoted fans, known as 'Ashes' and 'Ashangles', hosted the surprise party to honour the reality TV star, showering her with gifts worth over half a million rand. ALSO READ: 'I did not have any sexual encounters in the house': BBMzansi's Ashley Ogle on pregnancy rumours Ashley Ogle's fans pull out all the stops Among the lavish gifts presented were a paid-for apartment, a R500 000 cheque, R10,000 in fuel vouchers, an iPad, stylish accessories, and a R5 000 Zara clothing voucher. During her acceptance speech, Ashley opened up about her journey as she expressed gratitude to her supporters. 'Everything I have lost has been restored… If there's something I could tell people today, it's that God takes nobodies with anger issues like me — a mess like me— and makes them great.' The reality TV star also expressed gratitude to the Big Brother platform for transforming her life. 'When I entered the Big Brother house, I knew it would change my life, but I didn't think it would be this much. 'My grandfather told me I was going to be famous one day, but no one believed him because he was a drunk. Through him, I found the love of Michael Jackson and Pam Andrews — he bought me the DVD sets for my fifth birthday, and from that moment I knew I was going to be a star,' Ashley shared. NOW READ: Barbados Prime Minister extends condolences to Rihanna following father's death
Telegraph
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Zak Crawley's struggles continue, but there is a difference this time
It was a confused, tortured walk off for Zak Crawley at Canterbury. That was partly down to the peculiar manner of his dismissal: pushing forward tentatively in defensive mode to the bustling medium pace of Gloucestershire's Tom Price, the edge flew to first slip where the Australian Cameron Green, unusually, dropped a sitter, only to spoon the ball up to the wicketkeeper James Bracey, who took the catch. Chaos... but vitally the ball stays up! — Gloucestershire Cricket 🏆 (@Gloscricket) April 19, 2025 It took the square-leg umpire to confirm that Crawley was out, and it must have felt like rubbing salt into the wound for Kent, after they had watched Green and Bracey make fine centuries in Gloucestershire's first-innings 472. Kent's response, with the England opener gone for one from five balls, was off to a rotten start. Crawley's season has got off to a pretty rotten start, too. In three first innings, he has made 1 (7), 0 (4) and 1 (5). In two second innings, he has fared better with 31 and 58. The latter was a classy knock that set up a superb chase of 315 against Middlesex, although he was dropped on nought. Crawley's run of form is not isolated to this season. He has been struggling ever since returning from a nasty broken finger in Pakistan last October. Across the formats, he has batted 23 times, scoring just 292 runs at under 13. He was undone by left-arm spin in Pakistan, then by Matt Henry, who dismissed him six times out of six, in New Zealand, and had a tough SA20 in the new year, too. "OHHH YESSS" Zak Crawley is dismissed for a fifth time in this test series by Matt Henry 👀 📺 Watch #NZvENG on TNT Sports and discovery+ — Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 14, 2024 While there has been a pattern to the scores, there has also been no real pattern to his dismissals this season: bowled by a hooping in-swinger from a left-arm seamer; cutting a medium-pacer to point; lbw to an honest straight ball from Toby Roland-Jones; bowled playing across the line to a left-arm spinner; now, caught behind with an assist from first slip. It has not been the same every time. This has not happened in a vacuum. A lean trot in the Championship to start the new summer is nothing new for Crawley. He averages just 32.5 for Kent in first-class cricket, compared to 30.5 in Test cricket. Last year, he averaged 32.2 in 10 innings in April and May for Kent, with 238 of those runs coming in a single knock. Championship form has never affected England's faith in Crawley, and is highly unlikely to now. They are on the threshold of a series they expect him to thrive in, against the world's best bowlers and, in the Ashes' case, on bouncy pitches which should suit him. But things do feel a little different this time. For a start, Crawley is 27; neither old nor young. He was the future once, a high-potential player worthy of indulgence in the hope of performance's tomorrow. Now he has played 53 Tests, and only eight players have opened more often for England in Test cricket. He needs to repay that faith. Just before his injury, suffered at the end of a Test against West Indies last July, Crawley appeared close to having cracked it, following superb series against Australia and India in 2023-24 and a solid start to last summer. Substance had been married to the obvious style, and his challenge then was converting half-centuries into match-shaping scores. Now, so short on confidence, it feels like we have rewound two years. Last summer, Crawley was so embedded in England's side that when he got injured, they did not even look for serious long-term cover, instead experimenting with middle-order dasher Dan Lawrence. The alternatives – Keaton Jennings, Dom Sibley and Alex Lees – had been tried before, and just did not quite feel Bazball enough. Now, though, credible candidates are emerging. Jacob Bethell is warming pine at the IPL, but played well at No 3 in New Zealand, creating a squeeze. Sussex's Tom Haines has two hundreds this year, and played nicely against Surrey at Hove, although England will no doubt have noticed how Gus Atkinson's bouncers troubled – and hit – him on a slow pitch. Perhaps most threatening to Crawley is Durham's Ben McKinney, who is a rare batsman in that he is even taller than the Kent man. McKinney is very early in his journey, and has just three first-class hundreds. An impetuous dismissal against Yorkshire on Saturday, caught at second slip going hard at the new ball, was a reminder that he has much to learn. But he averages 40 in first-class cricket, and made an excellent hundred on the Lions tour in Australia this year. He fits the brief, and is being groomed by England, it seems. This summer is earlier than they would like him to play, but do not be surprised to see him in a squad on work experience, much like they planned for Bethell to be in New Zealand. In the short term, England will likely be unmoved by Crawley's poor run, knowing he is a streaky player who can kickstart his summer in a single knock. But taking a longer view, they may reflect that more reliable alternatives are emerging.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kangaroos or Wallabies? Ashes duels go head-to-head
League or Union? Kangaroos or Wallabies? Liverpool or Twickenham?... Rugby lovers are set to be handed an unprecedented 'decisions, decisions' moment when Australia face England in two mouth-watering Ashes duels in the different codes 275km apart at the very same time this November. The confirmation of the Kangaroos itinerary to England in October and November in the first three-Test rugby league 'Ashes' series since 2003 has brought delight in both countries that one of the great rivalries in world sport is being rekindled after 22 years. 😤 Rivalry Reignited 🏴 #EnglandRL will face @Kangaroos in the @ABKBeer Rugby League Ashes for the first time since 2003! 👇 Pre-register your interest in tickets now... — England Rugby League (@England_RL) March 26, 2025 But there'll be disappointment that the second of the three Tests will be played at Everton's new soccer stadium at the same time the Wallabies are duelling England at Twickenham in a fixture given fresh impetus last year when Australia won one of the greatest matches between the old foes. England - or Great Britain, most often in the past in League's case - have been playing Australia in both codes for more than a century, with tours and matches often taking place around the same time of year. Indeed, the first rugby league Test between the old rivals took place in Huddersfield in January 1909, with England winning 14-9, only a week before Australia's 15-a-side pioneers - dubbed the Rabbits by their hosts until the visitors decided Wallabies was more fitting - won the first Union Test 9-3 in Blackheath, London. But never in 116 years of Anglo-Australian rugby duels have the clashes been played at the same time, with the second League Test kicking off at Everton at 2.30pm on November 1 (1.30am, November 2, AEDT) while the Wallabies kick off at Twickenham at 3.10pm (2.10am, November 2, AEDT). It's an unfortunate clash for any late-night viewers in Australia. MAX. JORGENSEN. 🔥#Wallabies #AutumnNationsSeries — Wallabies (@wallabies) November 9, 2024 The Kangaroos' once-in-a-generation trip could take precedence for armchair watchers because of its rarity value, but the Wallabies' last-gasp 42-37 triumph at Twickenham was unmissable theatre last November and should be again following on from the Lions' tour of Australia. England haven't met Australia in any rugby league international since the World Cup final in 2017, won by Cameron Smith's Kangaroos 6-0, and the hosts will be itching for a crack at breaking a 13-series drought stretching back to 1970 when they tackle the world champions at Wembley (25 October), Everton (1 November) and Leeds (8 November) on successive Saturdays. Australia coach Mal Meninga, who went on a record four successful Kangaroos' tours to Britain in 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994, can't wait, describing the Ashes series as "the ultimate" in the international game. "We love the history, but we haven't had a chance to play England since 2017 and from an Ashes point of view we haven't played since 2003," added Meninga, saying he planned to stick largely with the players who took 2024 Pacific Cup honours under Isaah Yeo. "To be able to play at Wembley, at the new stadium in Everton - where no other team has been before - and then going back to the tradition of Headingley, that is exciting. "We also want to make a statement leading into the World Cup in 2026, so it is an important part of the journey for us."
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ECB apologises for Pope Francis ‘Ashes' joke and quickly deletes post
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has apologised after deleting a social media post that joked Pope Francis 'loves the Ashes'. The Pope has been in hospital since February and is being treated for double pneumonia, with the ECB acknowledging that the post was 'ill-judged' and confirming it was 'swiftly detetled'. The social media account of the 88-year-old pontiff posted a message to mark Ash Wednesday, saying: 'The #Ashes remind us of who we are, which does us good'. The England Cricket account then reposted the Pope's message, along with: 'Even @Pontifex loves the Ashes' - in reference to the historic rivalry between England and Australia. Pope Francis was unable to take part in this year's Ash Wednesday celebrations as he remained in hospital. "This was an ill-judged post and was swiftly deleted," an ECB spokesman said. "We apologise for any offence."
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ECB apologises for insensitive Pope Francis tweet
The England and Wales Cricket Board has apologised for a social media post joking that the Pope 'loves the Ashes' following an Ash Wednesday message from the critically ill 88-year-old. The ECB told Telegraph Sport the apparent attempt at humour by the England cricket team's social media staff had been 'ill-judged' and that the post in question had been 'swiftly deleted'. Pope Francis, who has been battling double pneumonia in the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for more than a fortnight, posted a message to his @Pontifex account on Tuesday evening to mark the start of the holy season of Lent. He wrote: 'The #Ashes remind us of who we are, which does us good. It puts us in our place, smooths out the rough edges of our narcissism, brings us back to reality, and makes us more humble and open to one another. None of us is God; we are all on a journey. #Lent.' The message was re-posted by the @englandcricket account on Wednesday along with the words: 'Even @Pontifex loves the Ashes.' An ECB spokesman said: 'This was an ill-judged post and was swiftly deleted. We apologise for any offence.' The gaffe followed a recent spate of sanctions that have been issued to cricketers over offensive social-media posts, including ones dating back many years. Fears are mounting for the health of Pope Francis after he suffered two respiratory attacks on Monday, forcing doctors to intervene to extract a large build-up of mucus from his lungs. 'Today, the Holy Father experienced two episodes of acute respiratory failure, caused by a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm,' the Vatican said in a statement released that evening. The Pope, who has been in hospital since February 14, was put back on non-invasive mechanical ventilation, the Vatican said. Despite the acute breathing difficulties, the Pope remained alert and co-operated fully with doctors, the Holy See said. The latest respiratory crisis appeared to be another significant setback in the Pope's attempts to recover from bronchitis and pneumonia in both lungs. He has not been seen in public since being admitted to hospital more than two weeks ago. Nor has the Vatican released any photographs or video of him. Although he has been taken to hospital in the past, this is the longest absence from public life during his 12-year-long papacy and there is speculation that he might resign or that the end of his life is approaching. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
