ben stokes is the best cricketer in the world full—stop at the moment.hink with him in the side undoubtedly they'd be favourites, even away from home, but i think it's evened it up a lot. it's a shame ben's not here, i personally think he should be, but there we go. i think the aussies will be delighted that he's not in the team. the travelling fans, though, remain hopeful. england's barmy army winning the pre—ashes supporters‘ match. but as every one of them knows, it's now down to serious business. andy swiss, bbc news, brisbane. that's it. here on bbc one, it's time for the news where you are. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm katherine downes. an 89th minute goal — and manchester united will have to wait — if they're to progress to the champions league knock—out stages. no such worries for chelsea — they're through, after victory in azerbaijan. and it's nearly here — the talking's over — joe root says england are ready to go — the first ashes test starts in around an hour and a half's time. good evening. the first ashes test starts at midnight ton

but without ben stokes the team is going to look like kittens...and england are preparing for the test match— a game they can't afford to lose. england lost the last test they played against australia in 2015, and were criticised for being too negative. they trail australia four—two on points, but the word from the camp is that they won't be defensive. it was imperative that we learned a lot from the last game, the last three days. and i think not only have we learned more about some of the youngsters have really picked up a lot of information that was not there before. so it is important that we spend the next few days really going on from that. and hopefully there will be a nice little win over here in a few days. it was an irish 1—2—3 at the 157th running of the melbourne cup as stallion rekindling stormed home to win by a long neck overhauling johannes vermeer near the finish to give trainerjoseph o'brien a victory over his father in australia's most famous race. max dynamite finished third at the 2—mile classic. joy neville will become the f

england all—rounder ben stokes has signed for new zealand side canterbury.im unavailable to play for england following his arrest in september on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm following an incident in bristol. they will not review that stance until a decision has been made on whether to charge him. andy swiss reports from adelaide. earlier on, england trained in sweltering conditions. temperatures up sweltering conditions. temperatures up into the 30s. there are forecast to drop significantly over the next 48 hours. by the time play gets under way on saturday, tempters expect to be done into the high teens. that will be much more to england's lighting. we are starting training and news came through of the signing of ben stokes for the new zealand side canterbury. he could make his debut on sunday. is the second day of the test here. but it seems increasingly unlikely ben stokes will feature for england in this ashes series. you might need to wait several weeks before he finds out whether he will be charged. the ecb will wait for that decision befor

in the absence of ben stokes he is noa six.nce of ben stokes he is no a key player for england. six. in the absence of ben stokes he is no a key playerfor england. —— now a key player. with them being away it means we have all got to step up. hopefully i can do that and score runs and take wickets. that is the plan. i will be trying to do that. i feel like i the plan. i will be trying to do that. ifeel like i am building well heading into that test series. good work—out for england's bowlers but after the latest injury skier england will be hoping they can stay fit as well as focused. well australia is a hotbed of sport at the moment. as well as the men's and women's ashes the men's rugby league world cup is well under way. the women's version will soon start alongside it. england are one of six sides competing for the trophy but, as stuart pollitt reports, the players are in a very different situation to their male counterparts. a wet and windy morning in wigan. final training session on home soil for the england women's team.

but it seems increasingly unlikely ben stokes will feature for england in this ashes series.ait several weeks before he finds out whether he will be charged. the ecb will wait for that decision before any review of whether he can play for england. but what do the england players make of it? is this turning into something of a distraction for them? earlier on, we heard from jimmy anderson. it's not something we really think about. we don't not talk about it deliberately. it hasn't come up. we are really focused on trying to win this test series. i think it's important we do focus on that because any distractions outside of our group will probably inhibit that. we're trying to really focus on the cricket. jimmy anderson could be a key man as far as england are concerned here. the pink ball does have a tendency to swing under the floodlights and that would suit anderson's style of bowling. australia have the momentum after that victory in the first test in brisbane. they know if they win here in adelaide the ashes will be within touching distance. andy swiss there reporting from

and he's flown down under, but ben stokes could play his cricket in new zealand — not australia. the latest ashes news from adelaide. good evening. we'll start with this evening's premier league action — four games tonight. and there were goals galore at watford where they were beaten 4—2 by manchester united. united then keeping up the pressure on manchester city at the top of the table. patrick gearey was watching. in the freezing tuesday night in a distant and this was manchester united boss mike premier league endurance test. nights like this are supposed to separate the men from the boys but this was a night to be young... ashley young here. he knows this turf, and whatever the distance he was able to plot the perfect route straight to the watford gap. stunning, in every sense. watford froze, and before they knew it it was three. the only consolation this time... anthony martial, and not young. they started the match like they had the season, bright and bold, but nothing went for them until this decision. penalty, bold, but nothing went for them untilthis decision. penalty,

you have to remember the ben stokes situation, jonny ba i rstow the ben stokes situation, jonny bairstow in the morning so in bristol to early in the morning so it is not good timing but i think they have dealt with at the best that they can. there are bigger issues on the cricket field and that issues on the cricket field and that is the problem for england. the headlines when about this incident for weeks ago, now the problem is that i see is that england will struggle to get 400 runs in the first innings to put australia under pressure and they will find it difficult to get 20 wickets and that for me as more of an issue than what we now know as a lot about of jostling and i don't know how you got, fun, head—butt, play fighting which obviously was the talking point this morning. in the context of ben stokes, they will think, does this england team have a problem with their behaviour? again, we have to know exactly the full facts. the tea m to know exactly the full facts. the team have a little bit of building to do, with the perception of what they are about. unfortunately perception i

no ben stokes in this side. how much will this affect them? dawid malan and moeen ali doing well. bairstow still to come, chris woakes, the more responsibility on his shoulders in the absence of ben stokes. both sides know, whatever happens over the course of the morning, the course of today can it could be pivotal to the outcome of the match. we need a good hour in the morning with the guys that can come in, score quickly. getting through the new ball early in the morning. hopefully building up towards 300, dredge and 50, 400 if we play well. pretty evenly poised. all depends on what happens in the next morning. they batted the whole day. did not really get away from us. they batted quite well. four down at the end of the day, pretty even result. i do think we're going to blast them out tomorrow. trying to bowl good balls. there is enough there, a little bit of nip in the new ball. a bit of swing, hopefully a couple of early ones can get into the tail—enders. should be an intriguing second day's play. a lot of the fans already inside the stadium. that is because players starting

the latest update on the ben stokes. let's get to the football.gue, for now. we've had a couple to fill over the past week or so, everton sacked ronald koeman over a month ago, and after being heavily linked to watford's marco silva they have today been finalising a deal with sam allardyce. the former newcastle, crystal palace and very briefly england manager. here's our reporter richard askem. we are still waiting for official confirmation from the club, but somehow i base is going to be the new managerfor somehow i base is going to be the new manager for everton. somehow i base is going to be the new managerfor everton. he somehow i base is going to be the new manager for everton. he was finalising the deal, we understand, at the club's training ground throughout the day. he is expected at this match tonight against west ham, one of his former teams, of course. he has managed six teams in the premier league and he has this record where he has never been relegated from the premier league. that is what convinced everton he has the la keman, that i

and tonight, speculation mounting over ben stokes after he was seen at heathrow airport.ip to new zealand to spend time with family — and have denied he's on his way to the ashes or any other training camps within the england set—up. stokes is still waiting to find out whether he'll be charged after an incident outside a bar in bristol in september that led to his suspension from the national team. that case remains ongoing. sam allardyce is back in the frame to be everton‘s new manager. he had ruled himself out of the job, but following their 4—1 defeat to southampton yesterday, everton‘s search to fill their vacancy has become increasingly urgent. here's our sports correspondent david ornstein. sam alla rdyce sam allardyce was the initial favourite for the job but he publicly ruled himself out of contention because everton delayed making an offer to him. in the meantime, marco silva, the watford manager, became a key target. they tried to get him but they failed. sam alla rdyce tried to get him but they failed. sam allardyce kept them in the premier league previous to t

so no ben stokes for england in the first test.dy for the match. he says england will miss a high—quality player like stokes, but they are taking nothing for granted. you are always planning for every player, you know, who is not in the squad. we will wait and see what happens with ecb, and the courts. we don‘t worry about it at the moment, all we can worry about is getting ready for brisbane and we will take it from there. at the end of the day they have a squad which they think can win the ashes, and for us it is a case of dealing with the squad they have here. he is also a high quality player, but that is up to them. opening batsmen lokesh rahul and shikhar dhawan hit solid half—centuries to lead india‘s fightback against sri lanka in the first test in kolkata. the duo put together a 166—run stand, on the way to india making i7i—i at stumps on day four. india lead by 49 runs, after overcoming a i22—run deficit in their second innings. for runners who perhaps find city marathons a bit too easy, what about a 165km race through the

the build—up to this ashes series has been dominated by the issue of ben stokes, who is currently backa nightclub back in september. team—mate jonny bairstow says he is hopeful stokes can still play some part in this ashes series. it would be amazing if stokes comes out here. i'm sure you guys all think the same. he's a fantastic cricketer. we don't know what's going on at the moment, that's completely out of our hands. until that's resolved, we actually don't know what is going to happen. i am sure it will get resolved sooner rather than later, we hope, because at the end of the day we want the best cricketers playing in the ashes, don't we? england preparing for this first test without ben stokes. only one real selection dilemma for them to think about. the final fast bowler spot, which seems to be a straight shoot out between craig 0verton and jake ball. but otherwise, the line—up looks pretty settled. england therefore with three days of training to go until the first ashes test gets underway at the gabba here on thursday. england's women lost for the second match in a row in hocke

its importance as an all—rounder in the state is even greater with the absence of ben stokes.ree players to their squad ahead of the ashes test. kate cross, tash farrant and amyjones were already in australia playing club cricket. they've been included mainly to improve training but could be called up to the team if needed. australia lead the series by 4—2. still to come on the programme: the world series wind that gives houston something to celebrate. and i'm at the england rugby team's warm weather training camp in portugal where head coach eddiejones will be discussing the injury problems in the squad. yes, more from chrisjones, but for smaller lines to bring you. mark allen is due to the semifinals of snookehs allen is due to the semifinals of snooker‘s international open, after he earned a deciding frame victory overjudd trump in china. he will play 17—year—old prodigy yan bingtao in the last four, who thrashed ronnie 0'sullivan 6—1 earlier in the week. english golfers florentina parker and georgia hall are in contention at the abu dhabi 0pen. they're eight under—par, fou

finn was brought in to replace ben stokes, who hasn't travelled with the squad, following his arrest.lying home for treatment on a knee injury. the first ashes test starts on the 23rd of this month and the england coach has already decided on most of the side for that test. we know the team for england's opening first—class match, against a cricket australia eleven starting tomorrow in adelaide. jake ball and craig overton are given a chance to make a claim for an ashes spot. stuart broad is rested, but he's sure to feature in that first test in just over a fortnight and he says that although the squad is missing ben stokes, his spirit is still in the camp. obviously, every team in the world would want somebody like ben stokes in there, but we still got his character within the group, his characteristics, that competitive spirit, that arm right people that he has done for years. that's still in this group, so without sounding cheesy, ben stokes is still here, we still have part of him in the script, whether he is in australia oi’ script, whether he is in australia or not. script, whet

and police complete their investigation into the incident involving england all—rounder ben stokes, buthere won't be a resolution for at least several weeks. hello and thanks forjoining us. it's been another busy day in the english premier league with six more matches on wednesday. and there was drama at the etihad as league leaders manchester city scored with seconds remaining to beat southampton 2—1. nicolas otamendi had put pep guardiola's side 1—0 up before oriel romeu equalised for the saints. but a stunning last minute strike from raheem sterling means city stay eight points clear of their rivals manchester united and have now won a club record 12 league games in a row. what happened in the locker room was amazing. that that is what it is. we do this kind ofjob not to title will not lift a title. it is when you leave these situations, you need to enjoy it and celebrated because you never know what will happen in the future. you have to celebrate when you have these occasions. chelsea are still third after a 1—0 win over swansea. the defending champions had manager antonio conte se

he hasn't been far from the headlines, ben stokes recently, but such as technology these days if you as happened to stokes. he has been snapped at heathrow airport. people have put two and two together and basically made five! they assumed he was going to join up with the ashes squad in australia. the england and wales cricket board said that's not the case and andy swiss is following the tour. welcome to adelaide airport where england's players have arrived from brisbane. plenty for them to think about before the second test gets underway on saturday. but while they were flying here, the big talking point was another cricketer making a plane journey, a picture appearing on twitter which it was claimed was ben stokes at an airport. now that prompted fevered speculation he was on his way to australia, the england and wales cricket board say he is not but he is on his way to new zealand. it is said he is making a private trip to new zealand to spend time with his family by the ecb but it seems he wants to play cricket out there because the new zealand side canterbury say they have held

let me say this, without ben stokes down under, the english team will look like kittens.ng up. we will talk you through snapchat and twitter. many of you have been in touch this morning with your thoughts on both. twitter is the biggest expanded up in the world, facebook is basically this socialising, the real—world lives on twitter, says greg, one of oui’ lives on twitter, says greg, one of our viewers. thanks for being in touch. see you soon. the heavens have lit up across northern parts of the uk in the last few hours. we have had some spectacular pictures of the northern lights, the aurora borealis. here is one from the outer hebrides, another from argyll and bute. this phenomenon as a result of the charged particles racing from the sun in the direction of the earth and colliding with our upper atmosphere. enough of the science, onto the weather forecast. we have got some cloud and is all across east anglia and the south—east. this is where the weather front will be towards the end of the night. otherwise it is clear, there will be a frost around as well, first thing

the investigation into the ben stokes nightclub brawl has conclduded and the cps will decide whetherr not to charge the england all rounder. goals everywhere into night's six premier league matches. sam alla rdyce was premier league matches. sam allardyce was at goodison park watching everton. he spent the day at the club finalising the deal to become their next manager. he will replace ronald koeman who was sacked a month ago. his first impressions will have been good. wayne rooney scored his first hat—trick in six yea rs scored his first hat—trick in six years as they thumped fellow strugglers west ham 4—0. our correspondent reports:, the hour, sam. the ball‘s troubleshooter, here to see his new players. he had been looking for a bit of heart and so was the referee, he spotted joe hart trip up the striker. sam allardyce may have wondered what the problem was. at this team only won one in 12? ten minutes later, wayne rooney again, but he only needed one go this time. david moyes hasn't yet recreated his good times at everton with his new club. manuel lanzini made things it 2—1. jord

and ben stokes is down under. know how close he is to playing some part in the ashes, maybe. thanks, hugh. and it's chilly out there — thomas schafernacker, getting any warmer? cold for the next few days, and in the countryside tonight it could dip to -60 the countryside tonight it could dip to —60 minus seven degrees. thank you very much indeed. —— —6 minus seven. also coming up — how to stop millions of tonnes of perfectly good food being needlessly thrown away. hello everyone — this is afternoon live — i'm ben brown. what will be the final price of the brexit divorce bill? the haggling has gone on for months, but now it's understood the government's offered a significant increase in what it's prepared to pay — between 40—50 billion euros, we understand. the hope is that a deal on this brexit bill will finally trigger crucial trade talks. eu leaders will meet soon to decide whether the uk has done enough — and offered enough — for those talks to start. our political correspondent leila nathoo reports. she hopes

australia's vice—captain is david warner and he says he would like to see ben stokes play some part ink it's probably disappointing for the england team and the country, i think. you know, he's let a lot of people down. i would have loved for him to be out here because i know what a competitor he is on the field and he's a world—class player. but at the end of the day, we've got, you know, another 11 guys that will take the field on thursday. and we're excited. we obviously respect our opposition. they've picked the best team that they feel is going to be here to try and beat us. yes, david warner is a key player for australia, although there is a question over his fitness after he injured his neck during training this morning. but whoever plays, it isa this morning. but whoever plays, it is a daunting prospect for england. australia have an incredible record here in brisbane. in fact, they have not lost a test match here in nearly 30 years. they will be the red—hot favourites when the first migratory gets under way here on thursday morning. we shall look forward to that, thank you ver

ben stokes.o be a straight shoot out between craig 0verton and jake ball. 0therwise, out between craig 0verton and jake ball. otherwise, the line—up looks pretty settled. england with three days of training to go until the first ashes test gets underway at the gabba here on thursday. 0ne one to look forward to. england's women lost for the second match in a row in hockey's world league series. they were beaten 1—0 by argentina in auckland, with this late strike from delfina merino sealing the win. it follows england's 2—0 loss to germany in the opening pool b match — they play china next on tuesday. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website — that's bbc.co.uk/sport. over on bbc2 from 6pm, you can watch the final of the tennis world tour finals — it's david goffin against grigor dimitrov. a new name on the trophy this year. i'll have more for you in sportsday at 6:30pm. thank you. philip hammond says there is no silver bullet to solve britain's h

alastair cook says england have pretty much accepted that ben stokes won't play accepted that ben stokesinvestigation into a brawl outside a nightclub, he was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. the women's ashes series comes to an end today, in a next hour or so, australia have already retain the ashes but england could level the series if they win the final t20 today, but they are up against it, beth mooney hitting an unbeaten 117 as australia posted 178-2, unbeaten 117 as australia posted 178—2, and england are 107—3 in reply but over is running out. brighton r&b duminy five premier league matches after drawing 2—2 at home against 0, coming from behind twice to remain in the top half of the table. one of great britain's most successful female drivers, tonia couch has retired. the former european champion and commonwealth silver medallist is going to pursue a career in coaching. that is all for me. i will be back after 11 on bbc news. the family of a former uefa executive who disappeared from his home five weeks ago shortly after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder a

and in sport he has been spotted all around england, ben stokes could be playing cricket in new zealandover bosnia... england and northern ireland are in action later this evening. the head off theirfirst world cup final for 22 years, england's rugby league... for their match against australia on saturday. i will have more in those stories after half past five. new measures have been announced to try to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries during childbirth. the uk has some of the highest levels of stillbirth and early deaths among small babies in western europe, around 1,000 every year. the health secretaryjeremy hunt says all cases of serious harm or death during childbirth in england will in future be independently investigated, as our health correspondent dominic hughes reports. losing twins during pregnancy and then having baby hugo very prematurely means rachel understands all too well the challenges childbirth can present. her experience has taught her that parents and medical staff need to be more aware of when things could go wrong. i think it's education of pregnan

a picture appeared on twitter, ben stokes at their report.ms he wants to play some cricket. the new zealand team canterbury have said they have been holding informal discussions about his availability for forthcoming discussions about his availability forforthcoming matches. ben stokes is suspended from england duty but it is understood they would be happy for him to play for a in new zealand. another intriguing development in this saga. veteran forward chris heighington has been recalled by england for saturday's rugby league world cup final against australia. he played in the first two matches, including defeat to australia in their opening game. he takes a spot on the bench, with james roby starting at hooker. to rugby union — and wales will be without lock jake ball and flanker justin tipuric for their final autumn international, against south africa on saturday. ball dislocated his shoulder in the defeat by new zealand at the weekend and needs surgery, so dragons' cory hill is favourite to partner captain alun wyn jones in the second row

england all—rounder ben stokes could be playing cricket in new zealand in the next few days.g talks with club side canterbury. after he was spotted at heathrow airport, there was speculation on social media that stokes was going to join the ashes squad in australia but the ecb say that's not the case. our sports correspondent andy swiss is following the tour. welcome to adelaide airport where england's players have arrived from brisbane. plenty for them to think about before the second test gets underway on saturday. while they were flying here, the big talking point was another cricketer making a plane journey, a picture appearing on twitter which it was claimed was ben stokes at an airport. that prompted fevered speculation he was on his way to australia, the england and wales cricket board say he is not but on his way to new zealand. it is said he is making a private trip to new zealand to spend time with his family by the ecb but it seems he wants to play cricket out there because the new zealand side canterbury say they have held initial informal discussions with him ove

during his absence, ben stokes made his debut on this tour. he took a catch.james anderson has been back boiler. he mist... england now will be keeping their fingers crossed. there are no more injury square is, they need to be keeping fit as well as staying focused with the first test starting in brisbane on november the 23rd. england's women beat a governor general‘s xi easily in their warm—up ahead of the t20 phase of their ashes series. sarah taylor scored an unbeaten 93 as england won by 90 runs in sydney. the first of three twenty20 matches takes place on friday. england need to win at least two of the three and remain undefeated to retain the ashes. the uk anti—doping agency has closed its investigation into a package delivered to sir bradley wiggins‘ team sky during the 2011 criterium du dauphine. the jiffy bag contained a legal decongestant for sir bradley according to his team management. ukad say they cannot confirm or refute the claim but that they don't intend to issue any anti—doping charges in relation to the package. but, they have said their in

ben stokes is based by that at all. without any thing, he would inspire others.ve dressing room. it is one doesn't feel it can lose any situation. we had that in 2010-11. feel it can lose any situation. we had that in 2010—11. we were bowled out for 230 one the first day. australia batted well and got a big lead of 200. we then got 517—1. we we re lead of 200. we then got 517—1. we were buoyed by it. they can't get us out. they are shattered out there. they are clueless, out of ideas. the crowd have deserted them and they have turned on their own boulders. that permeates through a dressing room. “— that permeates through a dressing room. —— bowlers. they are cheering for us now. 0s liken it to the crowd in rocky for that start screaming. —— —— rocky iv. in rocky for that start screaming. -- -- rocky iv. what about kevin pietersen's relationship with you and some of its team. it has been in the public domain for some time. water under the bridge but the fact is you will be sharing a media facilities in australia. you are both working the tv... he is certainly goin

we will see how things go with ben stokes over the coming weeks.ket defeat in brisbane. you imagine england will need all the help they can, but will need all the help they can, but will ben stokes be coming to their rescue. he has got closer to his team—mates in australia. he is under investigation following that incident outside a bristol night clubleg. the ecb allowed him to play in new zealand this weekend. he was flown out and greeted by his parents as he arrived in christchurch overnight and it sparked plenty of back page stories that stokes could be nearing an england return. he was missed in the defeat at the gabba. police haven't indicated when the investigations could conclude. stokes hasn't been charged with any offence. plenty of the fans on social media are begging the ecb to bring him back, but andrew strauss says they have no idea when there will be an outcome. their procedure means within 48 hours of a decision they could have stokes back in their tea m they could have stokes back in their team and that would be very welcome with an

ben stokes isn't phased by that at all. without any of his playing, he would inspire others. a much weaker position. you describe for me are happy, productive dressing room. you describe for me a happy, productive dressing room. it is one that doesn't feel it can lose any situation. we had that in 2010—11. after the first day of the first test where peter siddle took a hat trick, we were bowled out for 230 on the first day. australia batted well and got a big lead of 200. we then got 517/1, batting, when we should have been bowled out. more a case of what that did to australia as a whole. as a team, we were buoyed by it of course, they can't get us out. they are shattered out there. gotta play again in a couple of days, they are clueless, out of ideas. their captain is out of ideas about how to get above us when the crowd have deserted them and they have turned on their own bowlers. that permeates through a dressing room. those feelings of, you know, they don't like their own players, they're cheering for us now. i always liken it to the crowd in rocky iv who start screaming

so ben stokes is still here without sounding cheesy, still part of him within this group.ing at the sydney oval — knowing that only a win will do. they currently trail australia 11—2 — if australia win the test, they can't be beaten in the series. it was imperative to learn a lot from the last three days and i think not only have we learned more at some of the youngsters have picked up some of the youngsters have picked upa lot some of the youngsters have picked up a lot of information that was not there before. it is important that we spend the next few days going on from that. and hopefully there will bea from that. and hopefully there will be a nice win over here in a few days. kenya's olympic champion jemima sumgong has been banned for doping for four years sumgong won the london marathon last year before becoming the first kenyan woman to win an olympic gold over the distance. she was initially suspended in april but will now be unable to defend her title in tokyo. she tested positive for the banned blood booster epo. rugby union refereejoy neville will make history n

a couple of days after that, the official statement was that, the official statement was that ben stokes strauss has said in the last 24 hours or so is that it has classical —— it is critical that a decision is made one way or another about the criminal charges before they then make a decision about potentially bring him back into the squad. one other cricket line, the 21 year old worcestershire all—rounder alex hepburn will appear before magistrates next week after being charged with two counts of rape alleged to have been committed in april. the director of cricket steve rhodes has also been put on leave by the club after failing to report the player's arrest in a timely fashion. worcestershire won the division 2 county championship last season. it's clearly a good day for hiring managers, sam alla rdyce is finalising his move to everton. he had an ill fated one—game spell in charge of england last year before issues over his conduct saw the fa let him go. he helped crystal palace beat the drop before leaving them at the end of the season. he will have a similarjob on his hands at ever

the england batsman alastair cook says they have pretty much accepted that ben stokes will play no partfind out if he'll be charged over a fight outside a nightclub in september. but he posted this video on social media yesterday, keeping in shape in the nets in durham — bowling and batting. seemingly ready to join up with his team—mates if he is cleared. meanwhile, england have been training at the gabba in brisbane, where australia haven't lost a test in almost 30 years. england do hold the ashes but the last time they were in australia, almost four years ago, they lost 5—0. i think it's probably disappointing for the english team and the country. he's let a lot of people down. i would love for him to have been here because i know what a competitor he is, a world—class player. at the end of the day we have another 11 guys taking the field and we are excited. we respect oui’ field and we are excited. we respect our position, they've picked the best tea m our position, they've picked the best team they feel will be here to try and beat us. and that first test begins on thursday of cours

the squad is in perth, preparing for their first tour match, without ben stokes, who's still in englandcident outside a bristol nightclub. to me, not drinking in between matches, to me, isjust sensible. the players have sat down and had a chat, and they are the ones who've come up with it. we certainly don't wa nt to come up with it. we certainly don't want to put too many curfews on them that keep them in their rooms. it's about picking the right time to have about picking the right time to have a couple of drinks. and knowing when to stay away from it when you are preparing for a match. baseball now, and the world series is all set for a dramatic climax later on in los angeles, after the dodgers beat the houston astros in game six on yesterday to level things up and force a decider. nick marshall—mccormack has been covering the event for us and is in los angeles for us. in the stadium, atmosphere is building. what a way to finish the series, right down to the last game. i couldn't have asked for anything better. as a baseball neutral in this tournament, this isjust better. as a baseba

england batsman mark stoneman says he hopes all—rounder ben stokes can still play a part in the asheslected until further notice, following an incident outside a bristol nightclub in the uk in september. england's opening tour match against a western australia eleven starts on saturday in perth, with the first test on 23rd november. it was very unfortunate what's occurred and i feel for him. it was very unfortunate what's occurred and ifeel for him. i hope there's a way back. obviously once things get settled, it would be if we could have him for part of the tour, but most importantly that he is well and comfortable with himself. the schedule of matches for the 2019 rugby world cup has been confirmed. the fixtures were announced injapan, which will be the first asian country to host the tournament. the holders new zealand will begin the defence of their title against south africa in the pick of the matches in the pool stage. they'll face each other in yokohama on saturday, 21st september. the tournament gets under way the day before, when the host nation japan will face europe's top q

the squad is in perth, preparing for their first tour match, without ben stokes — who's still in englandincident outside a bristol nightclub. captainjoe root has denied there's a drinking culture in the team. to me, yeah, not drinking in between matches is just sensible. to me, yeah, not drinking in between matches isjust sensible. so to me, yeah, not drinking in between matches is just sensible. so the players have sat down and had a chat and they are the ones who've come up with their. we do not want to put too many cu rfews with their. we do not want to put too many curfews on them that keep them in their rooms. it is about choosing the right time to have a couple of drinks. obviously, knowing when to stay away from it is when you are preparing for a match. new zealand have lost their number one t20 ranking after losing to india, in the first match of their series. india batted first in delhi and made 202 for three from their 20 overs — with openers rohit sharma and shikhar dharwan both scoring 80. new zealand were never really in the hunt — and fell 5a runs short of their target. the

the england batsman alastair cook say they "have pretty much accepted" that ben stokes will play no partrm after a fight outside a nightclub but the police investigation is ongoing. stokes posted this on social media yesterday, keeping in shape in the nets in durham. bowling and batting. seemingly ready to join up with his teamates if he is cleared. england have been training at the gabba in brisbane where australia haven't lost a test in almost 30 years. england do hold the ashes but the last time they were in australia, almost four years ago, they lost 5—nil. they will certainly be a weaker side without stokes. it is disappointing for the england team. i would love for him to be out here. he is a world—class player. but at the end of the we have got another 11 guys that will take the field come thursday and we're excited. we respect our opposition. they have picked the best team that they feel is going to be here to try and beat us. wales have will have to take on the rugby world champions new zealand on saturday without liam williams and alex cuthbert. williams suffered an abdominal i

england are preparing for the series, initially at least, without key all—rounder ben stokes.stralia's position as favourites, but batsmanjames vince doesn't seem perturbed by a confident australian outfit. obviously a lot of talk in the media, a lot of talk from their players, and that sort of thing, which is quite enjoyable, to be honest. it hopes it up. it is good fun to listen to some comments. mitchell starc is already so suggested that the middle order of england are a bit susceptible. suggested that the middle order of england are a bit susceptiblelj suggested that the middle order of england are a bit susceptible. i am sure we will hear more about middle order, top order, bowling attacks, spinners, everything. but yes, it is something a bit extra, and i think they are putting pressure on themselves as much is anything to come out and make sure that they perform from the word go. and a few of the guys mentioned it doesn't go quite so well for them early they can quickly turn on each other, and the media, and it can be hard for them. so a good start for us is vital, and

and police complete their investigation into the incident involving england all—rounder ben stokes, butveral weeks. hello and thanks forjoining us. it's been another busy day in the english premier league with six more matches on wednesday. and there was drama at the etihad as league leaders manchester city scored with seconds remaining to beat southampton 2—1. nicolas 0tamendi had put pep guardiola's side 1—0 up before 0riel romeu equalised for the saints. but a stunning last minute strike from raheem sterling means city stay eight points clear of their rivals manchester united and have now won a club record 12 league games in a row.

but with the ongoing controversy surrounding ben stokes, it may raise more questions about the team cultureof the incident and will follow up with management after this test. but both on and off the pitch, this is hardly the start of the ashes they'd hoped for. andy swiss, bbc news, brisbane. rugby union premiership champions exeter are back at the top of the table after snatching a win against saracens. they fought back to claim victory byjust two points. 18—20 the final score. patrick gearey has the details. two of the best teams in the country, one of the biggest games, not all the top players. with many of their stars on international duty, this was a test of strength in depth, a day for saracens to be thankful england are not calling for the talents of alex goode. it is not the saracens way to focus on individuals, they say the strength of the wolf is the back and the strength of the pack is the wolf. this was apparently brits try, but exeter chiefs are one of the few teams in england to know how to beat saracens. they did it on bush to the title last season and ian whitten lead them b

a picture appeared on twitter which, it was claimed, was ben stokes at an airport.ut there. the new zealand side, canterbury, say they have held initial informal discussions with him over his availability for forthcoming matches. although ben stokes is suspended from england duty, it is understood they would be happy for him to play for a side in new zealand. so it is another intriguing development in this ongoing saga. veteran forward chris harrington has been recalled by england for the saturday world rugby league cup final against australia. he played in the first two matches including defeat to australia in the opening game. he takes a spot on the bench with james roby starting at hooker. karen carney has withdrawn from the england squad for the qualifier against kazakhstan and colchester after injuring an ankle. the chelsea winger, cap 134 times, is on the sidelines. england have won the first two qualifiers. you can watch that match live on bbc two and the kick—off is at five past seven. wales play tonight also, away to bosnia—herzegovina. four main link manag

england batsmen mark stoneman says he hopes ben stokes consult pay a pa rt he hopes ben stokes consultber. england's opening tour match against western australia starts on saturday in perth with the first test on november 23. very unfortunate. what has occurred. i feel for him. november 23. very unfortunate. what has occurred. ifeel for him. i hope there is a way back. hopefully once things get settled over there, it would be great to have him on tour. most importantly, it is well and in himself. they say this reason to celebrate for the people of huston, just months after a hurricane devastated the city, their team have won baseball ‘s world series for the first time. they beat the la dodgers overnight. springer was named the first player to hit home runs in four successive world series games to help them to a 5—1win on the night and afterwards the players are dedicated to win to those affected by the disaster. the people of the city of had a tough time. in 56 yea rs, city of had a tough time. in 56 years, this is ourfirst championship. when we get back it's going to be a great feelin

ben stokes is the best cricketer in the world full—stop at the moment. he should be. i think the aussies will be delighted that he's not in the team. the travelling fans, though, remain hopeful. england's barmy army winning the pre—ashes supporters‘ match. predictions are predictably split. you look at the line—ups, and you think we are stronger. i just can't see us losing. joe root will go all right, but then... you don't think they will wind? - the england fans they will wind? no. the england fans won their match, and early ashes victory, but as every supporter knows, it's now down to serious business. andy swiss, bbc news, brisbane. if you want to follow the ashes, you can do so via the bbc sport app. thank you for watching this edition of outside source. we will be back tomorrow with all the biggest global stories. in the longer term it looks like the weather pattern will settle down, but it may well be quite a cold theme. wednesday a day of extremes. look at this picture sent in by a weather watcher at ambleside. the result of about 100 millimetres

brisbane are a chance for england to make plans, knowing they will be going into the ashes without ben stokesto work out a different combination for this first test match. i am confident we can, but the team that is more than capable of winning. regarding player content in light of that incident in bristol last month, trevor bayliss said the players had met to discuss what was expected of them off the field. however, no official regulations were put in place by the england management. henry moran, bbc news, perth. still to come this evening, we'll be live in los angeles ahead of the world series decider between the dodgers and the houston astros. and i am in portugal with the england rugby team as they prepare for the upcoming autumn internationals but injuries have taken their toll once more. let's have a quick look at some of the days other sport's stories. andy murray's is to fall out of the world's top ten for the first time in three years when the new rankings are released on monday. he hasn't played sincejuly and will fall to at least 15th. meanwhile, rafael nadal‘s straight sets win ov

the england batsman alastair cook say they "have pretty much accepted" that ben stokes will play no partr ashes series. the all rounder is awaiting the outcome of a police investigation into a fight outside a nightclub in september, he was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm but he posted this on instagram yesterday, keeping in shape in the nets in durham. bowling and batting. seemingly ready to join up with his team—mates if he is cleared. england have been training at the gabba in brisbane, where australia haven't lost a test in almost 30 years. the first test starts on thursday. england do hold the ashes but the last time they were in australia, almost four years ago, they lost 5—0. they are certianly a weaker side without stokes. it has been a while since the incident. those weeks after it, everybody was talking about it and it was not great. everybody really accepted that ben would not be here. if there's a bonus of him making the trip... great. but honestly it has not been spoken about that in the changing room. wales will have to take on new zealand on saturday wit

he was initially brought back into the england fold to replace ben stokes, who is under investigationll be a nice little win over here in a few days. we hope so. in rugby union, refereejoy neville will make history question becomes the first woman to take charge of european professional club match. the former ireland captain has already been an assistant referee m, already been an assistant referee in, and will officiate the championship match. kenya‘s olympic champion jemima sungong has been banned doping for four years. she won london marathon last year before becoming the first kenyan woman to win olympic gold over the distance. she was initially suspended in april but now will be unable to defend her in tokyo. she tested positive for the banned blood booster epo. and that is all the sports an hour. more in the next hour. thank you very much. thank you again. now on afternoon live, let‘s go nationwide and see what‘s happening around the country in our daily visit to the bbc newsrooms around the uk. jackie bird is in glasgow, and will be telling me shortly about an apology issued by

and ben stokes had a night out in september.y best drugs on the market. it's devastating to be told treatments might take years to be approved for nhs use. well now the government is to cut the time patients have to wait for certain new medicines in england. from april next year, the approvals process could be cut by up to four years for products with the greatest potential to change lives. it's expected that around five new treatments will be selected by a panel of experts for fast—tracking each year. let's speak to professor richard barker who advised on the accelerated access review. and dr richard torbett, the executive director of the association of the british pharmaceutical industry, about the impact these new medicines will have on patients and the people this affects. andrew mccracken is expected to be blind by his late 30s but hopes the accelerated access scheme may help him. and lynsey beswick has cystic fibrosis. the drug she needs, 0rkambi, was licensed in the uk two years ago but is not available on the nhs. thank

england already without ben stokes.14—1 shot overtook in the closing sprint. the trainer of the winning horse wasjoseph 0'brien. the trainer of the horse he beat to the line was his father, the best in the line was his father, the best in the world. passing from one generation to the next! westminster party leaders have agreed to introduce a new grievance procedure for staff to deal with misconduct allegations. it follows a week which has seen allegation after allegation of sexual harassment and assault for a number of mps. this wave of accusations and investigations began last month with the suspension of labour mpjared 0'mara over claims he used misogynistic and homophobic comments. four days later, the international trade minister, mark garnier, is investigated by the cabinet office after admitting asking his secretary to buy sex toys. then came claims in the times the man effectively theresa may's deputy, damian green, fleetingly touched a younger woman's me and sent her a suggestive text. the cabinet office launche

the ecb say ben stokes is visiting family in new zealand and not heading to australia, after he was apparentlyodily harm after an incident outside a nightclub but the investigation is still on—going. nothing's changed — we are expecting a decision at some stage. it is not ourjob to pressure the police. it is theirjob to get that right and, you know, when there is a charging decision, obviously we can move forward , decision, obviously we can move forward, but until we hear anything from them, we are stuck in this limbo period. the players need to sharpen up their act. after details ofjonny bairstow‘s headbutt on cameron bancroft emerged, strauss says bairstow won't be disciplined and the "head bumping" is something he does all the time with his rugby mates — but the squad has effectively been grounded. and that is sam allardyce. i have just spotted that. we got so clever with all those people, we got the simple stuff wrong. the former england manager sam allardyce is back in the frame for the evertonjob, and he's now the leading contender. he had been an early candidate to succeed ronald koema

and england batsmen mark stoneman says he hopes ben stokes borstal feature in the forthcoming series.ounder has not been selected after his arrest back in september. i will be back with more on all those stories that have passed. at westminster, gavin williamson is the new defence secretary. sir michael fallon stood down last night, saying his conduct had ‘fallen short‘ of the required standards , after allegations of inappropriate behaviour. sir michael is the first politician to resign following recent claims of sexual harassment at westminster. 0ur political correspondent iain watson reports. the man on the right is usually responsible for defending theresa may, especially from critics on her own side. now gavin williamson's job is to defend the nation. until this morning he was the chief whip, his task to keep tory mps in line and keep the prime minister in office. the prime minister's chief whip was swiftly replaced by this man, his deputyjulian smith. theresa may wanted to avoid a wide—ranging reshuffle but the question now is whether the rapid departure of the previous occupant