England and Australia once again compete for the most trophy in cricket - The Ashes urn. 42 days of late nights, early mornings and cricket fever commence at 00:00 on Wednesday morning.

The Gabba will play host to the first Test match. So often the location of crushed English optimism and Australian dominance. For so many, English success in the series will be determined with how they fare in Brisbane.

Unsurprisingly, there has been plenty of pre-Ashes news and drama. Firstly, English cricket has been in the midst of front page issues relating to race. In Australia, Tim Paine's texting...