At the start of his two-day fairy-tale goodbye to professional cricket, Stuart Broad was given a Sunday morning guard of honour by the visiting Australians.
Alongside was Jimmy Anderson, the bowler who at that point shared a 1,292-wicket partnership with the departing English quick. The Australian players tried to induce Anderson to walk the guard of honour on his birthday but he turned their pleas down, vowing to continue playing as he turned 41.
Broad scored a six with his last flash of the bat. A day later, the Test at The Oval concluded when Broad took the final two wickets. His showmanship was on display as he turned Todd Murphy's bails for luck before bowling the spinner the next ball. The first to congratulate him when he then took Alex Carey's wicket to end the five-match Ashes series was Anderson.
The Oval cricket ground in south London proclaims itself to be the birthplace of Ashes cricket. A mural outside the stadium records the Test match that England lost that prompted a fake newspaper obituary in The Sporting Times: "In affectionate remembrance of English cricket, which died at The Oval on 29th August, 1882. The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”
By the time the Ashes is next played there in 2027, it is likely that many of the giants of the game at the ground on Monday will no longer feature. For the fans last weekend, it was perhaps a last chance to see not just Broad but Anderson, David Warner, Steve Smith and others in a five-day game in England.
With the dramatic result secured in the last hour of permissible play on Monday evening, it is easy to forget that Australia are leaving England victorious. The 2-2 series result means that the visitors retained the Ashes, having won at home in 2022.
Just seven weeks ago, the Australians also claimed the World Test Championship in a victory, at The Oval, over India. That match showcased a classic form of Test cricket in which the wicketkeeper Alex Carey proved the backbone of the team, not least with slow and determined stands of 48 and 66 not out. Set a record 444 to win on the final day, India fell short – bowled out for 234.
The character of the Australian side was what was really tested in England, not just by Broad's antics. After the Indian player Shubman Gill was given out from a disputed catch by Cameron Green, the crowd in the stands at The Oval was incensed.
As the Australians returned to the Bedser stand for lunch, chants of "cheat, cheat" rained down on them as they left the field. To their credit, many of the players, including Smith, continued to sign autographs going up the steps even as the jeers built up.
When the Ashes reached Lord's – which bills itself as the home of cricket – for the second Test, the cry of cheating was again heard. This time sacrilegiously in the Long Room of the Lord's pavilion, causing Usman Khawaja, another probable last-time visitor to the Ashes in England, to lash out verbally at the barracking members of the poshest club.
The Marylebone Cricket Club reprimanded its members and apologised to the visitors. The incident came after Australia – that man Carey again – stumped his opposite number Johnny Bairstow, who had carelessly wandered forward thinking the over had been called and it was safe. It was sharp gamesmanship but soon drew in the two countries' prime ministers.
Rishi Sunak, the UK Prime Minister, let his official spokesman make clear his dismay. "The PM agrees with Ben Stokes – he said he simply wouldn't want to win a game in the manner Australia did," he said.
At the Nato summit Sunak and Australian PM Anthony Albanese were swapping cards with cricketing jabs. The Aussie presented a photo of the stumping, while Sunak had an image from Headingley, where England won.
The big issue of the Ashes was the brand of cricket, known as "Bazball", introduced by England captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. There were many who asked the question: "What is it."
It is not a system. It doesn't have a framework. It is simply an approach that looks for maximum pressure at all times. Statistics in cricket are legion. One stat that shows that Bazball really has an impact was the runs scored to balls faced by the opening batsmen. Khawaja scored 480 runs across the series from 1,246 balls while Zak Crawley for England scored 450 runs from 548.
For as long as people debate the series, Stokes's decision to declare at 393 for 8 in the first Test at Edgbaston will be forever disputed. Australia replied with 386 in their first innings and then overtook England's second-innings total of 273 to win by two wickets.
As the sun burst through the fast-moving clouds on Monday evening, a pedestrian asked a cheering England supporter what was at stake. By that stage, the man was sensing victory in the last Test, if not the series.
"What's it for?" came the reply. "A moral victory, of course."
Final day of 5th Ashes Test - in pictures
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
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Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.4-litre%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E637Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh375%2C900%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
