Australia Test vice-captain Michael Clarke is confident his stiff back won't affect his Ashes preparations despite failing to take the field for the final two sessions on day three of the Sheffield Shield clash between New South Wales against Victoria.

The Australian coach, Tim Sheens, has signalled the end of one of the great international careers by leaving Petero Civoniceva completely out of his plans for the Four Nations final tomorrow. There is not even a place on the bench for the 34-year-old with a record 44 caps in the front row – and that, according to Sheens, is the way the player wanted it.

Ricky Ponting yesterday issued what is usually described as a warning about the poverty of England's prospects in the first Test. It would have been more of a surprise had Australia's captain derided his own team's chances of success in Brisbane, where the series finally starts on 25 November, but then that is not the purpose of the phoney war.

Matt Scott is the surprise package among the 10 Queenslanders named in Australia's team for the final of the Four Nations on Saturday. The prop from the NRL's bottom club, the North Queensland Cowboys, has been named in the starting line-up against New Zealand in Brisbane in preference to the Kangaroos' most capped forward, Petero Civoniceva.

The state of Graeme Swann's thumb may have occupied English thoughts in Perth, but over on the other side of Australia there came a more telling pointer as to what could await come 25 November and day one of the Ashes in Brisbane.

Merv Hughes has lost his job as an Australia selector just weeks before the start of the Ashes.

England team director Andy Flower today declared himself confident James Anderson would be fit for the first Ashes Test in Brisbane on November 25.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have confirmed James Anderson suffered a cracked rib during England's pre-Ashes training camp in Germany but expect the paceman to be fit for the first Test on November 25.

If England are to thrive in New Zealand and Australia over the next five weeks, they need to show the sort of commitment epitomised by Luke Robinson right from the start.

The Catalan Dragons, who have seven players making their farewell appearances against Huddersfield this weekend, have begun plugging the holes by signing the Sydney Roosters' loose forward Jason Baitieri on a two-year contract.

Australia's resurgent opposition party officially launched its election campaign today with an attack on a bitterly-divided government while the prime minister pledged to fight through the adversity facing her party.

Peter de villiers, the South Africa coach, has backed down from his claim that the referees favoured the All Blacks in the opening two matches of the Tri-Nations.