The former Wales international Jamie Roberts had been playing for Super Rugby side Stormers in South Africa but flew home to the UK to help after the rugby season was put on hold.

Wales' leading internationals are set for a 25 per cent salary reduction for three months while Premiership Rugby is working on possible scenarios to restart the season.

England forward Joe Marler will be free to play rugby when sport returns after the coronavirus shutdown - despite being handed a 10-week ban for squeezing Alun Wyn Jones' genitals.

Many investors will be cheered no end by last week's overwhelming Conservative victory. The 'Boris bounce' has already boosted a £100,000 nest-egg invested in the FTSE 100 by some £5,400.

The bad news began yesterday morning when the Bank of England revealed it was cutting the base rate by two-thirds to just 0.25 per cent, writes VICTORIA BISCHOFF.

Hallelujah! After temporarily shutting, our favourite Italian restaurant in South London, Lo Paste Tradizionali, has reopened for collections and deliveries on Friday to Sunday.

There is no doubt that the most hygienic way to pay for something is with a tap of a contactless card. But if you're spending more than £45 you either have to use a card machine, or hand over cash.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT OLD TRAFFORD: Steve Smith accused England of playing into his hands after he continued to punish their bowling with a magnificent 211 in Manchester.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER AT OLD TRAFFORD: The only surprise was the declaration. For some time, as the shadows lengthened, it seemed as if Tim Paine was waiting.

England have mounted the start of recovery against Australia with Joe Root and Rory Burns sharing a century partnership on day three of the  fourth Test at Old Trafford.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT OLD TRAFFORD: Three late wickets, including Joe Root, left England's Ashes hopes hanging by a thread on Friday night as they battled to save the fourth Test.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT OLD TRAFFORD: Archer finished Australia's first innings with figures of none for 97, returning to earth with a bump after taking 13 wickets in his first two Tests.

MARTIN SAMUEL AT OLD TRAFFORD: Late in the day, England digging in, Australia bowling well but increasingly frustrated, Nathan Lyon decided he might mess with a few minds.

PAUL NEWMAN AT OLD TRAFFORD: Joe Root was battered and bruised as he tried desperately to keep England afloat at Old Trafford but he just could not steer his ship to Ashes safety.

Australian cricketer David Warner has given a quick thinking response to a fan after being sledged in England during the Ashes test. 

England are staring at defeat in the fourth Ashes Test after losing Rory Burns and Joe Root in the first over of their fourth-innings after being set 383 to win by Australia,

England are on the verge of surrendering the Ashes after slumping to 18 for two on Saturday but coach Trevor Bayliss was still clinging to the belief that 'anything is possible'.

RICHARD GIBSON AT OLD TRAFFORD: After the miracle of Headingley kept their Ashes hopes alive, England now need a marathon stonewall across the Pennines to stop Australia killing them off.

Australia retained the Ashes with a 185-run victory at Old Trafford despite some dogged resistance from England's lower order. Relive the action from day five with JAMES DUTTON.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT OLD TRAFFORD: Joe Root insisted he was still the right man to captain England, despite Australia regaining the Ashes on a tense final day in Manchester.

PAUL NEWMAN AT OLD TRAFFORD: Australia have retained the Ashes with victory over England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, claiming their first away series win since 2001. 

Steve Smith said retaining the Ashes in England was one to tick off his bucket list after Australia beat their traditional rivals by 185 runs to win the fourth test at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The 27-year-old has been in the UK supporting her boyfriend Nathan Lyon, 31, throughout the series. She shed tears of joy when Josh Hazlewood took the final wicket on Sunday

Sportsmail's Lawrence Booth assesses the performances of both sets of players after Australia got the better of England in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Some time around 2012, an internet movie geek unearthed what was quickly tagged the worst death scene in cinema history.

Steve Smith was already the pantomime villain for England fans but he has riled them even more following Australia's celebrations after they retained the Ashes on Sunday.

England have named an unchanged squad for the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Oval as Joe Root looks to salvage a consolation win after Sunday's disappointment of failing to regain the Ashes.

Sportsmail columnists Nasser Hussain, David Lloyd, Lawrence Booth and Paul Newman answer the big questions for England's Test team after they failed to regain the Ashes.

Archer was impressive at Lord's and then took six wickets in an innings at Headingley but struggled to replicate that form at Old Trafford and McGrath has questioned his attitude.

Joe Root's failed to lead England to Ashes glory for a second time and some are questioning if he really is the best man to lead an overhaul of the under-performing Test side.

Brian Mullins' mother and daughter wanted to honor his free-spirited nature after he died of a heart attack in March. So they cremated him and put his ashes in a bottle to send him on one last adventure.

Kevin Pietersen has branded England's Ashes cult hero Jack Leach a 'laughing stock' and claims the spinner could have done more to prevent Australia retaining the urn.

PAUL NEWMAN: There have not been many England captains handed the chance to win a third Ashes series after losing his first two in charge but Joe Root could be the exception.

Justin Langer rejected suggestions Australia's Ashes celebrations at Old Trafford targeted England's Jack Leach for mockery, insisting the on-pitch party was a 'two out of 10' performance.

Failing to return the Ashes has led to Joe Root's position being discussed, particularly given his batting performances have been somewhat inconsistent.

Members of the Australian cricket team were understood to be trying to contact Jack Leach on Tuesday night following suggestions that they mocked him during their Ashes celebrations.

Steve Smith's glorious Ashes has raised calls from some fans and pundits for his restoration to the Australia captaincy but incumbent Tim Paine has no plans to hand over the reins quietly.

Jason Roy's Test future looks uncertain after he was dropped from Thursday's Ashes finale at The Oval, as England look to finish their summer with a series-squaring win over Australia.

PAUL NEWMAN AT THE OVAL: Root wore the tired, almost haunted, look of many an England captain coming to the end of the road as he tried to summon up one last effort on Wednesday.

The urn might be returning to Australia but England still have a job on their hands to ensure their old foes don't win the compelling Ashes series outright.

NASSER HUSSAIN AT THE OVAL: Australia opened the door for England here with dropped catches and a wicket off a no ball but they just could not force their way through.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT THE OVAL: Buttler, whose previous eight innings in this series had produced a best of 41, deposited Josh Hazlewood for three sixes to reach stumps on 64 not out.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT THE OVAL: In a summer where Test openers have generally enjoyed the lifespan of a mayfly, Rory Burns has come dangerously close to spreading his wings.

IAN HERBERT AT THE OVAL: The Australians have demonstrated in recent years the art of salvaging pride when the long shadows of late summer are falling across The Oval.

PAUL NEWMAN AT THE OVAL: For a short, sweet spell Jos Buttler produced a passable imitation of Kevin Pietersen's famous innings here at the Oval in the greatest of all Ashes series.

Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh finished England's innings as the hosts were bowled out for 294 early on the second day at the Oval.

IAN HERBERT AT THE OVAL: As if this desultory Ashes summer had not punished David Warner enough, there was to be yet another indignity: an infernal delay as he waited in hope for deliverance.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT THE OVAL: Jofra Archer picked up the second six-wicket haul of his fledging Test career as England gave themselves hope of squaring the Ashes on a dramatic day at The Oval.

PAUL NEWMAN AT THE OVAL: It did not quite inspire pronouncements on sandwich boards that 'He's out' as news of Don Bradman's demise was once greeted at the Oval.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT THE OVAL: There was a moment when a few critics were lured into the view that Jofra Archer was not, after all, the best thing that has happened to English cricket.