Shane Warne puckers up for Aussie rematch with Liz Hurley

It is the latest in this winter's epic series of encounters between England and Australia. But this time there is unlikely to be much cricket played.

Liz Hurley flew to Melbourne last night to stay with her "close friend" Shane Warne, just as the England team returned home.

In oversize dark glasses, the smiling model and actress swept through the airport as the ex-international cricketer-turned-professional poker player was putting the finishing touches to elaborate preparations for her arrival.

If he had been hoping to keep her visit a secret, the plan misfired - it got almost as much media coverage as the triumphant England Ashes squad's departure for home yesterday.

Ms Hurley was met at the airport by half a dozen TV camera crews and a scrum of press photographers. She was directed straight to a waiting limousine without commenting.

Over the past 24 hours workers have been erecting privacy screens around the former spin bowler's mansion in the seaside suburb of Brighton East. More intriguingly, a new mattress was delivered. Warne himself was seen screening off the pathway to his front door yesterday, when he allegedly flew at a freelance photographer, telling him to get a real job.

Hurley, 45, had originally planned to visit last month but the trip was cancelled after Warne was caught texting another woman. However, recent tweets suggest his relationship with mother-of-one Ms Hurley, which came to light when he visited England in December, is very much back on.

They had a romantic rendezvous in Los Angeles recently and have resumed their flirty Twitter exchanges. "If you haven't lined up koalas and kangaroos for my next trip I shall be desolate," Hurley tweeted.

She also announced on Twitter three days ago that she is designing a new range of bedlinen - just ahead of the delivery of Warne's new mattress.
"I'm designing some sexy and gorgeous bedlinen," she wrote. "What's everyone's favourite colours please? We're aiming to please..."

There have also been a bizarre series of tweets to Warne about her pet parrot Ping Pong. In one she revealed: "Baby Ping now says 'Hello Darling'."