England have dropped a major hint over their XI for the first Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium in naming their side for the sole warm-up game against the Lions at Lilac Hill.
While Ben Stokes and Co. have copped some criticism over the muted, abridged nature of their build-up for the Ashes, they have looked to make the most of their one pre-series fixture, with a full-strength XI taking on a Lions XIII at Lilac Hill. The first day was hotly contested, England Lions making 382 and Stokes taking six wickets. There were half-centuries for Ben McKinney and Jordan Cox, two of the most likely Lions squad members to get an emergency call to open or bat in the middle order during the series, while 17-year-old Thomas Rew, yet to make his first-class debut, served another reminder of his talent with a half-century against a Test-quality attack. Matthew Potts blitzed a half-century late in the piece to cap off an at-times chastening day for the senior side.
As important as the action itself is the XI picked by England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Mark Wood. While there is no guarantee that they are planning on a similar selection for the first Test, it is feasible as a line-up, and there are several notable calls within it.
Most strikingly, Pope has been preferred to Jacob Bethell at No.3. The question of which first drop England would go with has been the main debate for the tourists leading into the series. Pope, who has had a middling run in Tests over the last two years, had the vice-captaincy removed when the squad was announced, while Bethell’s maiden professional century, in the South Africa ODIs, had momentum building behind him as many pundits’ pick to start the series.
However, Bethell has since endured a poor white-ball tour of New Zealand, and made only two off 17 before being dismissed by Stokes. Being in the theoretical second-string affords the opportunity to impress against England’s main bowlers, but it’s one Bethell didn’t take.
There might be less to read into the quicks selected. Brydon Carse’s place in the Lions XIII is at least partly down to him being ill, and he did not bat on day one, but he is expected to recover in time to contend for first Test selection. Wood, meanwhile, only bowled eight overs after feeling some hamstring tightness. While England stress they expect him to bowl on subsequent days of the game, given his fragility, any sign of discomfort raises alarm bells.
The balance of England’s attack is perhaps more revealing than the actual identity of the bowlers themselves. Picking five quicks and no spinner suggests England are at least considering a similar set-up at Perth. Shoaib Bashir has struggled in an England shirt over the past 12 months, while Australia is a graveyard for touring finger-spinners. But perhaps how day one played out could change England’s thinking. Given Chris Woakes’ injury at The Oval, England should need no reminding of the challenge of being deprived of a seamer mid-game when there’s no specialist spinner to fill out the overs. But Wood’s iffy hamstring is another warning. Meanwhile, the struggle of England’s part-timer shows how tough it can be to find overs elsewhere in the XI. Root’s 14 overs were pumped for 117 eye-watering runs.
Given all that, perhaps it is Will Jacks who has done his case most good. He top-scored with a run-a-ball 84 and could offer a compromise between batting depth and serviceable spin. How he goes with the ball on day two could tilt the scales one way or the other.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
