Mixed News for England on Day One of Ashes Warm-Up

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Red Cricket Ball and Bat on Grass

The Ashes war of words has well and truly begun as the First Test draws closer. That is to be expected with the opener in Perth now just days away. What is more surprising is that it seems to be taking place between England’s current captain and a trio of former skippers.

England’s pre-Ashes preparation has been the subject of a lot of criticism, with Ian Botham, Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan among those to question it. Current leader Ben Stokes fired back, referencing the views and past preparation of “has-beens”. Many agree with the so-called has-beens but as is often the case, much of the nuance on both sides of the debate has been lost.

Whatever your views on the way Baz McCullum’s men are readying themselves for the white-hot-heat of the first Test, the preparation itself has now begun in earnest. On Thursday we saw the first day of the only red-ball warm-up England will have, as Stokes and his men took on the England Lions in Perth.

It was a mixed day for the senior side, who won the toss and opted to put their bowlers to the test first. Here are the positives.

The Good News from Perth

England fielded an XI that will be very close to the one that they send out for the opening Test. The bowling attack included Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, the latter in for Brydon Carse who is ill but may feature in the game. Stokes will also bowl when things get serious and it remains to be seen whether Shoaib Bashir will get the nod or England will rely on Joe Root for spin in the first clash of the series.

England will be delighted that Wood was bowling quickly, reaching 91mph despite the slow pitch. He bowled two spells of four overs which was what the coaching staff had pre-planned for him. Archer also bowled quickly, with Atkinson getting through 16 overs and Tongue bowling 13.

McCullum and Stokes himself will be delighted with how the skipper bowled though. Some have billed this series as resting on whether Stokes can feature more than his Aussie counterpart Pat Cummins. That is reductive to say the least but on this evidence, Stokes is 100% fit and in great shape.

He bowled 16 lively overs, taking six wickets and boasting the meanest economy rate of the six players used (including Root). He was fortunate with some of the wickets, all coming caught on the leg side, but was aggressive and looked strong on a pitch that did not offer all that much.

Another positive for England was the performance of Will Jacks with the bat. He was playing for the Lions here and scored 84 from 85 balls. Matthew Potts also did well with the bat, scoring 53 from just 41 to strengthen his case for inclusion at some point in the series, though what he does with the ball will be of more importance.

But Negatives Too

There was one huge, obvious negative, and that was the fact that Wood was withdrawn during the second session. The quick bowler, who has been plagued by injuries over the years, had some tightness in his hamstring. He was removed from the field of play primarily as a precaution and it is hoped he may return to the game. He was in good spirits as he walked off, the fact that he walked relatively freely a good sign in itself.

Wood’s pace is seen as vital in challenging the Aussies and going toe-to-toe with their fast-bowling lineup. England fans will be hoping that this was simply a precaution and an acknowledgement of the player’s importance and past injury record. Harry Brook commented that it was “not ideal, but it’s part of being an extremely fast bowler”.

We will see over the next couple of days how “not ideal” it is, but England would love to have both Wood and Archer fit for the opener. Carse’s absence also didn’t help matters, although his is just a minor ailment, and he should feature in this game and get some overs under his belt.

The final negative from day one was the performance of another senior squad member who was playing for the Lions. After a string of lacklustre white-ball performances by Jacob Bethell for England in New Zealand, it always seemed likely that Stokes and McCullum would stick with Ollie Pope at three. Pope’s place has become even more secure after his young rival could only muster a very scratchy two from 17 balls here.

England will really hope that Pope can get off to a flyer and render the Bethell issue moot. However, should the Barbados-born ace be needed, he is currently not showing any signs of being ready to shine.

So, all in all, it was a mixed day for England, as the Lions were all out for 382. The senior side will bat at the start of day two, and Stokes and co will be keen for their key players to build confidence and morale ahead of the real challenges ahead.