Crane tipped for England cricket debut

ENGLAND look set to hand a Test debut to leg-spinner Mason Crane in Sydney with the badly out-of-form Moeen Ali under pressure to hold his place for the Ashes dead rubber.

Coach Trevor Bayliss hinted the 20-year-old would come into the side for the SCG Test starting tomorrow after declar- ing it was an opportunity to “look at some different people”.

With the Australians having wrapped up the series and the English desperate to salvage some pride, Crane could be handed his maiden English cap. If Crane does come into the side, it will most likely come at the expense of Ali, who has been expensive with the ball and struggled with the bat in the first four Tests.

Asked if Crane is ready, Bayliss said: “There’s maybe no time like the present to find out.

“We think he’s a guy that has got the goods, and the more he plays at this level the better he will get.”

Crane made an unexpected Sheffield Shield appearance for NSW against South Australia at the same ground last year, becoming the first overseas player to turn out for the Blues since Imran Khan in 1984-85.

After being sent to play for club side Gordon as part of England’s overseas placement scheme, he took 2-50 and 3-66.

The match was best remembered as Pat Cummins’ first Shield match since 2011 and the Australian paceman said he was impressed with Crane.

“I think one of the great things about those types of young spinners, and Mason is the same, is the appetite for bowling,” Cummins said.