Ashes battles at one- day cup

THE battle for Ashes berths will begin in earnest tomorrow when the Australian summer of cricket starts in low- key fashion at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field.

The five- Test Ashes series gets under way on November 23 but both camps are well advanced in their planning.

England are set to unveil their touring party for the series tomorrow, while Australia’s selectors have the luxury of waiting until November.

Form, or lack of it, in the one- day series against India will shape the thoughts of national selectors but domestic performances will also be crucial.

The most meaningful auditions will come during the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield season, which starts on October 26.

The one- day cup, starting with a clash between South Australia and the Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane, serves as an ideal chance for those on the cusp of the Test squad to stake their claims.

Peter Nevill and Alex Carey, the frontrunners to take the gloves should under- pressure Test keeper Matthew Wade be axed, are among many cricketers with a lot to play for.

Nevill will captain NSW when regular skipper Moises Henriques flies out for the Twenty20 series in India.

South Australian Carey completed a Shield record 59 dismissals and scored 594 firstruns during the 2016- 17 season.