England’s Moeen fit to return ahead of Ashes

ENGLAND all-rounder Moeen Ali is ready to play his first Australian tour match in Townsville after recovering from a side strain.

The 30-year-old missed England’s opening two games in Perth and Adelaide but is available for the final warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI starting on Wednesday.

“I am good. It’s just a slight strain on my side from throwing,” Moeen said.

“It was a bit frustrating but also not a bad thing, you get a lot more work done.

“I feel like I am ready to play and I can’t wait to spend time in the field. We have got four days of cricket ahead. I can get a bit of game time in my system and then be ready to play, hopefully, at the Gabba.”

It will be England’s last game before the Ashes series opener in Brisbane on November 23.

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood is a “genius” with line and length and will have no trouble being ready for next week’s Ashes opener against England despite having had only a single warmup match, fellow seamer Mitchell Starc has said.

Hazlewood, Starc and Pat Cummins have been rested for the third round of the domestic Sheffield Shield. In rampaging form, pace spearhead Starc and Cummins had two first class games for New South Wales, but their team mate Hazlewood just had the one, against Western Australia, after making a delayed comeback from a side strain.

It was an impressive return for Hazlewood, who claimed six wickets and earned praise from Australia captain Steve Smith.

Starc, too, was among the admirers and is relishing the prospect of all three New South Wales bowlers steaming in at England’s batsmen at the Gabba.

“(Hazlewood) was straight back into his test form after one over of Shield cricket,” Starc said. “He’s a bloody genius with line and length, it allows Pat and I to be aggressive and that’s how I bowl.

“We can unleash from the other end, bowl as quick as we can and attack.

“(Hazlewood) takes his wickets with line and length and Pat and I come in and try and blast teams out, try and attack the stumps and really intimidate. “We complement each other really well.” Having poached 17 wickets from his two Shield matches, Starc’s form has raised home hopes he might prove to be England’s new left-arm nemesis, four years after Mitchell Johnson dominated in a 5-0 whitewash.

“I think we have an attack that is gelling well,” Starc said.