Pope eyes English

LEG-SPINNER Lloyd Pope will seek to bamboozle England’s A team in Hobart two years after rocking Australia’s Ashes rivals with a recordbreaking haul at the under-19 World Cup.

Pope and Queensland paceman Brendan Doggett, who was part of Australia’s Test squad that toured the UAE in 2017, are among the notable inclusions in a Cricket Australia XI that will face England Lions in a four-day match starting at Blundstone Arena on Saturday.

Tasmanian Caleb Jewell is the sole Tiger who will feature on home soil.

Pope snared 8-35 against England in a quarter-final at the 2018 under-19 World Cup, helping Australia successfully defend a total of just 127. They remain the best figures in the competition’s history.

More recently, the 20-yearold tweaker played eight games in the Sydney Sixers’ triumphant Big Bash League campaign.

Out-of-form South Australian Jake Lehmann will captain the CA XI, made up of the nation’s best players not featuring in the coming Sheffield Shield round.

The tourists, who boast plenty of Test experience in their squad, will then travel to Melbourne for a pink-ball match against Australia A.