England rookie bats show promise for Ashes

ENGLAND anticipate that Australia’s fast and bouncy wickets will play into the hands of their most inexperienced Ashes rookie bats, Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan.

England’s struggles on Australia’s harder wickets have been plain to see, with the visitors having won just one series in the country in the past 30 years. The host’s advantage will again become a talking point ahead of the first Test at the Gabba, which has become an impenetrable fortress for visitors since 1989.

But with England’s on-field preparations concluded, it will have pleased them that their leading two run-scorers in their three warm-up matches have been the least experienced members of their top six in opener Stoneman and No.5 Malan. It should come as little surprise though that the pair have looked at home on Australian wickets.

Stoneman, 30, has spent six seasons playing Sydney grade cricket and is well versed in the conditions.

Malan, meanwhile, grew up in South Africa after moving there from England at age seven, where the pitches are traditionally most similar to those found in Australia.

“The first time he has been to this country to play has shown a little bit more pace and bounce in the wicket suits his game,” assistant coach Paul Farbrace said.

“He found England a little bit of a struggle this summer with the ball nipping around a little bit. But here, with the ball bouncing and coming on to the bat, he looks very much at home.”

Stoneman has played just three Tests and Malan five, both debuting earlier this year.

They have also reached their maiden centuries in English colours this summer, with their tons against the Cricket Australia XI in Townsville last week the visitors’ only threefigure scores on the tour so far.

Stoneman has passed 50 in each of his four innings to have scored 308 at an average of 77, while Malan has failed to make at least a half-century just once in his 233 runs at 58.25.