Final warm-up match could be damp squib

ENGLAND head into the Ashes without any first-class preparation and may not get any action at all this week due to a horrific weather forecast in Queensland. In contrast to the triumphant tour of 2010-11 when coach Andy Flower built momentum with wins over Western Australia and Australia A, Joe Root’s team are going to have to be creative ahead of the first Test at the Gabba next week. Heavy rain is forecast today, the start of a four-day fixture between England and England Lions at Ian Healy Oval. England have opted not to play it under first-class regulations to allow the five World Cup players only just out of quarantine the freedom to either join late or play managed roles. They may also add a fifth day, although a clash with local grade cricket on Saturday might scupper that. England are due to move to the Gabba nets from Sunday but are sourcing alternative weekend venues for centrewicket practice and indoor facilities as a back-up. ‘It will be played as close to the intensity of a first-class game as possible,’ said Root. ‘I expect the standards to be very high and it to be competitive. ‘This is a chance for us to maybe get ahead of Australia in terms of game-time.’ Australia scrapped their own intra-squad match from tomorrow at Redlands due to the weather and because 11 of their World-Cup winners have just exited quarantine and could do with a break from each other. ‘We’ve done a lot of brilliant planning in the last two years about mentally how we can be ready, and what’s going to work on different surfaces and grounds,’ added Root. ‘If we don’t get the time out in the middle maybe we play those games in your mind a bit more, visualise a bit more, find ways of making sure that when that first ball comes down at the Gabba, we’re in the best place possible.’ Root said Ben Stokes is on course to play next week despite a broken-arm scare in the nets.

RAY ILLINGWORTH OPENS UP ON CANCER BATTLE

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