Mounting injury problems give Australia slight edge during Ashes phoney war
England have suffered more setbacks than tourists during their preparation for series that starts in a month’s time
England Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have all made hundreds in Division One of the championship. Crawley’s 170 against Essex is backed up by two fifties and four single-figure scores (as well as an 11) for an average of 38 but at least it is higher than his career mark. He will still be looking over his shoulder. Pope is averaging 58 and Duckett scored a good hundred at Lord’s. Both are secure. Jonny Bairstow has looked scratchy for Yorkshire, but that is to be expected after such a long lay-off.
As for the other batsmen, it is not pretty reading. Harry Brook has been dropped in the Indian Premier League, Ben Stokes cannot get a game for Chennai and Joe Root has played one innings for Rajasthan – 10 off 15 balls. Apparently he has spent most of his time in the nets facing the red ball.
Ollie Robinson is bowling majestically for Sussex, while Stuart Broad has put overs in his legs, as had James Anderson until the weekend. Jack Leach is ticking over for Somerset with 14 wickets at 33 at a quiet time for spinners. At least he is playing and bowling, which has not always been the case at this time of the year. Ben Foakes will be nervous about his place but is averaging 52 with one hundred. What more can he do?
Australia Steve Smith’s county sojourn has been frustrating for him and possibly good for England. He has managed just two innings out of four due to Sussex only batting once in each game he has played and has twice been out lbw missing straight balls. Robinson is watching closely in the nets for any weakness and will be reporting back to the bowling group.
Smith’s highlight so far has been a blinding slip catch at Leicester. He has one more match this week at Hove against Glamorgan where he will face Marnus Labuschagne, his Aussie clone.
Labuschagne smacked 170 last week, is averaging 72 from six innings and has morphed from a part-time leg-spinner to an offspinner, taking four for 81 against Durham. Could we see that in the Ashes as a partnership breaker?
Opener Marcus Harris started strongly for Gloucestershire but has faded recently.
Potential back-up players currently outside the Ashes squad – Sean Abbott and Michael Neser – are gathering form and confidence for Surrey and Glamorgan. Neser is due to join the Aussies’ pre-ashes training camp. Cameron Green has had an up and down IPL for Mumbai, Josh Hazlewood is in India, too, and made tentative steps as he recovers from long-term injury, while the David Warner soap opera rumbles on. He smashed a 23-ball fifty at the weekend but his side Delhi became the first team to be knocked out of the tournament.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon are the senior players with their feet up resting.