Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Steven Smith, Matthew Wade to face Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc in pre-Ashes trial match

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Friday, 19 July 2019 13:40

Former captain Steven Smith and Ashes tour aspirant Matthew Wade will be pitted against Australia's leading bowlers including Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the internal trial at Southampton that will determine the final shape of the touring party.

Teams coached by Brad Haddin and Graeme Hick were named on Friday evening, with Usman Khawaja the only name missing out of the 25-man pre-Ashes squad as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain suffered during the World Cup.

Travis Head will lead the Haddin XII, which features Starc, Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and David Warner. Test captain Tim Paine will meanwhile have Smith, Wade, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson and Cameron Bancroft, another batsman fighting for one of the last remaining spots in the tour proper.

Cummins, who in addition to Head served as Paine's deputy in the latter part of the Australian summer, said the duel with Smith would help get his competitive juices flowing ahead of the Ashes.

"I think it'll definitely get the adrenaline up like in a Test match," Cummins said. "It doesn't happen too often - you'll see our egos be put to the test, we'll be going at each other I think. Maybe [played Smith before] in a T20, but not that I can remember.

"I think personally from my point of view it's about trying to get myself 100 percent ready for a Test match. I haven't played a first-class game in a few months so it's going to be trying to bowl long spells, get the ball swinging, try and think of ways to get batsmen out. These guys are really good players just like the English Test side. There's no really obvious flaw so you've got to try to work a batsman out. It's going to be a good hit-out, everyone is in good form."

The concept has arisen out of long-held dissatisfaction with the level of preparation provided by domestic and invitational teams fielded by host nations in recent years, whether it be Kent and Essex in 2015 in England, or the teams presented in Sri Lanka the following year. Pat Howard, the former Cricket Australia executive in charge of team performance, inked the fixture into Ashes plans well before he was shown the door in the wake of a scathing culture review last year.

"I think it's been in the planning for a couple of years, I think the lessons learned from the last couple of series was exactly that," Cummins said. "We want a really good hit-out in conditions we can control, people jostling for spots.

"The best thing is guys who are fighting for spots are in good form, so it's not a pre-season warm-up game that might meander or you kind of look after people's injuries in this game, it's going to be flat out and good fun I think, especially coming off a good game last week against the Lions, this is going to be another tune-up game that's going to get us right and ready."

Perhaps the only area of concern for the fixture is the danger of injury as players on both sides stretch themselves. Shaun Marsh was unable to be considered due to a broken arm sustained in a competitive net session prior to the final World Cup round robin game against South Africa in Manchester.

Haddin XII: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Travis Head (capt), Marnus Labuschagne, Will Pucovski, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland

Hick XII: Joe Burns, Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (capt), Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Chris Tremain, Nathan Lyon

Read 401 times

Soccer

Pulisic scores in 5th straight game for 1st time

Pulisic scores in 5th straight game for 1st time

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsChristian Pulisic scored in his fifth straight game for club and co...

Why Pulisic is at his best with Milan, and are Barca doing enough to protect Yamal?

Why Pulisic is at his best with Milan, and are Barca doing enough to protect Yamal?

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWelcome to a new season of Onside/Offside! Luis Miguel Echegaray sh...

Martino: Messi available for Argentina WCQ return

Martino: Messi available for Argentina WCQ return

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsInter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino confirmed Lionel Mess...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Spurs say Vassell (foot) out until at least Nov. 1

Spurs say Vassell (foot) out until at least Nov. 1

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSan Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell will miss the start of the up...

Sources: Pistons owner set to buy Chargers stake

Sources: Pistons owner set to buy Chargers stake

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores has agreed to purcha...

Baseball

Unsettled playoff races? Will the White Sox ever lose again?! What to watch in MLB's final weekend

Unsettled playoff races? Will the White Sox ever lose again?! What to watch in MLB's final weekend

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWe head into the final weekend of the 2024 MLB regular season -- wh...

Dodgers wrap up 11th NL West title in 12 years

Dodgers wrap up 11th NL West title in 12 years

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated