Always a great event; this weekend England will play the PM’s XI at Manuka Oval. Photo: File.
This weekend’s game against the PM’s XI at Manuka couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for England’s top players ahead of the second Ashes test at the Gabba starting on 4 December.
The original plan for the PM’s XI game was to provide valuable time in the middle for the 18-player England Lions development squad currently touring in parallel with the England test side.
But with England’s capitulation in the first test, there were calls for a number of the test players to play in the Manuka game ahead of the pink ball test in Brisbane.
The calls are understandable given that the first test was over in under two days and England only batted for 28.2 overs in the second innings.
The side was already under fire for their lack of preparation ahead of the first test, and this warning proved prophetic as the game progressed.
Surely the selectors and the batsmen in particular would have a rethink on the makeup of the team for the PM’s game.
Opener Zac Crawley only faced 11 balls in Perth, Joe Root was there for 18 deliveries and Ben Stokes 23 balls.
Of the bowlers, Mark Wood only bowled three overs in the second innings, Jofra Archer sent down eight overs and Brydon Carse 5.2.
This was hardly taxing for batters and bowlers.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan called on the selectors to play the England test squad in the match against the PM’s XI this weekend and not leave the game to the development players.
Vaughan’s comments had plenty of merit, not just because of England’s collapses in the first test, but there is also the lack of exposure to the pink ball under lights, which is exactly what they will face in Brisbane.
It’s worth remembering as well that Australia has only lost one pink-ball test under lights in 14 matches, and that was last year against the West Indies.
On top of that statistic is Australia’s imposing record against England at the Gabba. England’s only won two tests at the ground since the Second World War.
England hasn’t won at the Gabba since Ian Botham guided the team to a memorable victory in the 1986-87 series.
The PM’s XI versus England will be played at Manuka Oval on 29-30 November. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
This weekend’s game against a pace attack, led by 41-year-old Peter Siddle, should have been welcomed by the England batters, in particular.
Yet despite these and other calls for some of the test players to get some playing time against the PM’s XI, the only batters from the test squad playing in Canberra are Jacob Bethall, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue. They didn’t play in Perth and, at this stage, are unlikely to be selected for the Gabba test.
If nothing else, it’s further evidence that the touring party is intransigent, unable to change tack as the moment requires, as we witnessed when they were on top in the first test but failed to respond when things didn’t entirely go to plan.
