Before the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, Ben Stokes and his men will play just one warm-up match.
Instead of facing any state or local Australian side, England will take on their own England Lions (the ‘A’ team) in their only preparation match before the high-voltage Ashes.
On Thursday, Cricket Australia confirmed that the first game of England Lions’ three-match tour will be against the England Test team.
The match is scheduled to take place at Lilac Hill, a suburban ground in eastern Perth, which serves as the home ground of Midland Guildford Cricket Club. The three-day game will begin on November 13, while the Ashes kick off on November 21 at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
Back in the 1990s, visiting teams would usually begin their Australian tours with a 50-over match at Lilac Hill Park. That tradition faded over the years, but now it’s returning in a new form.
This time, England seems to be taking a page out of India’s playbook from last season. Instead of playing against an external side, the Indian team had opted for an intra-squad match at the iconic WACA Ground in Perth.
However, there’s a key difference. “India’s match was held behind closed doors, with no outside access. England won’t have that luxury. Lilac Hill Park, located by the Swan River, is an open venue,” unlike the WACA, which will be unavailable due to a Sheffield Shield match during that period.
After facing the Test side, the England Lions will play their second match against a Cricket Australia XI made up of rising Australian talents—also at Lilac Hill. Their final game will be against Australia A at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
This Lions series will run parallel to the Ashes. “If needed, England might field a Test squad player in a Lions match for extra practice or assessment.”
