Particular attention has been paid to England’s bowling stocks ahead of this winter’s Ashes and the plan to hit Australia with pace runs deeper than the full tour.
A group of emerging fast bowlers will also be on hand down under to bolster the touring party if reinforcements are deemed necessary for reasons of form or fitness over Christmas and the New Year.
During the initial phase of England’s nine-week tour, England Lions will provide the opposition in a pre-series warm-up fixture at Lilac Hill from November 13-15 and then increase their match readiness by playing a Cricket Australia XI and Australia A simultaneously with Tests taking place in Perth and Brisbane.
Following this period of shadowing, the Lions squad is scheduled to return home on December 10, but should the England selectors feel the need to add to the attacking arsenal for the final three Ashes matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, some could stay on.
The second string tour is designed to catalyse player development, but as England have shown in recent years, they are not afraid to blood young cricketers – even before they have made significant marks at county level. Or ask bowlers to hang around as cover, as they did with Olly Stone during the 2017-18 Ashes.
So, who are the bowling bolters who could enter the frame for a wildcard Ashes inclusion?
After drawing their recent series with India, England will begin preparations for the Ashes
A number of fast bowlers could be called upon as Ben Stokes’ side travel Down Under
SONNY BAKER (Hampshire, 22)
Made his first-class debut in Australia earlier this year, taking three for 60 for the Lions in an innings defeat to Australia’s A side, and earning an ECB development contract upon the recommendation of their coach Andrew Flintoff after he landed back in the UK.
In his appraisal, Flintoff said it was ‘a delight to see the pride he takes in wearing the Three Lions, the energy he brings to every ball, and the theatre and magic he creates on the pitch.’
Shortly after leaving Somerset for Hampshire, he became the name on English cricket’s lips last November when he produced deliveries in excess of 92 miles per hour in the Global Super League.
He has also had success with the Kookaburra ball in English conditions, bagging eight Worcestershire wickets at the end of July, regularly beating opponents with his speed through the air.
A lack of co-ordination, he says, plagued him when he was a youth player with Devon, but he stuck things out and has modelled himself on Dale Steyn – a bowler whose deliveries, while laced with venom, tended to veer one way or another too.
Sonny Baker has captured attention with his lightning-quick deliveries for Hampshire
EDDIE JACK (Hampshire, 19)
His rise saw him surpass even club colleague Baker earlier this year when he was drafted into both a county select XI to face the Zimbabweans, and a Lions team locking horns with India A in June.
Not long after, he received a surprise call to join England’s squad for the first Test of five versus India in Leeds, meeting Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for the first time, before being released three days out from the series opener to feature in Twenty20 Blast action for Hampshire.
The middle son of a public school chaplain, his background is not that of your archetypal fast bowler, but at a strapping 6ft 4ins his build certainly is. Able to generate decent bounce because of his height, equally he can rush opponents, as Jordan Cox – a batsman of international ability according to Rob Key and his England selection team – can attest.
Onto him before he knew it, Cox could only spiral the ball skyward in a County Championship clash in Chelmsford in June. Admires the ability of Australia captain Pat Cummins to relentlessly target the top of off-stump.
19-year-old Eddie Jack was rewarded with a first call up to join England’s squad last month
MITCHELL STANLEY (Lancashire, 24)
The third of a triumvirate backed to the hilt by Lions coach Flintoff, his career is yet to take off despite him first emerging with Worcestershire three years ago.
Yet the ECB have kept tabs on him, firstly because their data capture tells them he is one of the fastest bowlers in the country. Bowling coaches also reckon he has got the capacity to add a yard or two to that pace.
Flintoff certainly believes in him: having waxed lyrical about him earlier this summer, he snapped him up for Northern Superchargers when a spot in the bowling group opened through Brydon Carse’s withdrawal. Stanley is a confidence cricketer and it is hoped that sustained investment in him will straighten out a seamer who tends to spray the ball about.
Only made his first-class bow this summer, but such trivial matters are not the concern of the current England regime.
England Lions coach Flintoff recently waxed lyrical about Mitchell Stanley’s potential
JOSH HULL (Leicestershire, 20)
Capped at Test level 11 months ago, taking three for 53 in the first innings of a loss to Sri Lanka at The Oval, after being recognised as a ‘rough diamond with an incredibly high ceiling’.
That experience, starting with England coach McCullum recognising he was ‘from good farming stock’, ended early through a quad strain, amid critical analysis of his general fitness levels and a bowling action that has a tendency to collapse.
He has done considerable work on both since, ‘beasting’ himself on the Lions tour of Australia last winter and trying to stand taller in delivery stride to make use of all of his 6ft 7ins.
It is the left-arm trajectory and ability to swing the ball back into the right-handers that set him apart from the field when England went in search of a seamer post Jimmy Anderson retirement, and he credits work with Anderson on wobble seam and aerial movement for adding to his skill set since.
Josh Hull has continued to develop since earning his first cap at Test level last year
So, how are England managing the schedules of the established group of seamers?
Ben Stokes is expected to recover from a torn shoulder muscle within six weeks, but will not be looking to play again until he lead England’s mission to win a first Ashes away series in 15 years, mentoring Northern Superchargers for the foreseeable future.
Mark Wood had ambitiously identified the fifth Test match against India at The Oval last week as his return date, but England have taken a much more cautious approach to ensuring Test cricket’s fastest bowler is on the plane down under in November.
He returned to bowling last month, participating in a midsummer England Lions camp at Loughborough, but will not feature in match action again until either the home limited-overs series versus South Africa or more likely a short tour of Ireland in late September. He is understood to be desperate to play, but an historical ability to hit speeds of 90 miles per hour from ball one on injury comebacks
Thinner is the layer of cotton wool being wrapped around Jofra Archer, who will nevertheless have his Hundred outings monitored over the next few weeks. His speeds and robustness during back-to-back Test appearances last month bodes well. Similarly, Gus Atkinson will play some 100-ball games having come back from a hamstring issue seamlessly in defeat to India at The Oval.
Brydon Carse pulled out of representing the Northern Superchargers earlier this week, following discussions with England’s medical team and Manchester Originals’ Josh Tongue could follow suit after claiming 19 wickets in three matches against India. Olly Stone returned to white-ball cricket a month ago and will have the final three rounds of the County Championship to stake his claims.
However, Chris Woakes is expected to confirm that his Ashes dream is over following scans on a dislocated shoulder that popped out after being reset by medics during the final Test.