The Ashes: England’s senior players to skip day-night tour match ahead of second Test despite two-day thrashing in Perth | Cricket News

England have elected against sending senior players to play a pink-ball practice match ahead of the second Ashes Test, despite being thrashed inside two days during the series opener.

Ben Stokes’ side entered the series having played just one three-day warm-up match against the England Lions, then slipped to an eight-wicket loss in Perth in the first two-day Ashes Test since 1921.

The heavy loss opened an 11-day gap in the tourists’ schedule before the day/night Test in Brisbane, raising the possibility of giving players time in the middle during England Lions’ two-day fixture against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra from November 29.

The match at the Manuka Oval will use a pink ball, as will be used in the second Test from December 4, but England have left of the starting XI from their first Test drubbing out of the England Lions squad.

Jacob Bethell, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue – who were all released from the Ashes squad to feature in the England Lions’ eight-wicket defeat in a four-day match against a Cricket Australia XI – are the only players to be added, with the trio travelling from Perth to Canberra on Tuesday.

More to follow…

Ashes series in Australia 2025-26

All times UK and Ireland

• First Test (Perth – November 21-25): Australia beat England by eight wickets
• Second Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 – Monday December 8 (4am) – The Gabba, Brisbane
• Third Test: Wednesday December 17 – Sunday December 21 (11.30pm) – Adelaide Oval
• Fourth Test: Thursday December 25 – Monday December 29 (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground
• Fifth Test: Sunday January 4 – Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground