The Australians play a two-dayer against the English Lions starting Friday at Northampton, affording the opportunity for Steve Smith to captain the side.
Smith has shown plenty of leadership qualities with Australia A, and in the Big Bash, to be given his chance.
That will be the only game before the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval, starting next Wednesday week.
It also gives those week in week out Australian net cricketers on tour the chance to get rid of the cobwebs.
How about a batting order of:
David Warner
Ed Cowan
Usman Khawaja
Phil Hughes
Steve Smith (c)
Matt Wade
James Faulkner
Ashton Agar
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Jackson Bird
Missing from the fourth Test loss – at Chester-le-Street – Chris Rogers, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Ryan Harris, and Peter Siddle.
It’s wise to rest Clarke’s suspect back in a minor game, Harris rarely plays four games in a row without breaking down, Watson has groin and hip pains, while Rogers, Haddin, and Siddle deserve a break.
But the biggest plus is for the selectors to gauge whether Cowan, Hughes, Wade, Faulkner, Agar, and Starc should be seriously considered for The Oval, with the Aussies down 3-zip.
As it sits, Starc should be an automatic inclusion for Watson, who may well have played his last Test.
But the other five will have to do something spectacular at Northampton to earn a start at The Oval, if the selectors stay with pick and stick.
England selector Geoff Miller has named a strong Lions side captained by former Test batsman Eoin Morgan.
It’s a team of no-names from an Australians point of view, but Miller has high hopes for most of them
The team: Morgan (Middlesex), Moeen Ali (Worcester), Gary Balliance (Yorkshire), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Jos Buttier (Somerset), James Harris (Yorkshire), Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire), Alex Lees (Yorkshire), Liam Plunkett (Yotkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), and Luke Wells (Sussex).
Barker is a godson of West Indies batting legend Clive Lloyd. If he can be half as good as “Hubert”, he will be one helluva player.
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar was going to play, but is under suspension for urinating on bouncers outside a Brighton nightclub. Anyone who knows this really good bloke would immediately say that is very much out of character.
Chris
Guest
Very true, isn't it great that we seem to have some promising options? With Swann getting older we need that. Of course, it can vanish like a mirage just as quickly, but for now it looks good.
nickyc
Guest
I was thinking that Danny Briggs might be the man to succeed Swann, but Kerrigan has definitely moved ahead this season, Chris. Good that they're both young - 21 and 24 respectively - with lots of time to learn their trade.
Chris
Guest
Some interesting selections from England in their Lions team, it's kind of a classic 2nd XI idea with a mix of older heads to balance the promising youngsters. Stokes has long been monitored as a potential all rounder, Alex Lees and Gary Ballance are very highly thought of young top order players, while Simon Kerrigan is likely to be Swann's replacement a couple of years down the line. You should start to see a couple of those names appearing in the England team in the not too distant future.
Pete
Guest
And Stokes is the son of a former nz kiwi league rep
Red Kev
Guest
So would Elyse Perry, that's not a cogent argument for replacing a batsman with a bowler.
formeropenside
Guest
Smith as captain...well, now I have seen it all.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Khawaja captained the chairman's XI last year.
Blackie
Guest
As I understood it Phil Hughes was meant to bat at 3 in the test team this series. He still has not been given a go there. He should bat at 3 for the Lions match. Alan Border when asked about Hughes on the Fox Sports coverage has repeatedly said that in his opinion Hughes is the long term No.3 for Australia.I would take Border's opinion every time.
David Lord
Expert
Couldn't agree with you blokes more, there's plenty of time for a four-dayer against the Lions with the fifth Test not starting until Wednesday week at The Oval.
David Lord
Expert
Not often do I disagree with you Red Kev, but it's a pretty fair bet Starc would get more runs and wickets than Watson.
Red Kev
Guest
That's how Watson is performing not what he is playing as (or is selected as).
Gr8rWeStr
Guest
It just a glorified net practice, no real meaning should be taken from performances, so I'm fine with the team you've selected. I not convinced about Smith leadership abilities, cant picture him as a future Test captain. No problem with he captaining this team, given the alternatives.
Gr8rWeStr
Guest
Isn't Watson essentially playing as a BOWLER who can bat a bit, even though he's being selected as a top 6 batsman? ;-)
Red Kev
Guest
The Australians could do with some net practice.
nickyc
Guest
Agreed. What's the point of playing anything other than four day games before and during a test series?
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Hard to see why this 'match' is being played at all. England Lions will bat all of one day and Australia will bat out the other. Draw. Even more than the Sussex exercise, this is just glorified net practice.
Red Kev
Guest
How on earth do you figure this? “Starc should be an automatic inclusion for Watson” Watson is in the side primarily as a BATSMAN (despite his bowling ability) and Starc is a BOWLER (who lacks control). Australia played five bowlers against Sri Lanka and what happened … it was terrible preparation for the upcoming tests against India and no bowler got to send down more than four overs in a row (except a solitary five-over Bird spell). If Watson is unavailable he needs to be replaced with a batsman. If Starc plays (and he shouldn’t, Faulkner should be ahead of him as a replacement) then it should be for Siddle or Harris or Bird. Our batting is our problem, not our bowling, you don’t remove a top six player and replace him with a bowler who can bat a bit. On the other hand I fervently hope you are right and that Watson has played his last ever test.
Emax
Guest
I'd be happy with restoring the Cowan / Warner partnership if Cowan can roll his form over from the last tour match. It would make sense to put Rogers at 3 as he is much more solid than Khawaja and we need form and strength in this position.
nickyc
Guest
Ballance is the nephew of former Zim test player David Houghton.