England’s Ashes depth is under sharper scrutiny as Australia A routed the Lions by an innings and 127 runs at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
Fresh from a heavy Gabba defeat that left the tourists 2-0 down in the series, England’s Lions endured a chastening day, bowled out for 166 in the first innings and then 295 in their second, still short of Australia A’s 8-588 declared. Nathan McSweeney anchored Australia A with an unbeaten 226, while England’s young Asa Tribe crafted a run-filled 129 not out to become the lone stand-out with the bat across the match.
Ongoing disappointment for England continued despite Tribe’s century in the Brisbane third innings. Fergus O’Neill finished with 4-53 for Australia A, sealing the result and denying any chance of a final-day draw.
The losses come on the heels of a prior defeat to a Cricket Australia XI, further highlighting a widening gap in England’s depth ahead of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide next week.
Senior players and selection headaches dominate the discussion. Ollie Pope continues to be under pressure at number three after failing to reach 50 in his first four innings of the series. The likely replacement, Jacob Bethell, remains without a first-class hundred in 25 matches, though he did show signs with 71 against Australia A on Sunday. Tour totals so far read 3, 70, 44, 16, 19 and 71 for Bethell, underscoring inconsistent returns.
Coincidentally, Tribe’s third-innings hundred stands as England Lions’ only century of the tour, with no other player stepping up to stake a claim for a place in the senior side.
The bowling concerns are equally pressing. Spinner Shoaib Bashir, long-forecast as a potential Ashes contributor, conceded 0-115 from 25 overs in this match, while Nathan McSweeney’s opening-day aggression proved costly to Bashir. Will Jacks, selected for the Gabba Test ahead of Bashir, contributed with a wicket and some useful batting, but it’s a stark reminder that more options are needed.
England’s reserve quicks—Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts—were absent for this Lions fixture, with Nathan Gilchrist taking 4-128 and Josh Hull 3-103 in their stead.
With Adelaide looming, questions about how England reshapes their lineup—both bat and ball—will dominate discussions, as fans and critics debate whether rapid changes are required or a longer-term plan is needed to restore depth and confidence across the squad.
