England have one senior player injured and another trio well short of rhythm, while Australia sorely need Shane Watson in their batting order during the Ashes and could do much worse than adding Ben Cutting to their bowling attack for the first Test
Ben Cutting's spell during the afternoon may have caught the selectors' eye, whilst also giving England the testing workout they craved
England's wicketkeeper Matt Prior is under a fitness cloud 12 days before the first Ashes Test in Brisbane
Kevin Pietersen's chronic knee problem has reared at a most inopportune moment for England, forcing him to fly to Melbourne for an injection to ward off the pain
Graham Gooch has been variously described over the years as a fitness freak and a bit of a trencherman, so he was well qualified to provide an official response to all the delighted gossip over their leaked Ashes cookbook
Where cool temperatures and overcast skies were a major contributor to England's Ashes victory in Australia four summers ago, a similar belt of weather through Hobart is now playing havoc with the meticulous planning of Alastair Cook's men
Australia's selectors have been reminded to maintain a reasonable level of contact with the players they choose after it was revealed that many of the cricketers seconded to play for Australia A against England in Hobart found out about their inclusion on
A cold, wet Hobart day kept the players for Australia A and England huddled inside their Bellerive Oval changerooms, waiting for the inevitable abandonment that eventually arrived a little after 4pm. It also caused Tim Paine's banged up and arthritic righ
Michael Carberry and Alastair Cook impressed as an alternative opening combination for England on the first day against Australia A in Hobart
Michael Carberry delivered the big hundred of which Shane Warne said he was capable - and then credited Warne with rescuing his county career
Jonny Bairstow appears to have lost the ebullience that initially won England over and now faces another trying time carrying the drinks on tour
Moises Henriques has barely had a chance to get over his jetlag before captaining Australia A, but it is a leadership role in name and not much else as decisions are made elsewhere
England will ponder a shuffle of their Test match batting order before the return Ashes encounter begins in Brisbane
