PERTH, Oct 25: England’s injury crisis deepened here Friday when opening batsman Marcus Trescothick became the fifth member of the 16-member squad to join the casualty list less than two weeks before the first Ashes Test.
As England completed a technical draw — which amounted to a moral defeat — in a two-day match against Western Australia, team management revealed Trescothick has an injured right shoulder.
The injury means both England’s openers are under a fitness cloud, with Matthew Vaughan still recovering from knee surgery.
In the WACA Ground warm-up clash, Western Australia slammed 313 for six wickets after dismissing England for a paltry 221 the previous day.
Nineteen-year-old left-hander Shaun Marsh, son of former Australian opener and national coach Geoff Marsh, underscored England’s problems when he hit a blazing 92 from 134 balls with 15 boundaries.
Marsh, not good enough to get a single game with the state Sheffield Shield team last summer, peeled off some breathtaking shots in 173 minutes of left-handed artistry.
On the injury front, England spokesman Andrew Walpole said Trescothick, 26, was to have a pain-killing injection for his injury, which had been troubling him for some time.
“The injury does not affect his batting — only his fielding,” Walpole said.
“He will be available for selection in the side for the three-day match against Western Australia, starting Monday.”
Scoreboard
ENGLAND (1st Innings) 221.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 3-0):
M.E. Hussey c Stewart b Hoggard 48
C. Rogers c Foster b Caddick 57
M.W. Goodwin c Harmison b Caddick 14
M. North c Crawley b Giles 38
S. Marsh c Butcher b Hoggard 92
K. Harvey c Butcher b Hoggard 11
L. Ronchi not out 34
B. Casson not out 6
EXTRAS (B-3, LB-4, W-1, NB-5) 13
TOTAL (for six wkts, 90 overs) 313
FALL OF WKTS: 1-103, 2-115, 3-138, 4-226, 5-267, 6-283.
DID NOT BAT: M. Clark, P. Wilson, C. Thorp.
BOWLING: Hoggard 15-1-49-2; Harmison 19-2-89-1 (2nb, 1w); Caddick 20-6-57-2 (3nb); Giles 27-7-81-1; Butcher 9-3-30-0.
RESULT: Match drawn.—AFP/Reuters