The England Western Australia XI warm-up will be played at the WACA Ground in Perth on November 7, giving England proper match practice before their eight-match white-ball tour of Australia. The fixture was announced on October 5, with tickets on sale from the following morning, as first reported by Sky Sports.
The day game comes six days before the first of three ODIs against Australia, which starts on November 13 at Perth Stadium. The second ODI is scheduled for Adelaide on November 15, followed by the third in Hobart on November 18. England’s tour then continues with five T20Is from November 21 to December 2.
Before heading to Australia, England will also play a seven-match ODI tri-series in Pakistan, also featuring Sri Lanka, from October 20. With the 2027 ODI World Cup less than a year away, the November tour gives England a chance to settle their limited-overs combinations.
Why the England Western Australia XI warm-up matters
The decision to arrange a proper warm-up follows criticism of England’s preparations before last winter’s Ashes tour. On that occasion, the team skipped a full-fledged practice match in Perth and instead played an intra-squad fixture on a slow surface at Lilac Hill, a club ground in Perth’s eastern suburbs. England then lost the opening Test at Perth Stadium inside two days.
Under white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum, the approach this time is different.
“Aside from Jos [Buttler], Joe [Root] and Adil Rashid, there’s not a lot of experience in that side,” McCullum said last month. “You’ve got to try to navigate what you can and try to include what you can alongside the opposition you’re playing and make sure they are of high quality.”
The fixture is England’s first formal white-ball warm-up in six years, and marks the return of an official England side to the WACA for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
A near full-strength squad, with some rested
England are expected to send a close-to-full-strength ODI side to Australia. England have already named a 16-member squad for the tri-series, resting Jofra Archer, and a similar core is likely to travel for the Australia tour. Some of their Test stars are likely to be rested during the five-match T20I series, which runs from November 21 to December 2, as the team looks ahead to its Test tour of South Africa.
Australia face a similar scheduling problem. Some of their Test bowlers are likely to need careful workload management after their three-match Test tour of South Africa, which ends on October 31. Their four-Test home series against New Zealand begins on December 9.
Strength of the opposition unclear
How strong a Western Australia XI will take the field remains uncertain. The state’s one-day side has made a poor start to the domestic season, and the warm-up falls midway through an 11-day gap between their away Sheffield Shield matches in Adelaide and Melbourne.
It is unlikely that Western Australia’s Test and ODI players Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly will be released just six days after the end of the third Test in South Africa. Fast bowlers Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson and Mahli Beardman could be considered, depending on their fitness, with the red-ball workloads of Richardson and Morris also likely to factor into any decision.
Morris and Western Australia Shield captain Aaron Hardie faced England when the two sides met in a tour match at the WACA during the 2017-18 season. That fixture also featured a young Tim David and Josh Philippe, along with Australia white-ball pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile.
The ODI calendar is busier than ever: the format recently passed its 5,000th men’s match, and both England and Australia will treat this tour as part of their long build-up to the 2027 World Cup.
Frequently asked questions
When is England’s warm-up against Western Australia XI?
The 50-over match is scheduled for November 7 at the WACA Ground in Perth, six days before the first ODI against Australia at Perth Stadium.
What is England’s white-ball schedule in Australia?
England will play three ODIs on November 13, 15 and 18 in Perth, Adelaide and Hobart, followed by five T20Is from November 21 to December 2.
Why did England arrange a warm-up this time?
The team was criticised for skipping a proper practice match before last winter’s Ashes tour in Perth, playing only an intra-squad fixture before losing the opening Test inside two days.
Who could feature for the Western Australia XI?
Fast bowlers Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson and Mahli Beardman are possible selections depending on fitness, while Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly are unlikely to be available after the Test tour of South Africa.
