Australia have been dished up some second-rate opposition for next year's Ashes tour matches, but coach Darren Lehmann remains confident the England Cricket Board (ECB) will ensure a strong standard of practice for the tourists.
The draw for Australia's 2015 defence of the urn in the UK has been released, with tour matches scheduled against Kent and Essex before the first Test, and then Derby and Northants during the five-Test series.
Three of those sides are second division county teams, while Northants are currently last in division one.
The calibre of opposition is no weaker than Australia has faced in the past, however there was a push for the ECB to provide stronger teams in warm-up matches after England had complained about the quality of a NSW XI side they were to face during the the 2013/14 Ashes.
That prompted Cricket Australia to step in and strengthen that side into a CA invitational team with quality players from around the country.
CA manager of high performance Pat Howard indicated at the time that Australia expected England to reciprocate the good will in 2015.
While on paper that looks dubious, Lehmann said on Monday he had no complaints and he expected Australia's preparations to be up to scratch before the first Ashes Test starts in Cardiff on July 12 next year.
Lehmann is buoyed by the fact Australia have a two-Test series against the West Indies the month before.
"(Kent and Essex) are quality sides and like last time (2013 Ashes in UK) they'll probably drag a few players from other counties in to play," he said.
"We really enjoy playing against the counties. It's a great lead-in for us. A bit more relaxed as you'd imagine but we've got to achieve some goals in those tour games as we did last time.
"We've got a tour game in West Indies, the two Test matches there, a 10 day lead in in England and then another two tour games. So there's plenty of time for us to get acclimatised. Plenty of time to get used to the Dukes balls and pitches in England and also bowlers to be up and ready to go."
It's a completely different scenario for Lehmann and the Australians heading into next year's series after what they faced last winter.
Former coach Mickey Arthur was sacked less than two weeks before the first Test and Lehmann was charged with the challenge of turning around a a dysfunctional team away from home against the all-powerful England attack.
However, a year on, Australia have the Ashes back after a 5-0 demolition in the summer and are now the No.1 team in Test cricket.
Next year they will play Tests at Cardiff, Lord's, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and The Oval.
Share
