Ashes: England’s bowlers finally get in some match practice in warm-up game 

England’s bowlers finally got in some match practice ahead of the Ashes 26 days after some of them arrived in Australia as the wet weather relented in Brisbane so their last warm-up match could get underway.

The first two days of the intra-squad match against England Lions were washed out but the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes were able to bowl on day three.

Prior to the 80 overs completed on Thursday, England had only had 29 overs of match practice since their arrival in Australia – hardly ideal preparation for the opening Test at The Gabba on December 8.

Stuart Broad bowls in England’s intra-squad match against England Lions in Brisbane 

Ben Stokes was able to get in some much-needed match practice in the final warm-up game

James Anderson (left) bowled eight overs in Brisbane, while Stokes (right) sent down 12 overs

Those 29 overs came on the first day of another intra-squad match against England Lions and only saw opening batsmen Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed get in some practice. The rest of the three-day match was washed out.

Stokes took two wickets in his 12 overs on Thursday, while Anderson bowled eight and Broad 11 as the Lions ended the first day on 226 for four, with Zak Crawley top scoring with 45.

Ollie Robinson was able to get 12 overs in, Jack Leach 18 and Saqib Mahmood nine as England’s likely bowling attack for the first Test finally got their arm over.

Captain Joe Root took a wicket in his four overs with Liam Norwell getting the other wicket.

England captain Joe Root looks delighted to finally get on the field after two washed out days

Dark clouds loom over the Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane with wet weather affecting Queensland

With just one more day of this match scheduled, there is a real danger England will be undercooked going into the first Test of the Ashes at the unforgiving Brisbane venue.

The good news is that Australia’s preparations have also been hampered by the weather with their own three-day practice match against Australia A also ruined by the weather.

There’s also the very real possibility that the first Test could be a complete washout as well with storms forecast to hit Brisbane for the first four days when the match starts next Wednesday.

Jos Buttler (left), Stuart Broad (middle) and Joe Root (right) on the field in Brisbane 

Spinner Jack Leach bowled 18 overs on the third day of the final warm-up match in Brisbane

The same unseasonal La Nina weather pattern that has seriously disrupted the preparations of both teams is set to dominate the forecast with torrential rain expected on Australia’s east coast.

The potentially soggy conditions increase the chances of England going into the Ashes with an all-seam attack, which could see spinner Leach miss out in Brisbane and Root called upon for some variation.