England pair Mark Stoneman and James Vince playing for Test futures in Sydney

Pressure building: Stoneman has a Test average of 29.8 from seven matches
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Tom Collomosse2 January 2018

Mark Stoneman and James Vince are playing for their long-term Test futures when they walk out at the Sydney Cricket Ground this week.

This is England’s last chance to depart Australia with a Test victory and ensure the home side, who have already regained the Ashes, are left with something to ponder ahead of the return series in 2019.

More importantly, the match represents the perfect opportunity for Stoneman and Vince to convince captain Joe Root and coach Trevor Bayliss that they have the ability to be part of the team when Australia land in England next year.

Though both men have shown flashes of their talent, both are still waiting for their first Test centuries. They have made a pair of half-centuries apiece, at Brisbane and Perth, but Test averages of 29.8 from seven matches (Stoneman) and 22.8 from 11 (Vince) prove they still have plenty of questions to answer.

England will name their squad for their next Test assignment – a two-match series in New Zealand in March and April – in the aftermath of Sydney. While Bayliss and Root prefer to give players an extended run rather than make frequent changes, Stoneman and Vince will be a little nervous about their places if they cannot make a significant score here.

While the lack of Test-ready alternatives may help Stoneman’s cause – he is Alastair Cook’s 12th opening partner since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012 – the selectors are keen to look at younger batsmen when Pakistan and India arrive next summer.

Liam Livingstone of Lancashire, Dan Lawrence of Essex and Joe Clarke of Worcestershire are among those under close observation with Bayliss, in particular, keen to inject fresh blood into a Test squad that has made little progress since he was appointed in 2015.

For the moment, Stoneman insists he is concentrating only on Sydney. The 30-year-old said: “Every time you walk out to bat, there is a certain amount of pressure. At the age I am, when I’ve just come into the team, I have tried not to look too far ahead.

“I have just tried to do my best every game and not get too wrapped up in thinking about what might happen further down the line. It’s important I go out and bat with a clear mind here, and do the best I can.”

Fight: James Vince
Getty Images

It is in the bowling department where England look likely to shuffle the pack for this Test, with leg-spinner Mason Crane in line for his Test debut, probably in place of Moeen Ali. Even if the SCG pitch is deemed to favour spin, Moeen is struggling so much with form and fitness that it might be kinder to leave him on the sidelines.

Moeen has never been dropped in his 48 Tests but as Stoneman has discovered, there is no hiding place in this form of the game.

“I have found there is an unrelenting intensity at which the game is played, which is different from county cricket,” Stoneman said. “Minor mistakes can really affect the outcome of a game.”

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