Australia unveil new look Test shirts for Ashes with names and numbers on

It’s long been a common sight in short form cricket, but Australia A have broken new ground by wearing cricket whites with players names and numbers on, the shirts the full side will wear during the Ashes.

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Test cricket got its first sight of the future during Australia A’s tour match against Sussex in Brighton, with Tim Paine’s side wearing traditional whites with the modern addition of names and numbers on their shirts.

England and Australia will wear the updated kits throughout the Ashes series which begins at Edgbaston on August 1.

Names and numbers on playing shirts have long been a feature of short form cricket, but this year’s Ashes will mark the first time they have been seen in Test fixtures.

Australia A wore shirts with names and numbers on in their tour match against Sussex.

The series also launches the new Test Championship format, in which the top nine test playing nations will compete in a set of series over two years building towards a one-off final in June 2021.

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The move is designed to appeal to younger fans and those less familiar with the players, with the hope names an numbers will allow those featuring to be more easily identifiable on the pitch.

James Pattinson — No. 19 — began his push for Ashes selection with three wickets on Australia A’s opening day of red-ball cricket in England.

In his first game in Australian colours in more than three years, Pattinson claimed 3-30 against Sussex as they went to stumps at 5-118 on a day shortened by rain.

Jackson Bird and Michael Neser picked up one wicket each, while Josh Hazlewood finished 0-35 off his 11 overs.

Desperate to return to Australia’s squad as a pace-bowling option for the Ashes, Pattinson took his wickets with full pitched bowling and the ball moving off the seam.

James Pattinson pushed his case for Ashes selection with three wickets with the Dukes ball.

“Over here you’ve got to try and attack the stumps,” he said.

“We spoke about it as a bowling group, to try and hit the top of the stumps and hit the right areas … that challenging length.”

Michael Neser was also in the wickets.

Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Hazlewood are likely to be first choice for the first Ashes Test, but Pattinson and Jhye Richardson could apply pressure on the trio.

Victorian Pattinson took eight wickets in his last county match for Northamptonshire last month, including 6-73 in the first innings against Kent.

In his first game in Australian colours in more than three years, Pattinson claimed 3-30 against Sussex as they went to stumps at 5-118 on a day shortened by rain.

Jackson Bird and Michael Neser picked up one wicket each, while Josh Hazlewood finished 0-35 off his 11 overs.

Desperate to return to Australia’s squad as a pace-bowling option for the Ashes, Pattinson took his wickets with full pitched bowling and the ball moving off the seam.

“Over here you’ve got to try and attack the stumps,” he said. “We spoke about it as a bowling group, to try and hit the top of the stumps and hit the right areas … that challenging length.”

Originally published as Australia unveil new look Test shirts for Ashes with names and numbers on