The Ashes 2019: England dump Moeen Ali for Lord’s showdown; Jofra Archer set to face Aussies

England bite the bullet for Lord’s and have dumped under-performing Moeen Ali for a player who fell just eight runs short of a debut Test century. Oh, and Jofra Archer is ready to go.

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World Cup-winner Jofra Archer is in line to make his eagerly-awaited Test debut after being included in England’s 12-man squad for next week’s second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord’s, while Moeen Ali was left out.

Fast bowler Archer could replace James Anderson after England’s all-time leading wicket-taker was ruled out with a calf injury that restricted him to sending down just four overs in a 251-run first-Test defeat at Edgbaston.

Archer missed that match because of a side problem but has since proved his fitness in a second-team fixture for county side Sussex against Gloucestershire, taking 6-27 and hitting a quick-fire century.

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Jofra Archer looks set to make his Test debut at Lord’s.

England also have another seam-bowling option in Surrey left-armer Sam Curran. Fast bowler Olly Stone, who was in the squad for the first Test but did not play, has been ruled out with a back injury.

Meanwhile, off-spinner Moeen has been dropped, with left-armer Jack Leach recalled into the squad ahead of Wednesday’s start at Lord’s.

Moeen was omitted after a miserable match at Edgbaston.

The 32-year-old all-rounder only managed returns of 1-42 and 2-130 with the ball, while scoring just four runs in the match - including a first-innings duck.

Jack Leach scored 92 against Ireland and offers impressive left-arm spin.

His second-innings bowling display was particularly concerning, with Moeen offering neither control or persistent wicket-taking on a wearing pitch favouring spinners and even bowling a couple of head-high beamers.

And both times he batted he was dismissed by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who has now claimed Moeen’s wicket nine times in 11 innings.

Somerset’s Leach played his last Test against Ireland at Lord’s a fortnight ago when the nightwatchman made a career-best 92 - an innings that helped set up an England victory and won him the man-of-the-match award.

England’s middle-order trio of Joe Denly, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow all had poor returns with the bat at Edgbaston, with wicketkeeper Bairstow also untidy behind the stumps.

Moeen Ali has paid the price for a poor Test at Edgbaston.

But all three have retained their places in the squad, although Denly’s position at number four had been called into question following scores of 18 and 11 in Birmingham.

England squad: Rory Burns (Surrey), Jason Roy (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire, capt), Joe Denly (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire, wkt), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Sam Curran (Surrey)

Originally published as The Ashes 2019: England dump Moeen Ali for Lord’s showdown; Jofra Archer set to face Aussies