England to Play Single Ashes Warm-Up Match Against Lions in Perth

England will play just one official warm-up match ahead of the highly anticipated Ashes series in Australia, facing off against the England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth from November 13 to 15.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Thursday that the match will be part of a broader three-game tour for the England Lions, which will run concurrently with the Ashes. The warm-up fixture will serve as England’s primary red-ball preparation ahead of the first Ashes Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium, starting on November 21.

Lilac Hill, located in Perth’s eastern suburbs and home to the Midland Guildford Cricket Club, is a historically significant venue. It served as the traditional first stop for touring teams throughout the 1990s, often hosting 50-over festival matches. Though such traditions have since faded, the ground remains open parkland and accessible to the public, offering a rare chance for fans to observe England’s build-up in an open setting.

The WACA Ground, unavailable for the warm-up match due to a Sheffield Shield clash between Western Australia and Queensland from November 11 to 14, will still be used for centre-wicket and net training sessions by both England and Australia in the lead-up to the first Test.

England may also play a second warm-up fixture — a two-day pink-ball match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra — in the gap between the first and second Tests. The second Ashes Test at the Gabba, scheduled from December 4 to 8, will be a day-night encounter, making the potential PM’s XI match a key opportunity for pink-ball acclimatisation. However, this fixture is yet to be officially confirmed.

Meanwhile, the England Lions will play three matches on their Australian tour:

Nov 13–15: England vs England Lions – Lilac Hill (Perth)
Nov 21–24: CA XI vs England Lions – Lilac Hill (Perth)
Dec 5–8: Australia A vs England Lions – Allan Border Field (Brisbane)

The CA XI fixture will feature fringe domestic and Under-19 talent not participating in the concurrent Sheffield Shield round, offering younger players valuable exposure. The Lions’ final tour match, against Australia A in Brisbane, overlaps with the second Ashes Test and could feature higher-calibre opposition, providing further assessment opportunities for both nations.

Notably, England's management may use the concurrent Lions fixtures to give match time to Test squad members not selected in the playing XI during the early Ashes Tests.

CA's head of cricket operations and scheduling, Peter Roach, highlighted the significance of the reciprocal A-series format. “The England Lions tour is an important platform for our emerging players to compete against quality opposition,” Roach said. “It’s a valuable complement to what promises to be a fiercely contested Ashes series.”

This marks the second England Lions tour to Australia in 2025. Earlier in January and February, the Lions played three red-ball matches against CA XI and Australia A in Brisbane and Sydney. Offspinner Shoaib Bashir, along with seamers Josh Tongue and Sam Cook — all of whom have recent England Test experience — featured in that earlier tour.

With a compact preparation schedule and the Ashes rivalry heating up, England’s sole warm-up match at Lilac Hill will be under close scrutiny as both their first-choice players and reserves gear up for the battle ahead.