England are facing a pink-ball ‘lottery’

ENGLAND'S hopes of levelling the Ashes scoreline are at the mercy of a pink-ball “lottery”, according to Stuart Broad.

- By RORY DOLLARD

Ashes squad member Jacob Bethell trains with England Lions in Canberra yesterday; former England star Stuart Broad (inset)

A fast-forward defeat inside two days at Perth Stadium means the tourists are in desperate need of a positive result in Brisbane next week, where they will be playing a day/night match at the Gabba.

The concept is still a relative novelty at the highest level, with this game just the 25th men’s Test under lights in a decade, but is played most frequently Down Under.

Broad has played in all seven of England’s previous floodlit games, including two losses on the last tour of Australia four years ago, while frontline seamer Gus Atkinson and first-choice wicketkeeper Jamie Smith have never even experienced it in first-class cricket.