It started as an amusing diversion, but England's injury list is now verging on the surreal. Jeremy Snape is likely to miss all of the VB Series after an x-ray confirmed he had fractured his thumb during England's battering at the hands of New South Wales on Friday. Snape will be out for around a month after being pinned by a rising ball from Brett Lee, and with England's last group match on January 19, he is unlikely to play any part.

England have chosen Worcestershire's Gareth Barry, 25, ahead of Richard Dawson as their offspinning replacement. Batty has impressed during his time with the Academy party in Adelaide.

"The injuries we've had on tour have all been real freak accidents," said Duncan Fletcher, England's coach. "I don't think there's one where we could say 'that could have been prevented'. You just have to be philosophical about it and try to move on.

"At the end of the day it's like anything. If you sit there and get down on yourself you start spiralling down. You've got to try to be positive. What alternative is there?"

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