Paine to head into Ashes without a first-class match

Australia captain Tim Paine is set to go into the Ashes series without a first-class fixture under his belt but he is set to play club cricket and second XI cricket for Tasmania over the next week before Australia's intra-squad clash in Brisbane ahead of the Gabba Test.

Paine is recovering from neck surgery he had in September and has not played at all yet this summer. His last competitive game was in April.