ENGLAND one-day captain Alastair Cook and fellow international Ravi Bopara are included in the Essex side to face Australia in a 50-overs day/night match at The Ford County Ground on Tuesday, start 2pm.

The pair will take the opportunity of a preview look at the tourists ahead of the five-match one-day series between England and Australia that starts on Friday.

Such has been the interest that the match has been sold-out for some weeks, and Essex head coach Paul Grayson admits that his squad are relishing the chance to come face-to-face with the country’s oldest adversaries.

“It’s a great opportunity for the lads to play against Australia, it’s not often that you get that chance and especially at Chelmsford in a floodlit game,” he said.

“It’s a great chance for our squad to show everyone what good cricketers they are. The Aussies will want to be at their best because they are about to start their one-day series against England.

“We know that it will be a tough game, they’ll be fully at it on Tuesday like we will because we want to put in a big performance. I’m sure that the Essex support will come out and get behind us and I can guarantee everyone that we won’t be taking this game easy.

“In the past, I know that some second team players have been selected in some of the tourists’ matches but all our lads are desperate to play and play against some top players.”

Essex: J Foster (capt/wkt), M Pettini, A Cook, R Bopara, T Westley, G Smith, R ten Doeschate, G Napier, T Phillips, T Mills, R Topley.