Ankle injury forces pacer Ball out of England's tour game

Adelaide, Nov 10: Ahead of the first Ashes Test from November 23, England's injury list is getting longer with each passing day as pacer Jake Ball -- with an ankle injury -- was on Friday ruled out from the rest of the four-day tour match against a Cricket Australia XI here.

Ball hurt himself after falling awkwardly just four overs into his opening bowling spell on Thursday, the second day of the match.

The Nottinghamshire pacer was forced to withdraw from the day-night fixture and had a scan on Friday to determine the damage to his right ankle.

Ball's injury came just two days after another seamer, Steven Finn, had to leave the tour because of torn cartilage in his left knee, and his replacement Tom Curran is due to arrive in Australia later on Friday.

Spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali, meanwhile, is yet to feature in the warm-up matches as he continues to struggle with a side strain. Suspended all-rounder Ben Stokes is unable to fly out to Australia while the investigation surrounding his recent arrest in Bristol remains ongoing.

Meanwhile, England have announced that veteran seamer James Anderson will serve as skipper Joe Root's deputy during the ongoing Ashes tour.

The first of the five-match series will start on November 23 at the Gabba in Brisbane.