The Ashes: England warm-up match with Essex reduced to farce after losing first-class status Always a glorified practice match, the loss of Tymal Mills (tight hamstring), David Masters (sore Achilles tendon) and Tom Westley (sore hand), meant Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott were reduced to facing part-time bowlers who would not get an outing in a Sunday pub team. The injuries also meant that three schoolboys, all members of Essex's Academy, were used as substitute fielders. For that reason, England head coach Andy Flower sought permission from Essex to utilise Boyd Rankin and the county's Reece Topley to pep up the competition, which meant rescinding the match's first-class status. Permission was granted, to the initial surprise of the umpires, and Rankin and Topley marked out their runs. Topley then bowled three balls before everyone went off for rain with England on 139-1. So far so practical, you might think, except that Tom Craddock will not be best pleased that his 5-69 in England's first innings, the best bowling figures of his career, have now been consigned to that vacuum below first-class where deeds become devalued. Tim Bresnan's hundred also gets demoted. There is a playing condition that allows players to be switched after play has begun but they have to be nominated before the toss. There was the suggestion that Rankin was going to play for Essex from the start but England did not commit due to Stuart Broad's stiff shoulder. He gets a game now, though the debate whether this is good or bad for cricket will rage for a lot longer.