Egos on the lines as Aussies square off

Ashes spots will not be the only items up for grabs when Australia's four-day intra-squad clash gets underway next week in Southampton, with bragging rights on the line and egos set to be tested.

Australia's 25-strong Ashes training squad was split into two 12-player teams on Friday night when opposing coaches Graeme Hick and Brad Haddin selected their teams – the Hick XII and Haddin XII, respectively – for the match, which begins on Tuesday.

The match will see mouth-watering match-ups rarely seen in Australian cricket since perhaps the famous Australia versus Australia A one-day contests in the mid-1990s.

Opening batsmen David Warner and Marcus Harris are set to face the new Dukes ball against James Pattinson, Chris Tremain, Jackson Bird and Michael Neser, four fast bowlers who have dominated Sheffield Shield cricket when fit over the past three summers.

Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon will get to bowl to five left-handers in the top seven of the Hick XII, including Warner and captain and close friend Travis Head, who received his Baggy Green from Lyon in an emotional ceremony in Dubai last October.

NSW Blues pace trio Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have enjoyed their fair share of battles with Steve Smith in the nets over the years but will now square off in match conditions.

Smith has never faced Cummins in a red-ball match and the pair have been on opposite sides in only one professional match – a 2017 Indian Premier League game between the Delhi Capitals and Rising Pune Supergiants.

Cummins, who was Haddin's first pick of the night, says taking on Smith and the best red-ball players in the country will raise the intensity of the all-Australian showdown to international levels.

And just because there's an Ashes series around the corner don't expect any punches to be pulled.

"It'll definitely get the adrenaline up like in a Test match," Cummins said.

"It doesn't happen too often – you'll see our egos be put to the test, we'll be going at each other I think."

Bird joked in Canterbury this week how scores might be settled between teammates who have shared a long World Cup campaign or spent the past five weeks together on the Australia A tour of England.

"Usually after a few weeks on tour a few blokes will cop it from other blokes, airing their grievances over the tour," the Tassie quick said with a smile.

The match also provides a rare chance for state teammates to compete in four-day cricket against each other.

Along with Smith taking on Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood, Victoria captain Peter Handscomb will face two of his seasoned state bowlers Peter Siddle and Jon Holland, while Tremain and Pattinson will bowl to Harris and youngster Will Pucovski.

Queensland's Neser could bowl to Bulls teammate Marnus Labuschagne, with Lyon and Blues brother Kurtis Patterson to lock horns.

All three Tasmanians ended up on the same team – the Hick XII, captained by Tim Paine – but Bird was torn about possibly facing in-form batsman Matt Wade in the match.

"At least if I get him out in that game I've got it over him for the rest of the season," Bird laughed.

"But in saying that you want to see 'Wadey' score runs.

"You don't usually get to do things like this, so I think everyone is looking forward to it."

The four-day match will take place at the Ageas Bowl from July 23-26, with Australia's Ashes squad set to be named at the end of the encounter ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1.

Hick XII: Joe Burns, Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (c, wk), Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Chris Tremain, Nathan Lyon

Haddin XII: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Travis Head (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Will Pucovski, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Tour match: Australia v Australia A, July 23-26

First Test: Edgbaston, August 1-5

Tour match: Australians v Worcestershire, August 7-9

Second Test: Lord's, August 14-18

Third Test: Headingley, August 22-26

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: Old Trafford, September 4-8

Fifth Test: The Oval, September 12-16