ANDREW Strauss, England’s director of cricket, has backed Mark Stoneman to thrive in Australia during this winter’s Ashes series.

By Chris Stocks
The Surrey opener is former captain Alastair Cook’s 12th partner at the top of the order since Strauss retired at the end of the 2012 summer.
Stoneman has one half-century from three Tests so far having made his debut in the series against West Indies at Edgbaston last month and returned to Surrey with a century against Yorkshire at the Oval last week.
But Strauss believes he has the potential to solve England’s longrunning...