Gary Ballance has been tipped by his county captain to play for England in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane later this month.

Ballance faces competition for a spot in the team from Ben Stokes, fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow and Michael Carberry - who hit an unbeaten century on the first day of the tourists' warm-up match in Hobart on Wednesday.

However, Yorkshire skipper Andrew Gale thinks that Ballance is in with a chance thanks to his consistency with the bat in the County Championship last season.

He is quoted by the Bradford Telegraph & Argus as saying: "I think he will get the nod to bat number six at Brisbane, and it has been great to see how Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance have developed over the past two or three years."

Ballance suffered a first-ball duck in his first innings on tour against Western Australia last week.