A FORMER Christleton CC captain will lead from the front as the England Deaf team seek to emulate Andrew Strauss’s heroes by bringing home the Ashes.

Paul Allen, who is hard of hearing, will be England’s vice-captain in the one-off Test match against Australia that will decide the destination of the urn, writes Paul Glynn.

The three-day clash, which begins on Monday at Geelong Grammar School, is followed by two one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches as part of a Tri-Series against the Aussies and South Africa.

Allen, who left Christleton at the end of last season to live and work in Derbyshire, hopes to use his big game experience to play a key role in his time Down Under.

The opening bowler, who works as a disabled cricket coach, was part of England’s unsuccessful Ashes campaign in 2004.

And after missing the drawn 2008 series on home soil after the Australians complained he was ‘not deaf enough’ – complaints that were subsequently not upheld – the 26-year is doubly determined to taste victory.

“When I played in 2004 it was a real experience,” said Allen. “I was only 18 and it was the first time I’d been away on my own or been involved in Test cricket. Hopefully I can be a presence in the changing room.

“There can be communication problems in deaf cricket as people rely on hearing aids and sign language. I can interpret both ways and so me and the captain will split the field into two halves for ease of communication.”

Winsford-born Allen, who bats at seven or eight, is currently taking his sign language level one qualification.

And while his hearing is impaired, a world completely without sound is a constant reality for many of his team-mates, as well as his partner Rachel, so he is all too aware of the need to champion sporting opportunities for both the physically and mentally impaired.

Allen, who passed the Christleton captaincy on to Guy Newell, said: “Disabled cricket is coming along nicely as the ECB have been ploughing money into it.

“Christleton is a club close to my heart and they really encourage disabled cricket.”