DAN Lincoln, the Berkshire county player who skippers Finchampstead CC, is one of two players carrying out the 12th-man duties for England in the second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord's.

The former Reading FC goalkeeper recently made three appearances for Middlesex in the Vitality Blast and plays regularly for their 2nd XI along with a number of other Berkshire players.

Lincoln, 24, also plays for Bognor Regis Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division, but his immediate soccer future remains on hold as he is concentrating on his cricket.

READING Hockey Club have confirmed two Australians will be playing for them next season.

That's good news for the Blues as they have lost a number of players, including two internationals.

Oscar Allan and Harry Page are the duo flying over from Down Under and they will be linking up with other new signings, Andy Oxburgh, who joins from Sevenoaks, Ethan Chapman from Sheffield Hallam University and Adam Pescod from Loughborough University.

More new faces could follow to boost a squad that has so far lost four players.

England and GB international Liam Sanford, Scotland forward Lee Morton and Matt Richards have all joined Old Georgians, where they will be linking up with three other ex-Reading players, Dan Shingles, Tom Carson and Ed Carson.

The Weybridge-based Premier Division newcomers are able to bring in top players due to private funding with Shingles and Tom Carson also coaching at St George's College.

Another to leave Sonning Lane is Max Carter Keall, who has departed for University of Nottingham.

Also on the move, but going much further afield, is former Reading Ladies 1st XI player Catherine Ashton, who is off to coach hockey in Brazil for four months.

In the days when players were happy to play for nothing, Reading boasted a whole plethora of internationals, men and women.

That has changed completely in recent years and they are now down to just one, goalkeeper Amy Tennant, who is in the England squad for the European Championships which begin in Belgium this weekend