Captain Clarke back for Australia

Australia captain Michael Clarke has been passed fit to lead the side in the opening match of their Ashes tour against Somerset, starting on Wednesday at Taunton. Clarke, the team's most experienced and influential batsman, has been receiving treatment for a recurring back problem. The 32-year-old has not played since March, when he was forced to miss the final Test of a 4-0 whitewash by India. "He's in a good spot. It's great news," said vice-captain Brad Haddin. "e had a good catch and a bit of a hit in training. "It's the first match of the tour and obviously the Australian captain is pretty excited to play.