Bell To Bat At Four

It has been confirmed that Bell will start the Edgbaston Test on Thursday, batting at four - which will please Steve James. I would have preferred him at five, but that was never likely. I think backing Bopara in this way is a positive move, after all, as the man himself pointed out, the Ashes is only two Tests old. I'm backing Bell to do well - especially in this Test on his home ground. He could do worse than note how well Nathan Hauritz has handled so many people questioning his ability.

Brett Lee has again been ruled out.

Fact of the day: Edgbaston has hosted 16 draws in its last 20 first-class matches.

Steve James Column In The Sunday Telegraph

As ever, Steve James makes a number of excellent and original points in his weekly Sunday Telegraph column. He calls for the selectors to resist the temptation to lower Bopara in the order by placing Bell at three. He rightly points to Bell's poor record in that position, and insists that Bopara is backed (after all, he does already have three centuries in that position - that's three more than Bell.) In addition, he would promote Collingwood to four and have Bell at five. This is unlikely to happen, but is backed up by his stats.

Bell's record by position:

Number 3 - ave: 31.00, 0 hundreds

Number 4 - ave: 47.16, 2 hundreds

Number 5 - ave: 54.41, 2 hundreds

Number 6 - ave: 49.00, 4 hundreds

Ian Chappell argues the exact opposite in his column in the same paper - preferring Bell at three and Bopara at five. I'm with James, but it will be fascinating to see what happens.

As for the bowling, James would think about replacing Broad, and is unsure about Onions. Harmison's form is excellent, and I can see him playing a part in this series, but at Edgbaston, I would back the current bowling attack. Broad was better at Lord's and is highly capable, while Onions did fine in his first Ashes Test - no better, but certainly no worse. Both, in my opinion, deserve at least one more chance.

A final excellent and overlooked point he makes, is to remind us who the England vice-captain is. It's Alastair Cook by the way, but I did need reminding. As James points out, "It is far from obvious on the field. More advice seems to come from Paul Collingwood."

Bell It Is

As expected, Ian Bell will start the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Thursday in place of Kevin Pietersen, it was announced today. Other than KP's omission, the squad is unchanged, so Panesar and Harmison are again included - though destined to be discarded.

As ever, Bell has shown good county form this season - clocking up 640 runs in seven County Championship matches, prior to his double failure against Hampshire last week.

Ian Bell Test Record: Played - 46, Innings - 83, Average - 40.59, High Score - 199, Hundreds - 8, Fifties - 19, Catches 44.

Squad For Third Test Named Tomorrow

Ian Bell for Kevin Pietersen is widely expected to be the only change. And whilst Bell would be my choice, events this week have highlighted a dearth of viable alternatives. Here are the names which have been banded about the media:

Ian Bell - Averages 40.59 from 46 Tests. Scored 199 v South Africa last July, but has one 50 from 12 Test innings since. Dropped during last winter's Caribbean tour. Has always shown promise at international level, but questionable temperament and frustrating inconsistency. Prolific as ever in county cricket this summer. Superb fielder who made an underrated catching contribution in 2005.

Rob Key - Has a Test double century (a feat which only Collingwood and Pietersen can match) and made his international comeback in the recent World T20. Made his first double century in County Championship earlier this month, and has hit form after a wretched start to the season. Has a sub-standard international average, and is unlikely to figure for England again at this level though.

Stephen Moore - Opening batsman, which all but puts him out of the reckoning. Was the highest scorer in domestic first-class cricket last season and made a century against the Australians for the England Lions prior to the first Test. One to keep an eye on.

Joe Denly - Another opener - not what England need. Made 66 and 36 against Australia for England Lions in June, but this Ashes series is a year or two early for him. One for the future in Tests, and the present in one-day cricket.

Owais Shah - Good player, and one I championed for the Test team prior to his run in the Caribbean, but suffers from nerves and didn't seize his chance. Would be too much of a risk on the biggest stage of all.

Marcus Trescothick - Wishful thinking. An unsung hero of the 2005 Ashes series, and still one of the best openers around. Australians respect him, but his England days are sadly over.

Hopefully a break from international cricket has cleared Bell's head and increased his hunger, because we know he has the talent required for this level. I have always thought he'd return to Tests and enjoy sustained success, but I wouldn't have picked mid-way through this series as his reintroduction period. However, given the choice above, and with the exception of Tresco, I believe he represents our best option for the rest of this Ashes summer.

Preliminary ICC Champions Trophy Squad Announced

England announced a 30-strong squad for the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy, yesterday. The tournament will be staged in South Africa in September and the squad will be halved by August 23.

England's ODI form in recent years has been extremely frustrating - not least because it has at times - 2007 home series v India, 2008 home series v South Africa - been excellent. However, for each of these results there is also the whitewashes of the 2008 winter series v India or the 2006 summer series v Sri Lanka.

So, results suggest that England are not a million miles away from finding a successful ODI formula, but the current one is not good enough; one or two steps forward, followed by the same number back. They have to try something a bit new. Although the selectors have named only one uncapped player (Hampshire's Michael Lumb), the squad includes a number of fresh, young and inexperienced names. Their inclusion could provide the subtle change in direction which leads to that illusive consistency.

This is the perfect tournament in which players can shed the label of potential in favour of the far more useful tags, experienced and good enough. It's not a World Cup, and I would suggest that signs of significant improvement (an obvious and suitable gameplan, clearly defined roles within the team, picking the right players and evidence of tournament-savvy play) is more important than returning with the trophy. The logic behind that being that should England happen upon some consistency, they may one day return home with a coveted World Cup.

That means making tough calls - dispensing with good servants of the county game who have served England passably in the past - Rob Key and Gareth Batty - and even those who have an obvious Test future but have failed to grasp countless ODI opportunities - Ian Bell and, in my opinion, Andrew Strauss.

Here's my squad. The main difference between this XV and the one which will be chosen is the absence here of the captain, Strauss. For me, his inclusion is indicative of the two steps forward, two steps back policy - he's shown at times (as recently as the Caribbean tour) that he's capable in the format, but struggled badly with its concept at other times, thus, as an opener, hampering the whole team. I would certainly keep him in the selection mix, but for this tournament would give the captaincy to Stuart Broad - eighth in all-time England ODI wicket-takers list and highly-rated as a thinking cricketer by Michael Vaughan.

My XV:

James Anderson (Lancashire)

Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Paul Collingwood (Durham)
Joe Denly (Kent)
Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire)
Michael Lumb (Hampshire)
Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex)
Graham Onions (Durham)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Matt Prior (Sussex)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)

Luke Wright (Sussex)

Not All Bad?

Apparently not - that's according to the Guardian's Rob Smyth.

This is an admirable attempt at positivity from an excellent writer. Whilst I would class a sentence like England's most memorable success of the last four years, in the CB Series of 2006-07, came without Pietersen as a bit of a straw clutcher, he does make some valid points. Namely, that if Bell comes in at three then Bopara can drop to the relative sanctuary of four, and that Bell's recent record against Australia, in the forgotten 06-07 series, is passable - four half-centuries in five Tests.

Pietersen To Miss Rest Of Ashes

The news wasn't exactly a surprise, but there was still an element of shock attached to the revelation that Kevin Pietersen will miss the next six weeks, and the remainder of the Ashes series, following surgery on his right Achilles tendon.

Deep down it was news I knew was coming - the shock stemming from the fact I didn't want to believe it and an irrational hope for a Flintoff-esque doctor-defying soldiering on (because, let's face it, a 70% fit KP is still one the Aussies are scared of.) Of course, that was a vain hope. Even Kevin Pietersen is incapable of miraculous recoveries. Off the pitch, that is.

The world's leading Achilles specialist was flown in to tell KP what we all already knew. I've never doubted his commitment to the England cause, and there's no doubt he'll be distraught at the news - this is the stage that he craves the most, and one on which - with an average of 50.72 against Australia - he invariably shines.

So, where does the news leave the player and his country? Well, it puts to bed one of this summer's perpetual worries, and should ensure that England set off for their winter tour of South Africa with their best player fit and revitalised (it would after all have been a tall order without both KP and Flintoff.) So, long-term it's a plus for both. Short-term though, is another matter.

I think this is the worst possible news for England. He's the one player they can ill afford to do without. Even given Freddie's Lord's heroics I could be confident without him - after all England have shown they can live (even thrive) in his absence, and they have a strong battery of reserve bowlers who could take his place. The same is not true with KP.

In many ways it will be a great test for the team, and one they probably needed at some point. Any time but now. Not against the Aussies. Not when we're one nil up with three to play. Much pressure will be heaped upon his replacement Ian Bell, but the pressure notches will rise considerably too on each of the batsmen in the line-up. Each will need to offer an extra 30% in effectiveness to compensate for the absence of the classiest act among them.

On countless occasions Kevin Pietersen has got his side out of trouble. For the next three Tests they must avoid that trouble in the first place. It wont be easy, and I hope I'm placing too much importance on his inclusion, but his loss is a series prediction-altering one.

Second Ashes Test: The Andrew Flintoff Show

England win the match by 115 runs.

When the England captain scores 161 runs in the first innings and leads his side to victory over Australia at Lord's for the first time since 1934, it takes something special to eclipse him to the man of the match award. And that's exactly what Andrew Flintoff provided - on his last Test match appearance on the famous ground.

I don't think I've seen Flintoff bowl as well as he did yesterday (in returning second innings figures of 5-92) since 2005. It was epic stuff - a big match performer putting his body through one last series of duels against the toughest and most prized scalp in the game. On the final morning, with Australia still needing 209 to win with five wickets in hand, Flintoff was hell-bent on making sure his country did not suffer an unlikely and unimaginably catastrophic defeat. The night before, Clarke and Haddin (who put on 185 together) had, with every confident stroke, gradually increased the possibility of that outcome occurring. Flintoff though, bowled an unbelievably potent Monday morning spell in claiming the third five-for of his Test career (improbable but true) and making history for the England team.

It was, as Flintoff himself was at pains to point out, a true team effort which put England 1-0 up in this Ashes series.

Flintoff To Retire From Tests After Ashes

This Ashes series will be Andrew Flintoff's last Test series. His body can take it no longer. The countless comebacks and subsequent breakdowns have finally taken their toll, and no wonder - the strains and stresses his mind and body have gone through, and the nature of 21st century elite cricket, have made today's announcement somewhat inevitable.

It is a great shame, but in some ways also a relief. News of setback after setback was hard enough for us as fans to take, so goodness knows how he's got through it. Eventually, England were going to have to move on permanently, now that can be done in the Test arena, while the charismatic all-rounder prolongs his international career in one day cricket.

In Jonathan Agnew's reaction to the news, he says that its hard to feel too sorry for Fred - in that he'll continue to play ODI and T20 cricket for England and no doubt a few years of IPL. True, but I do feel sorry for him. It's not inconceivable that actually Test cricket means a good deal more to him than T20 cricket, whether he's playing for his country or the Chennai Super Kings. No one would say no to the money of the IPL, but when Freddie sits back to regale his grandchildren with tales of his glory days, his stories will be of Test matches in 2005 (and 2009?), and it's far from inconceivable that he'd give up all that one day glitz for a prolonged Test career. I'd like to believe he would.

If anyone can sign off at Lord's in style, Andrew Flintoff can.

Collingwood The Hero

England would be 1-0 down in this Ashes series were it not for Paul Collingwood. Anderson and Panesar may have crossed the finish line with their wickets (just about) intact, but it was Collingwood that enabled them to do so.

What he lacks in batting aesthetics he more than makes up for in character, specialising over recent years in gritty match winning or saving rearguards. Given the Cardiff result, I rate today's innings as his most important for his country. Here's his top five:

1. 74 v Australia - 8/7/09 - England were never in danger of winning this game, so the important number here was 344 - the number of minutes he spent at the crease in this unlikely match-saving effort. He faced 201 dot balls, only made 44 scoring shots and finished with a strike-rate of 30.20, but neither he nor England cared as they head to Lord's all square.

2. 135 v South Africa - 30/7/08 - Test career-saving innings. Having been in dismal form all summer, he made a tortuous 4 from 45 balls in the first innings, and approached the crease for the second knowing that this was his last chance. 296 minutes and 135 runs later he left the field, Test career intact.

3. 10 v Australia - 8/9/05 - KP made the headlines at the other end, but Colly lasted 74 priceless minutes at the crease at a time when another breakthrough may just have seen England's Ashes hopes evaporate on the last day of this epic series.

4. 206 v Australia - 1/12/06 - Amid the nightmares the Adelaide Test inevitably conjures up, it is easy to forget that an Englishman scored a double hundred. Collingwood toiled away for an epic 515 minutes, many of them in conjunction with KP, and faced 392 balls amid a barrage of sledging from Shane Warne. Mental toughness personified. If only the team could have followed suit.

5. 108 v India - 11/12/08 - Few batsmen found this Chennai pitch easy, or indeed possible, to bat on, but Collinwood did. Only three England players made it out of double figures (Strauss also made 108) in England's second innings 311, but even their heroics were unable to prevent England going down by six wickets.

Strauss' Captaincy

Mike Brearley's thoughts on Strauss' first Ashes Test in charge, from today's Observer.

First Test, Day Five, Lunch Time. Australia Nearly There.

England lost three wickets this morning in stumbling to 102-5. They still trail by 137.

Come the Lord's Test, England have very few positives to cling to. I defy even Andrew Strauss to 'find the positives' from this match. There have been plenty the past six months, but none the past five days.

Collingwood, who has batted well for his 35*, and Flintoff have a chance to provide one positive. Forget saving the match - for now - they should be aiming to be in at tea. That way they give the team a chance of a draw, and, crucially, will have played out a passage of play during which they frustrated Australia and stopped them, for the first time this match, looking like a world beating attack. After all, the pitch is not doing much. It's a tough ask, but a situation they've got themselves into. A limp capitulation here would undo much of England's recent rebuilding work. This session could have a bearing on the Lord's Test.

First Test, Day Four, Tea Time. England In Trouble.

Australia declared on 674-6. England are 20-2, 219 runs behind.

The rain has come, and it's grim on the field as well as off. Australia batted with ease again, with Haddin and North joining Ponting and Katich as century makers. Whenever Strauss and Pietersen resume, which looks likely to be tomorrow, they, and the next batsmen in, have a mammoth task on their hands in saving this game and atoning for their poor first innings efforts.

For me there are two major reasons why England find themselves in trouble in Cardiff:

• Batsmen failing to push on - All the batsmen and all-rounders apart from Cook got in before getting out. This is good in that they proved they can score runs against this attack, but bad in that it shows a lack of responsibility/concentration/ application/intent/ability. It is an inexcusable fact that no batsman passed 70.
• Bowling plans - Either Australia have them and England don't, or Australia's are vastly more effective. Bowling wide of the off-stump may tempt Phil Hughes, but England wont snare Katich or North like that (because they showed the patience and restraint which was missing from England's innings.) Similarly, bowling full and straight to Pietersen has the effect of unsettling him. Kudos to Ponting - whose captaincy is something of an issue in Australia - but it's simple homework really.

First Test, Day Three. Australia Well In Control.

Australia end the day on 179-5, 44 runs ahead of England.

Dispiriting day, and one which, barring a miraculous start to day four, has left England battling to draw this first Test. So far, the pitch has flattened out as the match progresses, and ultimately it is the timid and edgy first innings batting effort that has put England in this position. Fortunately, the batsmen have a chance to atone, and prove they are better than day one - which they are, (each of the top four were out in disappointing fashion.) A team innings in which no one scores over 70 will not be acceptable again in this series. Ponting and Katich stood up for Australia, and, whether it happens tomorrow or on Sunday, a couple of England batsmen will need to do the same.

Broad took the wicket of Clarke just before the end of the evening session. That should do him the world of good. Throughout his short international career he has made it a fool's game to write him off - using a number of knock-backs as a launch-pad for triumph. I'm sure a difficult start to his Ashes career will prove no different.

First Test, Day Two, Morning Session

England eventually all out for 435.

99 added to overnight score, and at quite a rate. 66 runs flowed from the first nine overs of the day, 16 off one Hauritz over which included three successive fours from Swann. Swann and Anderson made their 50 partnership from 38 balls. One day stuff.

England's perceived weakness - their lower-middle order - has got them into this match. The batting during the first few hours of yesterday's play was cagey and nervy. Apart from Bopara, the approach was conservative. Yesterday evening and this morning was anything but. Memories of the first day of the 2005 Edgbaston Test were evoked by Prior, Flintoff, Broad, Swann and even Anderson - who all batted with fluency and aggression in taking the fight to the Aussies. It was particularly good to see Flintoff batting naturally and positively. With a clear head, free of niggling doubts about technique, he is capable of scoring a number of 50s in this series.

Psychologically this morning's tail wag and Swann's targeting of Hauritz has put England in a strong position. Also, the pitch is turning more than yesterday. It will be fascinating to see how Australia approach their innings.

First Test, Day One: Australia Edge It. Just.

England won the toss and finished on 336-7.

Morning Session (belonged to): Australia

Afternoon Session: England

Evening Session: Australia

No big scores yesterday, but all batsmen (other than Cook) at least made starts. England finished the morning session on 93-3, having looked a bit shaky - no doubt a combination of poor recent Ashes displays, playing the Aussies on reputation and big match nerves.

I think the key partnership of the day was Prior and Flintoff's. Collingwood and Pietersen rescued the team in taking them from 90-3 to 228-4, but the bulk of those runs were scored in ones and twos with Hauritz and Clarke bowling in tandem to defensive fields - not particularly threatening. Prior and Flintoff, on the other hand, were the first batsmen to make batting look relatively easy. They were fluent and aggressive and the main reason England's run rate for the day reached an almost 2005-esque 3.73 runs an over. Their innings mirrored Pietersen's contribution to the Lord's Test of 2005, when he was the only batsman to offer any resistance and take the fight to the Aussies. His teammates caught up belatedly in the next Test - they wont want to leave it as late this time.

Talk of the day inevitably centered around Pietersen's dismissal - caught sweeping a very wide off-stump delivery from Hauritz. I nearly always defend Pietersen in such circumstances - buying into the 'but that's the way he plays' theory. However, as Hawkeye shows, there is no excuse for not pulling out of a stroke when a ball is that wide. Replays showed just how off balance he was in attempting the shot, which ultimately denied him the chance of getting a big hundred.

England can make yesterday a success by reaching 400 today.

Mike Atherton's take on Day 1

England Confident

The Ashes begin tomorrow and England are confident of rekindling the spirit of 05, and avoiding the humiliation of 06-07. The team will be announced tomorrow, the only deliberation being whether to include Panesar or Onions at number 11. The team will be:

Strauss

Cook

Bopara

Pietersen

Collingwood

Prior

Flintoff

Broad

Swann

Anderson

Onions/Panesar

It will be fascinating to see who Strauss goes with for the final bowling spot. The common consensus is that the pitch will turn, though not as much as originally reported, and offer a little in terms of pace and bounce to the quicks. I think Strauss will go for two spinners - he and Flower have had that plan in mind for months and today Strauss told the press that an extra spinner "allows you more control and gives you more options". It would be a brave move, especially given Panesar's form, but I believe it's a gamble that could give England a major advantage. Australia are now likely to play one spinner, but before the injury to Lee were widely expected to field an all pace attack. 

It is currently raining in Cardiff, but the forecast for the next few days is good.

You can have any other tournament you want but to have the chance to play in the Ashes is everything

Andrew Flintoff

Injury News - Australia

Brett Lee is out of the first two Tests with an abdominal tear. The nature of the injury is such that he could be sidelined for even more of the series, but for now has just been ruled out of the Cardiff and Lord's Tests. 

Warm-up Matches Analysis

Reasons to be cheerful and reasons to be fearful that arose from the England v Warickshire and England Lions v Australia matches.

Cheerful

• All batsmen (with the exception of Pietersen) made runs.
• The continued excellent form of Anderson.
• No shortage of bowling options with Flintoff looking fit, hungry and in-form, Panesar taking three wickets (admittedly all tailenders) and Harmison looking a real threat.
• Identifying Philip Hughes's weakness against the short ball.
• Mitchell Johnson looking below par and struggling to swing the ball until the final session of the match.

Fearful

• Mike Hussey and Marcus North feeling their way back into form whilst enjoying considerable time in the middle and making big hundreds.
• A rejuvenated Brett Lee causing havoc with an outstanding spell of reverse swing that had Troy Cooley's stamp all over it.
• Ian Bell only scoring 20 runs in the match. Injury or loss of form to any of the top six is likely to thrust him into the action, and a significant innings here would have done his confidence no harm.

Overall both teams will be satisfied with their work-outs. The two games merely confirmed that this is likely to be an extremely tight series. The talking points for England: what to do with Harmison, and how many spinners to play in Cardiff. A 13-man squad for the first Test will be announced at 10:00 am tomorrow.

Harmison Bowls Himself Into Contention

Five days to go and the action is beggining to hot up on the pitch as well as off it with the England v Warickshire and England Lions v Australia matches running in tandem. Day three of both games and it's a man who divides opinion like no other Englishman that's making the headlines.

Steve Harmison has taken the wicket of Philip Hughes cheaply in both innings. The Aussie dangerman looked all at sea against a barrage of Harmison short stuff. Flintoff, Broad and Anderson will have taken note, but when it comes to extracting bounce from a pitch an in-form Harmison is England's best option. Expect this to be the talking point of the run up to the first Test.