The Ashes 2010: Second Test Edgbaston 25th to 29th July 2010
Morgan Given Pietersen Place
21st July 2010
From our Chief Cricket Correspondent Rick Adams
Morgan gets Opportunity
On the back of Kevin Pietersens "resignation", England have picked Eoin Morgan to come in to the England line-up. Reports around the team suggest Bell will move up to the number 4 spot with Morgan taking his place at number 6.
The ECB are keeping quiet on the Pietersen situation and have said that they would not be commenting until after the second test has finished. Pietersen has not been seen or heard from since leaving the press-conference yesterday.
Morgan will be keen to use the opportunity to cement place in the England test setup. There is stiff competition though as Ravi Bopara is also knocking on the door. He is having a great season with Essex and scoring in all forms of the game.
The weather could play a role as rain is forecast for the first two days. however the Met Office says it is still early to say how much this could have an effect on actual playing time.
Australia have kept faith with Michael Clarke and they have of course kept the same bowling line-up that performed so devastatingly against England in the first test. However some people around the Australian squad are suggesting that North maybe dropped to allow a fourth seamer to come in on a pitch that is likely to show great pace and bounce again.
On the England bowling side, Graham Onions came through a late fitness test although Ryan Sidebottom is being kept on stand-by just in case.
England need to improve dramatically on their first showing and will be keen to give their fans more reasons to smile this summer than they have been able to do till now.
England Squad
Strauss, Cook, Trott, Bell, Collingwood, Prior, Morgan, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Onions, Sidebottom
Australia Squad
Watson, Katitch, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, Haddin, North, Hauritz, Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger, Tait,
dutchad added 4 Minutes and 1 Seconds later...
Its brilliant....
so you gonna change the sim?
No, I might run a seperate Cricket Coach story about the Dutch team at the same time. In a different thread obviously.