The Ashes: England's Selection Puzzle Is Falling into Place

It’s a hackneyed cliché, but you do truly begin to realise what you had when it’s not there. It’s exactly how England will be feeling about the absence of Tim Bresnan from at least the first Ashes Test as he continues to recover from a back injury that he picked up at the end of the English season.

Bresnan’s role as a reliable third-seamer who takes wickets through building up pressure, as well as his useful batting, are not easy to replace, and only now that this is becoming apparent is the true scale of his utility to England being realised.

Discarded Australian opener Ed Cowan, speaking after England recorded their first victory of the tour over an Australian Invitational XI was effusive in his praise for the absent Yorkshire man, per Daniel Brettig of ESPN:

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I just think Bresnan's a massive player for them,” said Cowan. “Unsung hero, bowls a huge amount of overs, never really gets hit out of the attack, takes big wickets, and as we saw during the last Ashes series scores some really important runs. That's a huge out and I think Australia will look to exploit that, the third seamer.

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England’s three rain-hampered Ashes warm-ups have seen the trio of Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin and Chris Tremlett fight it out for the final bowling spot, but with just half a week to go until the first Test, there is no clear front-runner for the position.

Various conclusions were promptly drawn from the omission of Chris Tremlett from England’s final warm-up with some declaring it suggested he would play in Brisbane, with others suggesting it was then a straight faceoff between Finn and Rankin.

If Tremlett is selected, it will go against tangible evidence, which, with just one wicket on the tour thus far, is not positive. However, there is thought to be a temptation amongst the management to return to the burly Surrey man because of his successes in Australia in the 2010-11 series when he demonstrated the pace and hostility many believe he should deliver more regularly.

Finn and Rankin both hinted at their potential in the final warm-up match, with Finn reaffirming his tendency to take wickets albeit expensively, while Rankin bowled economically (also via Brettig).

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I thought Boyd bowled beautifully with the old ball yesterday, said Cowan, that spell screamed Test bowler, but that was the only one in the game that really lived up to what they're looking for from him. But I'm sure he'll be a very, very different proposition at the Gabba. He bowls a heavy ball, quick enough, but if you continually get too short at the Gabba you'll get murdered. [Rankin and Finn] were probably too short all game.

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It appears that Finn would be the more aggressive, although high-risk, option. He is a consistent wicket-taker but is prone to leaking runs and such inability to marry potency with frugality lost him his place in the last Ashes series in Australia where after the third Test, he was—ironically looking back—replaced by Bresnan.

Finn’s selection would change the dynamic of England’s attack with Bresnan’s role as a dependable, containing, third-seamer, with particular aptitude for bowling with the old ball, not replicated by Finn’s more volatile nature.

Selecting Tremlett would be a conservative, although not risk-free, option, with suggestions he’s nowhere near the same bowler of a few years back, yet he remains an experienced head to perform in the cauldron of a first Ashes Test.

Selecting Rankin would be the most intriguing of the three options with what he offers still not entirely certain. While his height will no doubt pose threats of pace and aggression to Australia, he’s been frugal thus far on the tour and in that regard would be a more like-for-like replacement for Bresnan.

With regards to selection more generally, as Cowan neatly summarised:

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The only real question mark [for England] is who's going to fill that third seamer role. The top order looks pretty settled, they all look in pretty good touch, but certainly I think that third bowler until Tim Bresnan comes back will probably be the one issue that keeps popping up.

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Indeed, the tour has been productive for England in various respects with resolving the batting concerns that arose in a run-shallow summer being the most positive. The move to open with Michael Carberry and shift Joe Root down to the troublesome No. 6 position has thwarted two problems in one swoop, and both players appear to have responded well to the strategy.

Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell all attained valuable competitive batting time, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann all proved their match fitness bowling competitive overs and the only remaining concern is the fitness of Matt Prior, who will be replaced by Jonny Bairstow if he cannot recover from his calf injury in time for the first Test.

If England’s worst fears are realised and Prior doesn’t recover, it will certainly make for interesting watching with Bairstow short of time and form with the bat, and he remains an inexperienced keeper.

But he has been working hard with Bruce French, the wicketkeeping coach since arriving in Australia, and ever since his Test selection in early 2012, following Eoin Morgan being dropped, it has been clear that the management see a great deal of potential in Bairstow as a batsman and now a keeper.

Ultimately, England will, the Prior concern aside, be pleased with the way the tour has gone thus far. And although the third bowling spot remains unresolved, that’s not due to a lack of options—all three of those in contention would walk into most other international sides.

Recording a victory in the last match in Sydney will have pleased Andy Flower, who has long emphasised the importance of victories in these pre-series matches—and although the rain certainly hampered preparations, in terms of controlling what they can control, England will be satisfied with their work. Now it’s down to the serious business in Brisbane on Wednesday.