As Bopara Is Left in the Dark, England Reassess Their Oval Options

(Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

With less than 48 hours until the fifth and final test of this year’s Ashes series, and Australia only needing a draw to retain the urn after their drubbing of a lacklustre England team, the same England team must now reassess and find a winning formula that four years ago seemed permanently present.

After the fiasco at Headingly, many had called for wholesale changes within a team lacking ambition, direction and above all else, fighting instinct. The first casualty of the disastrous events in Leeds will be Ravi Bopara of Essex.

Having scored a mere 105 runs in seven innings in this series, not even a victory earning unbeaten half century for Essex could save him from being replaced. The man to take his place in the England line-up is South African born Warwickshire batsman Jonathon Trott.

Trott has been in emphatic form for Warwickshire this season, averaging 80 in the County Championship and highlighting his attacking versatility with an unbeaten half century in the Pro40 against Leicestershire last week.

While Trott’s call-up seemed straightforward, it took the rumoured revival of both Surrey’s Mark Ramprakash and Somerset’s Marcus Trescothick’s respective England career. While Trescothick immediately dismissed the rumour despite “mulling it over”, Ramps has enjoyed the spotlight much more and has been quoted as “cherishing” an England recall.

However England coach Andy Flower and the rest of the selectors have favoured the debutant Trott over Ramprakash (Averaged 27 in 52 Tests) and Trescothick (INSERT AVERAGE), a decision which South Africa coach Mickey Arthur believes is a shrewd one. Arthur felt that England’s selectors are looking for longevity over the ‘quick-fix’.

Jonathon Trott’s selection aside, England still have a number of selection quandaries to be solved, the biggest of which is whether or not Harmison should retain his place or if not should Ryan Sidebottom or Graham Onions (who will likely miss out in favour of Andrew Flintoff) take his place.

If Harmison is replaced, Sidebottom is most likely to take his place, despite having not featured in this series previously and having seen Onions impress against the old enemy.

While Onions has the consistency of both line and length needed for the oval, Sidebottom’s left-arm seam provides an extra dimension to a bowling attack that must take 20 wickets to regain the Ashes.

However while Harmison’s figures of 1-87 in 22 overs at the oval in 2005; Sidebottom has equally unfavourable figures of 1-93 in 32 against India two years ago.

That being said, while Harmison can provide pace and aggression, if he isn’t on the mark from he start he often ends up falling by the way-side, whereas Sidebottom has a canny knack of getting wickets even when he is seemingly off form.

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