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15-Aug-2009 12:37:00 GMT
England v Australia, 5th Test, The Oval

Trott Probable to Replace Bopara

London: England's selectors are ready to put faith in the men they put forward for the fateful fourth Test at Headingley, and are believed to have overlooked the claims of Mark Ramprakash and Robert Key in favour of Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott, who just missed out on his Test debut in Leeds last week.

Trott is expected to slot into the side at No. 5, with his county team-mate, Ian Bell, promoted to No. 3 in place of Ravi Bopara, the only anticipated batting casualty after a humiliating innings-and-80-run debacle.

England's four-man selection panel - Geoff Miller, James Whitaker, Ashley Giles and Andy Flower, plus the captain, Andrew Strauss - met for five hours at Trent Bridge on Friday, where they witnessed Bell comprise a timely 126 to secure a draw for Warwickshire against Nottinghamshire.

Coming off the back of Trott's 121 in the same innings on the previous day, it was enough to convince them that wholesale changes will not be required ahead of Thursday's Oval showdown, where England will seek the comeback victory they need to reclaim the Ashes.

If the reports are confirmed at 9.30am on Sunday, when the squad is officially announced, then the selectors will have shown an admirable determination not to be hustled into "panic" measures after a week of intense media speculation. Strauss and Flower were understood to be particularly keen not to jettison their entire Ashes strategy after one poor game.

Probable squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Graeme Onions, Ryan Sidebottom.


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