Pragmatic Picks by England for The Oval

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

England Make Two Big Calls

 

August 18^th

 

 

[10:00 CEST] Simon Kerrigan and Chris Woakes, both 24, are the somewhat unexpected call-ups to the England squad for The Oval Test.

One of the mysteries of the last 12 months has been England’s insistence in using Chris Woakes in white ball cricket, for which there is general unanimity that he is poorly suited, but ignoring him in red ball cricket – i.e. Tests – where he is expected to be much more effective. With Tim Bresnan ruled out due to his stress fracture and Graeme Onions due to his broken finger, England have kept a full hand of options by naming two replacements and recalling Steve Finn to the squad. However, Woakes’ experience of playing 13 ODIs and 2 T20s will be invaluable in giving him a taste of the pressure of international cricket that will make him better prepared if he is the one chosen to replace Tim Bresnan on Wednesday.

Both call-ups to the squad would have been unexpected even a few weeks ago, although Kerrigan’s had been widely leaked yesterday. They do reveal a pragmatic approach by the selectors. Simon Kerrigan has been spectacularly successful for Lancashire since his debut in 2010. He is also in exceptional form with two 7-fors and a 5-for in the very limited First Class programme since the start of July. As Monty Panesar has been struggling with form and injury this season and has even been dropped by Sussex, although the selectors have let him know that he is part of their plans by adding him to the squad a couple of times, they wanted a proper attacking option should the Oval pitch turn as much as it has in the past. Kerrigan is that and has earned his call-up with consistent performances with the Lions. Graeme Swann has a history of injury problems and is 34, so he will have maybe 2 years at most to come at this level: it makes sense to bring on his successor now.

Chris Woakes has a solid record of achievement: 588 runs (with two centuries) at 73.5 and 27 wickets at 28.7 in 2012 (in 10 matches); 579 runs at 48.3 and 56 wickets at 21.8 (in 11 matches) in 2011. There is a suspicion that he is not quite quick enough to succeed at the top level, but then people were saying that of Tim Bresnan in 2010 and of Glenn McGrath too. Woakes is no Glenn McGrath, but he has earned his chance with hard yards in the county game.

Steve Finn is also in the squad, along with Chris Tremlett. On seniority, the final place in the side should be between them. However, although Chris Tremlett’s form has been improving, his wickets this season have still come at 37 and even that is an improvement on the over 40 that he has had for most of the season. He has not been able to hold down a regular place in the Surrey side and his last First Class match was in early July, when he took 3-77 in his only innings. Apart from that he has had an exclusive diet of List A and T20, with very modest returns in the last 6 weeks. Picking him would be a calculated risk. It would be done if the pitch at The Oval looked quick and bouncy and it was felt that his height and bounce would be a weapon at his home ground. Steve Finn has played just four First Class games since the end of the New Zealand series in May. He looked in better form against Durham in early August with 4-46 and 3-56 on a difficult pitch. Again, picking him would be a calculated risk, but worth it if the pitch has pace and bounce and Finn looks up for it in the nets. Finn knows that he will go to Australia and get as many opportunities as he needs to get into the Test side as England’s strike weapon.

If the pitch at The Oval is a dust bowl, as some have been over the years (in Surrey’s promotion year, the Indian spinner Ojha caused limitless mayhem in the run in, including figures of 6-8 in 14 overs in one match), England would wish to play two spinners. If not, Swann will suffice, backed up by a few over from Joe Root. As Kerrigan is a genuine number 11 he will play only if conditions really suit him, rather than on the off-chance.

If the pitch is neither quick and bouncy, nor a dust bowl, Woakes would be the like-for-like replacement and there seems little sense if not using him, having also taken him to New Zealand. My guess is that he is the most likely to play on Wednesday.

In order of probability of playing in the starting XI on Wednesday I would put Finn (least likely), Kerrigan, Tremlett and Woakes.

I would give Tremlett the nod over Finn because Finn is a known quantity and will be in Australia. Tremlett is still very much an uncertain quantity: has he lost the menace that made him so effective in 2010? For the selectors, the priority is to find out whether or not they can risk taking Tremlett to Australia too.

 

[12:30 CEST] On reflection…

No Boyd Rankin? Word was that he was the intended reserve as the tall pace bowler for the summer, but Chris Tremlett has taken back that role. Rankin is playing with the Lions, so very much in the mix to go to Australia. It may well be that the selectors know that Rankin will go to Australia this winter, but really do not know about Tremlett and are using this Test as a trial.

No Monty? Rumour has it that Sussex are planning to release him before the end of the season, which would be a tragedy as he has been re-born since his move to Hove. However, he has other problems and clearly there are things going on in the background that we do not know about. Unlikely to be in the winter squads.

Woakes? On paper he is the most promising all-rounder that England have produced for years and has been carefully nurtured. Some people wanted Ben Stokes, but it was Woakes who was the travelling reserve in New Zealand and very close to making a Test debut.

Finn? Unlucky to be playing at a time when England have plenty of depth of fast bowling. As he matures and gains consistency he will be leading the attack probably for the next two Ashes cycles.