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England eye further glory

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 29/07/2009

England will be hoping to maintain their advantage in the Ashes series when they take on Australia in the third Test match at Edgbaston.

The hosts lead 1-0 after two matches, having put in a superb display to clinch victory at Lord's, with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff shrugging off knee and ankle problems to inspire England to a 115-run win at the home of cricket.

He is likely to be fit to feature again in Birmingham, but online betting favourites England have been hit by the loss of Kevin Pietersen, who has been forced to undergo surgery on a long-standing Achilles problem.

The powerful right-hander had struggled in the first two games of the series and was almost unable to run at times during the Lord's clash so there was no option left other than to book him in for an operation.

Can England win at Edgbaston without Kevin Pietersen? - Latest Cricket Betting

Presuming Flintoff is passed fit, England are almost certain to name the same team that triumphed at Lord's, although paceman Graham Onions is carrying a slight niggle.

He therefore faces a fight for a place with his Durham colleague Steve Harmison, who has been terrorising county batsmen across the country for most of the summer.

Stuart Broad's position has also been called into question following a slow start to the series, but his batting prowess down the order is likely to see him retained.

Amongst the batters, number three Ravi Bopara needs a major score to cement his place in the side as he has made just 46 runs from three innings in the series so far.

Australia have a number of selection posers to ponder, most notably whether to persevere with fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who has sprayed the ball around badly, despite taking eight wickets in the first two Test matches.

However, Johnson has enjoyed great success in the Test arena during his fledgling career, having taken 102 wickets in 23 matches, so the Baggy Greens are unlikely to drop him just yet.

Another factor in Johnson's favour is his ever-improving batting, with the left-hander making three 50s and a maiden Test ton in his last six appearances.

Stuart Clark showed up well in the recent tour match against Northamptonshire and has played himself into contention, with Ben Hilfenhaus' position in question, despite bowling quite well in Cardiff and at Lord's.

Brett Lee has still not fully recovered from a side injury, meaning that he misses out again, but Aussie coach Tim Nielsen has hinted that all-rounder Shane Watson is a strong candidate for a recall.

He made runs and took wickets against Northants and his ability to bat high up in the order and even open could be a crucial factor.

That could heap further pressure on young left-hander Phillip Hughes, who has failed to fulfil his potential, making 57 runs in three innings against England to date.

Hughes did manage 68 in the second innings of the game at Northampton, leaving Nielsen and co to weigh that against the fact that the player still looked uncertain against the short ball.

The other route for Watson back into the side would be as a replacement at number six for Marcus North, whose part-time off-spin has looked ineffectual so far this summer.

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