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Ashes 2013: Simon Kerrigan and Chris Woakes in England squad

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments149

Simon Kerrigan (left) and Chris Woakes

Uncapped Simon Kerrigan and Chris Woakes have been named in the England squad for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval.

Warwickshire all-rounder Woakes, 24, has played 13 one-day international and two Twenty20s, while left-arm spinner Kerrigan, also 24, has taken 48 first-class wickets this season.

Pace bowlers Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions are both absent injured.

England lead the series 3-0 after a 74-run win in the fourth Test in Durham.

Onions, 30, missed out on selection for the match on his home ground of Chester-le-Street then suffered a broken finger while playing for Durham.

Yorkshire's Bresnan, meanwhile, has a stress fracture of the back that will keep the 28-year-old out for the rest of the season.

"Tim Bresnan has made valuable contributions with both bat and ball during the series and I would like to wish him all the very best in his recovery from his back injury," said national selector Geoff Miller.

"The focus for Bresnan now will be the tour of Australia later this year while this Test will provide an opportunity for another member of this squad to make equally vital contributions.

The injuries mean a recall for Steven Finn and a call-up for Woakes, who has taken 27 first-class wickets at an average of 22.77 this season.

England selected Monty Panesar in their squad for the third Test at Old Trafford, but the Sussex left-arm spinner has since been fined by police for urinating on nightclub bouncers in Brighton.

Kerrigan, 24, who has taken more first-class wickets than any other spinner this summer, claimed 1-66 for England Lions in their drawn two-day game against Australia.

Miller added: "The inclusion of five pace bowlers as well as an additional spinner in Simon Kerrigan who has impressed with Lancashire and England Lions in recent years gives Andy Flower and Alastair Cook plenty of options once they have assessed the conditions at the Kia Oval."

Kerrigan has taken 47 wickets at 20.23 in the County Championship this summer, making him one of the top performing spinners in the country.

The 24-year-old said: "I'm delighted to be selected, but it was a bit hard to take in when he [Miller] rang. It all felt a bit surreal to be honest.

"Hopefully I can impress over the next couple of days and be ready if they choose two spinners."

England squad for fifth Test: Alastair Cook (Essex, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire), Kevin Pietersen (Surrey), Matt Prior (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Chris Tremlett (Surrey), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

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149 comments

  • Comment posted by Notbatman, at 15:18 18 Aug 2013

    It really does beggar belief that when players with proven test quality have a bad run of games people start calling for changes. Remember the 90's? Remember those articles about Cook being dropped in the summer of 2010?
    Maybe still doubts about Root opening or Bairstow being test quality. But for people to be on the backs of Cook, Trott, KP, Prior is poor. They will come good. Not might, will.

  • Comment posted by Dave, at 15:22 18 Aug 2013

    This is no time for experimentation. I have heard 'lets try this' far too often over the last week. We have the chance to win a home Ashes series 4-0 for the first time in the history. If the pitch is a turner, then Kerrigan has to play, if not then Tremlett and that is it. If the bowlers need a rest then the one-day and T20 series are a perfect opportunity to try different options.

  • Comment posted by U14332381, at 15:06 18 Aug 2013

    The moral of the story: don't pee on nightclub security. It's bad for your career.

  • Comment posted by U14375853, at 17:44 18 Aug 2013

    @ 74. Neil

    Like this guy?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23141491

  • Comment posted by nffc_1978, at 14:58 18 Aug 2013

    Cook and Trott have been performing at the top level for years, you don't drop them for one bad series... whereas Bairstow just looks like a walking wicket and an average of 29 flatters him (bowled off a no-ball etc.)

  • Comment posted by Rene Artois , at 12:33 18 Aug 2013

    @6 There's no way the selectors will go back to Compton after the way he was handled. Not necessarily right in my view, but he wont play for England again.

    Neither Kerrigan/Woakes will play at the Oval. Woakes isn't good enough to bowl in a 4 man attack, so we'd need to bring in both and play 2 spinners- big change to a successful formula- wont happen- Tremlett for Bres will be the only change

  • Comment posted by The Great BfB, at 12:10 18 Aug 2013

    This test is important; it's important to send skippy back home, totally deflated and with as little hope as possible. If anything, the team need to bust a gut like never before; they will get rest after this one. Kerrigan is an interesting option, tying up the other end. 2 spinners, 2 seamers! Pace and swing followed by spin when the ball is older; nightmare for skippy.

  • Comment posted by U15628330, at 18:22 18 Aug 2013

    Woakes:
    FC Batting = 3089 runs @ 37.67
    FC Bowling Average = 284 wickets @ 25.48

    Those figures are utterly amazing. There are no English players who can match those figures in the modern era. By comparison, Flintoff averaged 4 runs less with the bat and 6 runs more with the ball in FC cricket!

    Ignore Woakes' ODI performances. He is not an ODI player, just like Philander!

  • Comment posted by U15407058, at 15:30 18 Aug 2013

    Please don't let them pick Woakes... he has shown in the few ODI games he has played that his bowling simply isn't up to international standards yet - give him a few years more and he might be ready for it

  • Comment posted by Dave, at 15:12 18 Aug 2013

    I must say that our stocks have never been so overflowing with talent, we could even field this team and beat them:

    Taylor, Compton, Ali, Ballance, Morgan, Stokes, Buttler, Onions, Tremlett, Finn, Kerrigan...and then you can add in Bopara, Woakes, Barker, Harris and Plunkett.

    Wonderful times indeed.

  • Comment posted by EarlsfieldOwl, at 15:10 18 Aug 2013

    # 50 - Not this again. Takes Root's 180 out of the equation and as Aggers said, his average is very moderate. His 180 came against a wearying attack. Stats and objectivity please.

    Whilst I am not saying he should be dropped - he is good enough to stay in the team, opening at Test level has exposed flaws that need rectifying if he is to succeed at this level batting at 2.

  • Comment posted by U13691568, at 12:36 18 Aug 2013

    @ 4. youknowsit - most of the English batsmen are also due a score. Everyone's focusing on the Aussies underperforming. Most of them are performing at their level whereas the English top order is badly underperforming.

  • Comment posted by Jimmy73, at 22:53 19 Aug 2013

    113, 115, 118
    I only said he was worth a look! By all means, if there are young 83 mph bowlers who can do what Jimmy does with a ball, lets have them...

    111, If the result doesn't matter and the batsmen need practice and the bowlers need a rest, why don't we just pick 11 batsmen?

    We should respect test cricket, the ashes, and the paying public and pick as strong a side as possible

  • Comment posted by laceysdad, at 22:51 19 Aug 2013

    @132 SAW1309
    Taylor did not impress against SA, Bairstow did. Bairstow was messed about over the winter & has been given a run this summer with mixed results but some important knocks esp in 1st inns (both NZ tests & 1st 2 Aus tests). He may be seen as successor to Prior, ideally as an established test batsman, but needs time keeping instead of warming the bench in T20 & ODIs.

  • Comment posted by Matt H, at 17:47 19 Aug 2013

    @SAW1309 - no point dropping Bairstow for one game and picking Taylor (even though I think the latter is a better player). That wouldn't be giving him a run at all, and wouldn't be fair on either.

    Hopefully Taylor will make the touring party, then will get a chance to impress in the warm ups.

  • Comment posted by Avalon, at 14:16 19 Aug 2013

    @126.Rene Artois, I think Monty's chances of going on the tour to Aus are little to 0, the England management will want him to sort himself out over the next season before they look at him again, the first part of that will be finding a new county to play for during the off season, and convincing them that his troubles are behind him.

  • Comment posted by Shark Attack, at 13:55 19 Aug 2013

    Woakes will do a job if required but Kerrigan isn't any where near good enough to wear the 3 lions!

    England have to look to players who will be able to produce at the Oval and if Kerrigan plays he will be made to look below average, even against this poor Aussie side.

  • Comment posted by U15483088, at 12:45 19 Aug 2013

    Must say I am not impressed with Woakes. He is a medoum pacer, whereas at least Bresnan does bowl a few balls in the high eighties and hits the deck hard.

  • Comment posted by Avalon, at 12:04 19 Aug 2013

    @121.Richard, what are you on about, the touring squad for the winter hasnt been announced, however it does is improve both Kerrigan and Woakes chances of being included in the winter touring squad, it doesnt however guarantee them a place.

  • Comment posted by Avalon, at 10:41 19 Aug 2013

    @118.alb1on, I think Malcom always had a problem with his radar, the one exception the Oval test against SA.

    While he did well at Derby, he never able to consistently replicate that at test level, while eyesight may have been a problem I dont think it was the only one.

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