Who would youse pick?

Depends on the fitness of Flintoff but I would definitely drop Bopara.

Trott for Bopara?

Possibly but I'm wary of us playing un tried player against the Aussies. Having said that, I can't see him doing any worse.

Robert Key? Oasis Shah?

What about Trescothick then, he seems to be doing quite well this season as well

Not available. Stress.

I'm surprised at you MJ. Ramps has no chance and rightly so. He's 40!

Key probably. Shah - no thanks.

Not too old to score over 1200 runs at an average of over a hundred in county cricket this year.

And his average against the Aussies is 40 plus in test matches......

Oh and he's only 39.
I know I'm a statistically obsessed pedant.

He will be 40 on the day of the Pig Pen Festival.

Ramprakash should be picked, it's one test that we have to win and he's consistently the best batsman outside of the test team. At the age of 39 he's under no real pressure and would relish the chance to prove a few people wrong about his mental abilty to play at the top level. He's on fire, it's at his home ground which he scored 270 not out on last week.

They are going to go for Rob Key for Bopara and Bell will keep his place. I'd play Key and Ramps, the selectors wouldn't dare though.

Ramprakash has had his chance before. Like Hick he can do it at county level but can't do it in tests. He also has a suspect temperament. He will probably blow his top when the Aussies sledge him.

Hick and Ramprakash were treat equally as poorly by the England selectors. They obviously have to take responsibility for there own test records but I think had they played in the current regime of central contacts and more settled teams we'd have seen them deliver to a greater extent.

I love the way strauss and the england selecters keep saying Flintoff will only play if he proves his fitness.

He shoul play even if he is 10% fit. He is still better than every other player.

They should also pick Pieterson as well. Even on crutches.

Thats how poor Bopara, Bell and Collingwood are. I fookin hate Collingwood, and his fake geordie accent. He is all so crickety in his comments. If he is test cricket class then I might as well get a game.

England need 4 bowlers that CAN take 20 wickets. Forget form in the county game....its almost irrelevent.

They need bowlers that can do it at this level. They need an extra batsman too. The top is order is just shit.

Without the bowlers runs we would be in deep shit now.

I would play these bowlers:

Anderson
Flintoff
Broad......because he can bat
Swann
Panessar

So:

Strauss
Cook
Ramprakash
Key
Trott
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Panessar.

And if they havent instructed the groundsman to prepare a very good track for spinners they should be shot.

He's from Shotley Bridge and a Mackem fan so I guess his Geordie accent is pretty fake

His record suggests he is Test class.

He's also got plenty of bottle which is exactly what is required at the Oval and in any big game, the problem with Bell and Bopara they are mentally weak. If you combined Collingwood's mental strength and the natural ability of either Bopara or Bell you would have one hell of a player. But if it's a straight choice you'd go with the one with a bit of grit about him every time, especially against the Aussies.

Bell out for 1 against Notts as well

Time for Ramps?

I'd bring Trescothick in and put Cook at 3 and drop Bopara. Only one change and I think it's a safe bet, he's in form and not too out of touch with international cricket. It's an unenviable task picking this team for this test, does Panesar come in for Harmy too?

Ah that explains a lot. He is a posh fookin macken.............even worse.

Funny foookers you lot. You are more biased about Durham CC than you are about pools.

Collingwood is shit. Forget about his overall test record........all records are fake anyway.......did you not hear the interview with Ted dexter during the last test?

England need players for this one match that can actually do something special, on the one off occasion. Maybe Collingwood will, who know.

But every time he goes out to bat, I expect him to get a duck, or at least get out cheaply. Same goes with Bell.

And I just cant forgive him for his pathetic straight bat defending during the 20/20 world cup. It was foookin embarrssing.

We're all biased about Durham because we're all (mostly) from Durham.

Trott and Bell will be in the squad on Sunday. Ramprakash and Key wont.

I wonder if the selectors have considered Ian Blackwell at all just to scupper Durhams county championship hopes ey Chip