England's last chance to keep Ashes

By Vic Mills

NOTTINGHAM, England (JP): Despite being totally outplayed by Australia in the last three cricket Tests, England still have a chance of winning the series and regaining the Ashes.

To do this they must win the two remaining Tests at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday, and at the Oval later this month.

In what is their last throw of the dice, England's selectors have made three changes to the side beaten by an innings and 61 runs at Headingley.

Out go Mark Butcher, Mark Ealham and Mike Smith, and in come Adam and Ben Hollioake and Andrew Caddic. Devon Malcolm and Philip Tufnell complete the thirteen-man squad.

Resisting the urge for wholesale blood-letting, the selectors have opted for a modest alteration to personnel with certain position changes in the top order.

Having previously ruled out keeping wicket and opening the innings, Alec Stewart, has again been persuaded to undertake this most onerous of tasks.

The great benefit of this dual role is that it enables England to take the field with five specialist bowlers.

With Stewart set to open alongside Michael Atherton, the way is now clear for John Crawley to bat at three.

In scoring two half-centuries in the last two Tests, Crawley has demonstrated admirable temperament and technique.

His promotion, in a summer of poor batting performances by England, is fully deserved.

Tipped as the man most likely to lose his place, Graham Thorpe remains an England player thanks mainly to his acknowledged ability to score Test runs in volume and at speed.

In their most cavalier decision for years, the selectors look set to gamble with the Hollioake brothers in the fifth Test.

The balance of the squad dictates that they will create history by making their debuts together.

Brothers

Their dual accession to their adopted national team will make them the first pair of brothers this century to make their Test debuts together and the first to play together against the West Indies at Trent Bridge since 1957.

Touted as a future England captain, Adam Hollioake, 25, is man-of-the-series with the bowling duties that were previously undertaken by Mark Ealham.

A prodigious talent in the making, Ben Hollioake, 19, will become the youngest England test cricketer since Brian Close, 48 years ago.

A natural for the big occasion, he announced his arrival with a belligerent half century in the third one-day international at Lord's in May and followed it with a quick-fire 98 to win the man-of-the-match award in the Benson and Hedges final against Kent at Lord's in July.

Unlike its batting, England's bowling is more problematic with only Darren Gough and Dean Headley certain of their places.

Andrew Caddick will probably take the spot vacated by Mike Smith, his greater accuracy on a wicket likely to require patience giving them the edge over Devon Malcolm.

Having been picked in all four previous squads, left-arm spinner Philip Tufnel should find it fifth time lucky at Trent Bridge.

A consistent performer in country cricket and a proven test wicket taker, Tufnell will add another dimension to an attack in which Robert Croft has struggled of late with failing confidence and control.

The changes to England's side should produce a more upbeat approach to their cricket.

This will need to be harnessed to talent and temperament, however, if they are to pull off an unlikely win and keep the series alive.

With Trent Bridge set to provide the best batting strip of the series to date, both sides will be keen to win the toss, England perhaps more so as it will not relish facing Shane Warne on a dusty fourth innings pitch.

The likely England team is Atherton (capt), Stewart, Crawley, Hussain, Thorpe, Hollioake A, Hollioake B, Caddick, Headley, Gough and Tufnell.