Trott to Bat at No. 5 in Final Ashes Test

London: England debutant Jonathan Trott will bat at number five behind Paul Collingwood in the final Ashes Test against Australia starting on Thursday.

Trott, 28, who learned the game in his native South Africa, was called up as a replacement for Ravi Bopara who had endured a miserable series at number three after scoring three centuries in a row against West Indies.

The series is tied 1-1 with England needing a win to regain the Ashes.

Ian Bell has been promoted from four to three and England captain Andrew Strauss said on Wednesday the experienced Paul Collingwood would also move up a place.

"Trott is going to come in at five," Strauss told a news conference on Wednesday. "His career stats are very good and he's a gutsy individual.

Strauss said all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who missed the fourth Test after inflammation on his troubled right knee, looked certain to play in what will be his final Test.

Jonathan Trott a Test debut is, by its very nature, an anxious occasion, but spare a thought for England's 645th and latest selection. At the age of 28, and with nearly a decade of first-class experience to fall back on, including a stellar 2009 in which he has averaged more than 80 to date, Trott is as well prepared as he could possibly hope to be for such an auspicious occasion.

Mitchell Johnson try as we might, it's been hard to tear our eyes away from Johnson's travails this summer. At Cardiff he was poor, at Lord's he was appalling. At Edgbaston he showed signs of a resurgence but was still clobbered at five runs an over. And then at Headingley, everything clicked. A five-wicket haul was the reward for his - and the selectors' - perseverance, and at last the hype that had accompanied him back from South Africa seemed justified. More of the same at The Oval, and England may struggle to stay in the contest.

Team news

England: Trott's debut is the big news, Flintoff's return is the secondary story. Ian Bell's promotion to No. 3 has raised an array of eyebrows from those who've studied his average in that position (31.00) and ascertained that he is a glug of ketchup short of a full bottle, and the identity of the fifth bowler remains the mystery to keep us on our toes until the toss.

Squad (likely): Andrew Strauss (c), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steve Harmison.

Australia: Two players, however, are competing for a recall. Brett Lee, the reverse-swing specialist, as Ricky Ponting described him this week, and Nathan Hauritz, the unassuming spinner who has been working on his strategies with Saqlain Mushtaq. Hauritz is probably the likeliest to return, but an all-seam attack deserves to remain the attack of choice.

Squad (likely): Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Pitch and conditions:
Dry and bare, but invariably a true wicket, The Oval offers rewards to sides who risk two spinners, but there is plenty of bounce and carry for the seamers on either side as well. "Any bowler who is not on top of their game can expect to be punished, particularly once the batsmen are in," Chris Adams, Surrey's cricket manager, told Cricinfo. "Australia certainly have in-form batsmen at the moment, and it could be quite painful for the bowlers if they're allowed to get set."

Stats and trivia

• England have won 37 and lost 18 of the 91 matches they have played at The Oval, while Australia won 6 and lost 15 out of 34. With three wins, two draws and one defeat since 1985, it is England's most successful Ashes venue in recent times.
• In the four Tests in the series so far, Australia's fast bowlers - Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Johnson and Clark - have averaged 28.11 per wicket for their 53 scalps.
• England's fast men - James Anderson, Onions, Stuart Broad, Flintoff and Harmison - have conceded more than 37 runs per wicket.

Match facts
Thursday, August 20 - Monday August 24, 2009
Start time 11.00 local time (10.00 GMT)

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