Collingwood in for England

Middle order batsman Paul Collingwood has been added to England’s squad for the second Ashes Test, starting on Thursday at Edgbaston. The Durham and England allrounder was initially left out of the party, but hugely impressive County form see him ultimately included.

At County level, Collingwood has managed 3 First Class hundreds in his last 3 innings, all played over the course of a week.

There is speculation as to whether Collingwood will play ahead of Ashley Giles in the England XI, pending the state of the pitch. His batting and useful medium pace may be called upon to counteract the Aussies in the crucial Test.

Typically considered an ODI specialist in the England setup, Paul Collingwood has played just 2 Tests as opposed to his experience of 80 One Day Internationals. He averages just 22.25 with the bat and is wicketless in Tests, but has scored 811 FC runs at 67.58 per innings this season.

England’s 2nd Test Squad:
MP Vaughan (capt), ME Trescothick, AJ Strauss, IR Bell, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, A Flintoff, GO Jones (wk), AF Giles, SP Jones, MJ Hoggard, SJ Harmison, CT Tremlett.