England recall Onions for Ashes opener

LONDON: Graham Onions was recalled by England on Saturday as they boosted their bowling options by naming five seamers in a 13-man squad for the first Test of the Ashes series against Australia at Trent Bridge next week.

Durham paceman Onions, who won the last of his nine Test caps against the West Indies at Edgbaston last year, was joined in the squad by Yorkshire seam-bowling all-rounder Tim Bresnan, who missed the recent home series win over New Zealand while he recovered from elbow surgery.

Also in the squad were pace trio James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn.

Broad missed England's warm-up win over Essex with a shoulder injury, a match where key off-spinner Graeme Swann was struck a painful blow on the right arm, having had surgery on his right elbow earlier this year. But both bowlers were passed fit.

England national selector Geoff Miller stressed the 30-year-old Onions, whose 32 Test wickets have come at a shade under 30 runs apiece, was more than just injury cover.

As expected, Nick Compton was left out of the squad after Miller had said Joe Root would be promoted to open the innings, something the 22-year-old does for Yorkshire but has yet to do at Test level, alongside captain Alastair Cook.

Somerset opener Compton, grandson of England great Denis, scored back-to-back hundreds in New Zealand earlier this year but was omitted after a poor return series against the Kiwis that saw him manage just 39 runs in four innings.

England will be bidding to win their third straight series against
Australia -- something they last managed in the 1950s -- when the first Test of a five-match campaign starts in Nottingham on Wednesday.

With the British and Irish Lions rugby union team beating Australia in Sydney earlier Saturday to complete a 2-1 series win, and Andy Murray bidding to becoming the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the Wimbledon men's singles title in Sunday's final against Novak Djokovic, Miller said he hoped the cricket side could tap into an upbeat national mood. (AFP)