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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Strauss ready for England return | Strauss ready for England return |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| England batsman Andrew Strauss has been passed fit for Friday's one-day game against Australia in Melbourne. | England batsman Andrew Strauss has been passed fit for Friday's one-day game against Australia in Melbourne. |
| Strauss was hit on the head by a ball from Brett Lee during the final Test of the Ashes series and missed Tuesday's Twenty20 loss with a stiff neck. | Strauss was hit on the head by a ball from Brett Lee during the final Test of the Ashes series and missed Tuesday's Twenty20 loss with a stiff neck. |
| "Turning around was a little bit awkward, but I am now fully looking forward to getting stuck in," he said. | "Turning around was a little bit awkward, but I am now fully looking forward to getting stuck in," he said. |
| Strauss will not have to contend with fast bowler Lee at the MCG as he is still suffering from bronchitis. | Strauss will not have to contend with fast bowler Lee at the MCG as he is still suffering from bronchitis. |
| Interview: England batsman Andrew Strauss | Interview: England batsman Andrew Strauss |
| Australia have, however, picked exciting left-armer Mitchell Johnson after he recovered from a stomach muscle strain and have Ashes stars Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark in their starting line-up. | Australia have, however, picked exciting left-armer Mitchell Johnson after he recovered from a stomach muscle strain and have Ashes stars Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark in their starting line-up. |
| England are expected to hand one-day international debuts to veteran wicket-keeper Paul Nixon and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for the triangular tournament's opener. | England are expected to hand one-day international debuts to veteran wicket-keeper Paul Nixon and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for the triangular tournament's opener. |
| Nixon and Panesar gave encouraging performances in the Twenty20 match. | Nixon and Panesar gave encouraging performances in the Twenty20 match. |
| Strauss said his team's poor one-day form recently, with just seven wins in their last 27 games, could actually work in their favour as they look to upset the host nation and the Kiwis. | Strauss said his team's poor one-day form recently, with just seven wins in their last 27 games, could actually work in their favour as they look to upset the host nation and the Kiwis. |
| Johnson proved his fitness in a net session on Thursday | Johnson proved his fitness in a net session on Thursday |
| "We're going in there with a sense that we haven't got much to lose," he said. | "We're going in there with a sense that we haven't got much to lose," he said. |
| "We can play the sort of cricket we know we are capable of and maybe surprise a few people." | "We can play the sort of cricket we know we are capable of and maybe surprise a few people." |
| Strauss' return will probably put his Middlesex colleague Ed Joyce out of the starting side. | Strauss' return will probably put his Middlesex colleague Ed Joyce out of the starting side. |
| For Australia, McGrath is likely to share the new ball with the one-day specialist Nathan Bracken, another left-armer. | For Australia, McGrath is likely to share the new ball with the one-day specialist Nathan Bracken, another left-armer. |
| The retirement of Damien Martyn, meanwhile, will offer Michael Clarke the chance to move up the order with one-day cricket's official best batsman Michael Hussey remaining at six. | The retirement of Damien Martyn, meanwhile, will offer Michael Clarke the chance to move up the order with one-day cricket's official best batsman Michael Hussey remaining at six. |
| "Michael Clarke is going to bat at four with Andrew Symonds at five and Michael Hussey at six," said captain Ricky Ponting. | "Michael Clarke is going to bat at four with Andrew Symonds at five and Michael Hussey at six," said captain Ricky Ponting. |
| "Huss has been incredible down the order in one-day cricket and for the last five or six years of his career has batted in that position. | "Huss has been incredible down the order in one-day cricket and for the last five or six years of his career has batted in that position. |
| Watson, being the sort of player he is, will be able to fit into our line-up pretty much anywhere down the order Ricky Ponting | Watson, being the sort of player he is, will be able to fit into our line-up pretty much anywhere down the order Ricky Ponting |
| "Michael Clarke has got a chance up the order. He has been a bit starved of that over the last couple of years, has been dying to go up, so his chance has come now." | "Michael Clarke has got a chance up the order. He has been a bit starved of that over the last couple of years, has been dying to go up, so his chance has come now." |
| Ponting said all-rounder Shane Watson remained part of the team's plans for the World Cup in March despite having missed most of the season with a hamstring problem. | Ponting said all-rounder Shane Watson remained part of the team's plans for the World Cup in March despite having missed most of the season with a hamstring problem. |
| The injury put Watson out of the Ashes series and he has been told he must play two four-day games for state side Queensland before he will be considered for the national team. | The injury put Watson out of the Ashes series and he has been told he must play two four-day games for state side Queensland before he will be considered for the national team. |
| "Watson, being the sort of player he is, will be able to fit into our line-up pretty much anywhere down the order. I see him as being a really crucial player for us," said Ponting. | "Watson, being the sort of player he is, will be able to fit into our line-up pretty much anywhere down the order. I see him as being a really crucial player for us," said Ponting. |
| "I think it's a day-by-day assessment with him really, just to see how he's going and how much bowling he can get done. | "I think it's a day-by-day assessment with him really, just to see how he's going and how much bowling he can get done. |
| "We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope it's sooner rather than later for him." | "We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope it's sooner rather than later for him." |
| Australia: R Ponting (capt), A Gilchrist, M Hayden, M Clarke, A Symonds, M Hussey, C White, N Bracken, S Clark, M Johnson, G McGrath. | Australia: R Ponting (capt), A Gilchrist, M Hayden, M Clarke, A Symonds, M Hussey, C White, N Bracken, S Clark, M Johnson, G McGrath. |
| England (from): M Vaughan (capt), A Strauss, E Joyce, I Bell, K Pietersen, A Flintoff, P Collingwood, J Dalrymple, P Nixon, J Anderson, J Lewis, M Panesar, C Tremlett, S Mahmood, L Plunkett, C Read. | England (from): M Vaughan (capt), A Strauss, E Joyce, I Bell, K Pietersen, A Flintoff, P Collingwood, J Dalrymple, P Nixon, J Anderson, J Lewis, M Panesar, C Tremlett, S Mahmood, L Plunkett, C Read. |