ENGLAND'S new-look attack has been challenged to perform on the big stage and ensure the Ashes heroes of 2005 are forced into a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Ever since England shook up their side by dropping Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison after their opening defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton earlier this year, the pair have been pressing to regain their places in the Test side.
But after overlooki
ng Hoggard and announcing an unchanged line-up for today's opening Test against New Zealand at Lord's, captain Michael Vaughan urged his youthful attack to seize their opportunity and make it difficult for their experienced rivals to earn a recall.
"Hoggy has done everything we could have asked. He's gone back and bowled well for Yorkshire and got wickets, but when we've won a series and the guys that have come in and done reasonably well, they deserve another opportunity," said Vaughan.
"They've been given that opportunity at Lord's in front of a lot of people and hopefully they can produce some really good performances.
"Their goal is to try to keep the likes of Hoggard and Harmison out of the side, so it's all there for them – they have just got to produce."
It means England's inexperienced attack – which boasts only 64 Test caps between Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Monty Panesar – face the next stage in their development.
Just as Hoggard, Harmison, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones began to gel together in the year leading up to the 2005 Ashes success, England will hope the present quartet can be equally successful if they establish themselves in the side.
"It is a more settled side than it was a few months ago," said Vaughan. "New players have come into the side and done well, but there's also competition for places so players within the squad know they have to produce good performances because there are a number of good players out there who would like to get into this 11.
"The more consistent cricket we play and the more victories we can achieve will produce more consistent selection.
"We all know what's out there for us, but we just want to try to continue where we left off in New Zealand.
"New Zealand have got explosive players, they have a powerful middle order and, if they bat for long periods of time, they will certainly score quickly.
"That is an area that we have to look out for and their bowling unit is very disciplined. We all know how they're going to bowl and where they're going to bowl.
"They are very disciplined and a good fielding unit, but they will probably say they lack a bit of experience at the top of the order and that's an area we will try to expose if we can."
England already have plenty of footage to study on debutant opener Aaron Redmond after he scored 146 and 64 against the Lions at the Rose Bowl last week. James Marshall has also been successful in the build-up to the Test with a century against Essex, but Daniel Flynn – the third member of their top order to change since the winter series – has scored only 65 runs in five innings.
His run of scores mirror the struggles Vaughan himself has been having since returning from New Zealand, where he is yet to register a half-century in seven innings for Yorkshire.
That drought means the captain intends to swap with Andrew Strauss and bat at No3 rather than open as he did unsuccessfully in New Zealand.
The full article contains 603 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
