Indeed, since his debut against Australia in December 1998, he has played just five Tests.In a not very veiled criticism of him yesterday, his captain Nasser Hussain said: “He did not mention the injury on the pitch at Headingley but we’ve got physios, sociologists and mind people in the dressing-room to work that out between them.” It was a cutting remark that implies Tudor’s problems are not just physical.”Alex has had his injury problems but he’s also a fine prospect, so we can’t just wash our hands of him,” added Hussain. “I’m not a bowler, but he’s had his fair share of niggles, so it is something he has to sort out himself.” When put into plain speech, something Hussain has presumably already done to Tudor, it means: “I cannot pick wimps when there is men’s work to be done”.Given the unlikely proposition that England will play two spinners, Tudor’s place will be taken by either Richard Johnson or James Ormond. Johnson was a late call-up for Trent Bridge when Chris Silverwood ricked his back, but was overlooked for Headingley in favour of the now injured Alan Mullally.Logic would dictate that Johnson receives the nod in front or Ormond, but the Leicestershire pace man can also bowl off-spin, a type of bowling which enabled him to take 5 for 143 against Yorkshire. With all the clues pointing to a recall for Phil Tufnell over Robert Croft, Ormond, in a utility role that may seduce Australia into playing Colin Miller in place of Brett Lee, could be the one to make his debut.Tufnell’s return to The Oval, his first Test since January 2000, will surely not be resisted by England. In a horses for courses way, his figures at the ground cannot be faulted. In his four Tests there, the left-arm spinner has taken 24 wickets at an average of 18.83, including hauls of 6 of 25 versus the West Indies in 1991, and 7 for 66 against Australia four years ago. If you go back as far as 1987, all the other spinners to play there, and there have been 14 of them, average 123 runs per wicket.The pitch, described by Hussain as “dry,” but with the likelihood that the “ball would disturb the surface later in the match”, is puzzling enough for Australia to wait until this morning to finalise their bowling attack, a unit which may include Miller.Waugh’s decision to play aside, one batting change has already been made, with Michael Slater being dropped for Justin Langer.

Officially, the change is being made for cricketing reasons, with Slater’s recent form being given as a reason for the almost formless Langer, a batsman yet to play a Test in England, to take his place.Slater scored 21 and 16 in the Headingley Test, but caused more ripples when he missed the team bus going to practice after oversleeping. Yesterday, the hyperactive batsman said being dropped was hard, but hoped his removal from the side had nothing to do with the incident, for which he got fined.”I need to talk more with the selectors,” said Slater yesterday. “If they feel it is something off the field they are worried about, I’m big enough and willing enough to go down that road.”Such candid talk has been typical of the visitors, who also want the Ashes urn to travel back with them. Although this is a perennial chestnut, with any Aussie request being rebuffed by MCC bluster, none have been quite as outspoken on the matter as Steve Waugh.The Australian captain asked: “If you can’t get hold of the Ashes and you can’t touch them, what is the point of playing for them? As players we feel that we ought to be able to take the trophy we’re playing for. It’s not as if we’re going to leave the urn on the plane or lose it at the airport.”Waugh, who has just become patron of the Vitiligo society – a condition character- ised by de-pigmentation of the skin – has a point, and one backed by Hussain.

Both miss the point though, and like this Test it is the concept and honour, rather than the trophy, that distinguishes Ashes matches from the rest.ENGLAND (from): N Hussain (Essex, capt), M A Atherton (Lancashire), M E Trescothick (Somerset), M A Butcher (Surrey), M R Ramprakash (Middlesex), Usman Afzaal (Nottinghamshire), A J Stewart (Surrey, wkt), R D B Croft (Glamorgan), A R Caddick (Somerset), D Gough (Yorkshire), R L Johnson (Middlesex), J Ormond (Leicestershire), P C R Tufnell (Middlesex).AUSTRALIA (from): S R Waugh (capt, if fit), M L Hayden, J L Langer, R T Ponting, M E Waugh, D R Martyn, S M Katich, A C Gilchrist (wkt, vice-capt), S K Warne, C R Miller, B Lee, J N Gillespie, G D McGrath.Umpires: P Willey (Eng) and R Koertzen (SA).. Craig White and Matthew Wood both hit Glamorgan for centuries at Scarborough yesterday to put Yorkshire on the threshold of their first County Championship title for 33 years. Craig White and Matthew Wood both hit Glamorgan for centuries at Scarborough yesterday to put Yorkshire on the threshold of their first County Championship title for 33 years.
The pair’s runs helped rack up a full complement of bonus points and meant Yorkshire need only bowl Glamorgan out in the next two days to charge over the finishing line with two matches to spare.White and Wood added 275 in all – split between the first and second wickets because Wood (124) was replaced temporarily by Steve Kirby – and White then ploughed on to 183 as his team reached 433 for 5 by stumps on day two in reply to Glamorgan’s 223.On his home ground, White took 273 balls, hitting two sixes and 25 fours, for his century – and Wood reached his by also striking two maximums and 14 fours from 215 balls.The latter deserved particular credit for the way he came out in the morning to set about the visitors’ pace attack after he had to go off injured on Tuesday, night to be replaced by Kirby, when Simon Jones struck him on the cheekbone. Yorkshire finished on 433 for 5, a lead of 210 over Glamorgan, and will be confident of success today.. Australia seemed back on form on the first day of the final Ashes test, with a lunchtime score of 66-0.

Australia seemed back on form on the first day of the final Ashes test, with a lunchtime score of 66-0.
Drizzly weather matched the low expectation at the Oval. After all, there is little to play for in this fifth test match, with the series already won by Australia, and England’s pride saved by Mark Butcher’s historic innings of 173 to win the fourth match, at Headingley earlier this week.Australia’s openers left the pitch for lunch with 26 and 29 runs respectively, relatively untroubled by the English attack of Gough, Caddick and Ormond.. Steve Staunton, the Aston Villa defender, is all but certain to extend his record number of Republic of Ireland caps to 91 when Mick McCarthy’s team take on the Netherlands in their crucial World Cup qualifier in Dublin on 1 September. Steve Staunton, the Aston Villa defender, is all but certain to extend his record number of Republic of Ireland caps to 91 when Mick McCarthy’s team take on the Netherlands in their crucial World Cup qualifier in Dublin on 1 September.
The 32-year-old – first capped by the former manager Jack Charlton in a 4-0 victory over Tunisia in Dublin in 1988 – will partner Manchester City’s Richard Dunne in the centre of defence. Unveiling his squad for the game, McCarthy said: “I have absolutely no worries about that partnership as both players have excelled in our recent games against Portugal, Estonia and Croatia.”The Sunderland striker Niall Quinn and the Ipswich midfielder Matt Holland return to the squad after missing out on last week’s 2-2 friendly draw with Croatia in Dublin. Both have recovered from ankle injuries and McCarthy is keeping his fingers crossed that there will be no further withdrawals from his squad.”I was already resigned to being without Stephen Carr, Mark Kinsella, Kenny Cunningham and Gary Breen,” he conceded.

“Like Sven Goran Eriksson and Craig Brown, I will be hoping all our players come through the midweek fixtures and those this weekend.”Manchester United’s Roy Keane will captain the side and is determined to lead the Irish to the World Cup finals for the first time since USA 1994. In the absence of Charlton’s injured midfielder Kinsella, Keane will be partnered by Holland in the centre .The Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison and Millwall midfielder Steven Reid are also included in McCarthy’s 22-man party for a game that the Dutch must win to have any hope of reaching the finals in Japan and South Korea next summer.A draw would almost certainly guarantee the Republic at least a play-off place as their final match is at home to Cyprus on October 6 at Lansdowne Road.Morrison, who scored on his debut against Croatia, is likely to win a place on the bench following an excellent start to the season which has seen him hit five goals in four games.McCarthy must still decide on whether the aerial strength of Quinn should be used alongside either Blackburn’s Damien Duff or Robbie Keane of Leeds “There are a number of options open to me,” he said. “But I just have to wait and see all the club fixtures over the next few days before making my mind up on the starting line-up.”. The Werder Bremen midfielder Marco Bode will definitely miss Germany’s crucial World Cup qualifier against England after suffering a thigh injury. The Werder Bremen midfielder Marco Bode will definitely miss Germany’s crucial World Cup qualifier against England after suffering a thigh injury.
The versatile Bode sustained the muscle tear during training with Bremen, and it is expected to take three weeks to heal. The 32-year-old, who featured in Germany’s 5-2 friendly victory over Hungary last week, has been ruled out of coach Rudi V?r’s plans. Germany lead Group Nine by six points from England and will qualify for next year’s World Cup if they draw in Munich.The former captain Lothar Matth? has urged current the German captain Oliver Bierhoff to retire from playing internationally before the World Cup.