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Cricket
By Ted Corbett
Johnson, whose move from Middlesex to Somerset three years ago transformed a career that was in the doldrums, will probably replace Matthew Hoggard who may be out for six weeks following a knee injury three balls after capturing the prestigious wicket of Graeme Hick in a cup-tie at Worcester this week. He makes a neat contrast with the new hero James Anderson, the smoothest of quick bowlers and the lofty Steve Harmison with his steepling lift. What you see is what you get when Johnson rushes to the wicket and propels the ball down the pitch with a muscular, wrenching action, which gives him accuracy, as well as pace. His rival among the 12 is James Kirtley of Sussex and it remains to be seen whether the selectors have the nerve to risk his controversial action in front of all the television cameras, some of the greatest fast bowling experts in the world and a phalanx of British sports writers. They held back when he was on the verge of selection for the first Test at Lord's. Chester-le-Street, which is staging its first Test, could have been described as a backwater in the past. Today, with the full glare of television's huge lenses, slow motion machines and outspoken pundits, there is no place to hide. David Graveney, chairman of selectors, said: "Johnson has been in our plans for a while and has been selected now that he is fully fit after a groin strain. He is in good form, which means deliveries at 90 miles an hour with outswing. He bowls what batsmen call a `heavy' ball and he can bat a bit". "It is our intention to play the same side that turned out at Lord's with Johnson and James Kirtley competing for the final place left vacant by the injury to Matthew Hoggard. Flintoff is back playing for Lancashire as a batsman and we will continue to monitor his progress. At the moment we do not think he is ready for the rigours of a five-day Test," added Graveney. Graveney was able to smile to himself by the end of the first Test when the critics were left without ammunition after the huge victory. They did not like the inclusion of Alec Stewart because he was 40 but the size of the England success against one of the poorest sides to visit this country in the last 50 years meant that Stewart and all the players who won a place because of a long injury list made their mark. This strange turn of events leaves further chances of embarrassment for Graveney. Flintoff celebrated his return to partial fitness after a blow on the elbow by hitting 154 for Lancashire this week although he had to be hidden in the field because he still cannot throw. It remains to be seen how the selectors will react if, for instance, his replacement Anthony McGrath makes runs or takes wickets at Chester-le-Street. Stewart will continue to keep wicket although I hear that he has already told the selectors he does not want to tour Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or West Indies this winter. No doubt he wants to make his final appearance for England — his 133rd, a mighty record — at the Oval, his home ground. Whether Stewart can keep Chris Read at bay until the end of the summer is doubtful but as he has shown more times than we can count, he is the most durable of cricketers. It will not be surprising if he leaves the Oval, waving his bat to a standing crowd to mark the end of his distinguished career, in the early days of September. The squad: Nasser Hussain (captain), Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher, Robert Key, Alec Stewart, Anthony McGrath, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Richard Johnson and James Kirtley.
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