Same top 6

England today announced that they would go with an unchanged 12 for the final test against India at The Oval. Much had been made in the papers of Ravi Bopara's chances, but he didn't get a look in. Some of the more detailed readers of Cricket Burble may remember that I went for a prediction on the England top 6 to end the season after the 1st test against the West Indies - it didn't become reality! After the Bopara paper speculation I wondered if I might be one out, but in fact was two out - the prediction was:

Vaughan
Cook
Bopara
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior

I'm very pleased for Strauss that he came through, although he still doesn't seem to have cemented his place in the side like he could and should do. He still has some way to go to get back to where he was before those three wrong decisions in a row in Australia last winter. Prior hasn't looked the part for a number 6 batsman so that was a poor shout, and I'm starting to wonder if he'll bat ahead of Flintoff when Freddie comes back. If he's to play as a batsman who keeps, which is what he has stated he wants to be, he's got a fair way to go.

But Ian Bell's days are surely numbered unless he starts to play with some assurance when it really matters. Coming in at 300-4 and scoring a hundred is one thing, getting it under pressure is a far harder thing to do. Bell hasn't showed he is the man to handle pressure and I hope that Bopara is given his chance soon.