One good, one bad and one for the future

David Graveney, the England chairman of selectors, said the meeting prior to the third npower Test match was one of the most important in quite some time. They faced some big decisions, he said. Well, after much head-scratching they have now been made. And the reaction: one good, one bad and one for the future.

With Graham Thorpe unavailable with a back injury, Ed Smith was the second-best option to replace Anthony McGrath. Smith has been in fine fettle for Kent, and his selection is a plus point for county cricket. Previous players, such as Chris Adams and Aftab Habib, have made big waves in the domestic game and then drowned when thrown into the deep end of Test cricket. Smith deserves his chance to prove he isn't one of them.

Gareth Batty is unlikely to play at Trent Bridge unless England choose two spinners, but his inclusion confirms his position as twirler No. 2 to Ashley Giles. Batty had a tough taster in his two one-day internationals against Australia last winter, and impressed many with his loopy offspin. His inclusion will also keep Giles on his toes.

With a clutch of fast-bowling injuries such as Richard Johnson, Matthew Hoggard, Alex Tudor (the list goes on), England searched far and wide for a replacement for Darren Gough. The obvious successor, James Kirtley, has been with them all summer. After missing out in the four Tests so far this season, he deserves to make his debut. However, England now have another option in Glen Chapple.

Chapple, 29, completes the triumvirate of new faces. His inclusion is the most shocking, but it would be harsh to call it a shocker. He has the experience of three England A tours, and has been a consistent performer for Lancashire for over ten years - and boy, do the England attack need consistency. Admittedly he would bolster the lower order, but he's no Gough with the ball. Could he be another McGrath (Anthony, not Glenn) in disguise?

James Anderson and Steve Harmison have correctly kept their places and they need to stop bowling with learner plates on their backs and appreciate the virtues of the other two L's (line and length). Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart haven't been pensioned off, although it might have been the end of a long and tiring road for Nasser if Thorpe had been fit. Michael Vaughan hinted he didn't want Hussain, Stewart and Thorpe in the same team, but he needs at least two of them in these uncertain times for England.

Probable team 1 Michael Vaughan (capt), 2 Marcus Trescothick, 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Nasser Hussain, 5 Ed Smith, 6 Alec Stewart (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Ashley Giles, 9 James Kirtley, 10 Stephen Harmison, 11 James Anderson.