England name Bresnan and Onions

YORKSHIRE’S Tim Bresnan (pictured) and Durham’s Graham Onions have been named in the England 12 for the first npower Test match against the West Indies which starts at Lord’s on Wednesday.

Bresnan, 24, has played in five One Day Internationals for England as well as a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka at Southampton in 2006 while Onions, 26, will be making his first appearance in an England Test squad. Both Bresnan and Onions have appeared for the England Lions.

Ravi Bopara, 24 on Monday, who scored an outstanding 104 against the West Indies in Bridgetown in the last of his four tests, is chosen in the batting line up.

Geoff Miller, National Selector, said: ’This is very exciting for the two young fast bowlers to be included in the squad for a Lord’s Test match and sends a message to all county players that if they put in consistently good performances they will get recognised. Both have had good starts to this season and had been close to Test match selection on a number of occasions. They have earned their place in the party.

’The selectors also felt that Ravi Bopara deserved his chance after his performance in his single Test in the Caribbean this winter. There was a lot of competition for that batting position but Bopara now has the opportunity to stake a claim. He showed in Barbados that he has the ability to play at Test level.’

England squad for the 1st npower Test Match against West Indies – Lord’s May 6-10
A Strauss (Middlesex, captain)
J Anderson (Lancashire)
R Bopara (Essex)
T Bresnan (Yorkshire)
S Broad (Nottinghamshire)
P Collingwood (Durham)
A Cook (Essex)
G Onions (Durham)
M Panesar (Northamptonshire)
K Pietersen (Hampshire)
M Prior (Sussex)
G Swann (Nottinghamshire)

Picture courtesy of Getty Images