While the senior team are currently conquering all before them, the new pride of England Lions are just about honours even in their one-off four-day match against Sri Lanka 'A' at Scarborough. With such success on the Test scene, there aren't too many vacancies in the 1st XI right now, unless Jonathan Trott doesn't recover from his shoulder injury in time for Edgbaston. However, a good display in an 'unofficial Test' will catch the eye of selectors better than a month of centuries and wickets in the County Championship.
On the Caribbean tour, James Hildreth looked the part as he skippered a classy side. Unfortunately, his form has dipped with Somerset this summer and he has been dropped, along with Adam Lyth and Jimmy Adams. Leicestershire's James Taylor has been promoted to captain what is by and large a very young set of players. The exception is Ravi Bopara and, if Trott is unfit next week and selectors don't want to lose a batsman, his place surely has the Essex number three's name on it. However, if Taylor stakes a major claim for the Lions, why not give him a go at the top table? A former Young Player of the Year, his first-class average is not far short of 50 and he shown more consistency over the past three years than the likes of Lyth, Adams and others.
Taylor got off to a good start today, top scoring with 76, while Bopara made only 19. A few weeks ago, he thumped a big hundred against the same team, so he clearly knows his away around medium pacers and spin. My recent Player of the Week Alex Hales scored 50 today, while Jonny Bairstow and Samit Patel also weighed in with half-centuries. Yorkshire's 20 year-old Joe Root and Craig Kieswetter, an international veteran at 23 (!) fared less well.
Now it will be the bowlers' opportunity to shine. I'm a fan of Glamorgan's James Harris but Surrey duo Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker have fans in high places. Spinner Scott Borthwick hasn't played much first-class cricket in recent weeks, taking few wickets, but a maiden century for Durham against, yes, Sri Lanka A last week may have helped him clinch a place with the Lions ahead of Rashid and Briggs.
None of these players are seriously threatening the places of Anderson, Broad, Bresnan, Tremlett or Swann but if injury or mysterious food poisoning should strike, Geoff Miller and Andy Flower need to know there are talented bowlers waiting in the wings. Dernbach and Patel have already been tried in ODIs so they are in pole position. However, if it were my choice I'd give Chris Woakes the nod.
Anyway, let's see what the next three days bring in Yorkshire, and whether some of the Lions roar loud enough to keep England's Test heroes on their toes.
