Overton In For Woakes In Manchester

Somerset seamer Craig Overton will replace Chris Woakes in the England side for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, with James Anderson out of the series. Woakes has played in all three of the matches in the Ashes series but was used sparingly by skipper Joe Root as England square the series at Leeds thanks to Ben Stokes’ heroics. It was hoped that Anderson might return to the side after his injury woes at Edgbaston in the first Test but the Lancastrian will play no further part in the battle for the urn.

Instead, the selectors have gone for 25-year-old Overton, who has taken seven wickets from three five-day games to date and made his debut on England’s disastrous trip Down Under in 2017-2018. It seems a bit of a gamble to throw him in at the deep end against the Aussies but Root is confident his new man can do the business. “He is a competitor who looked very much at home on his Ashes debut,” he said.

England have gone for an in-form bowler, as Overton has taken 32 Championship wickets at 21 for Somerset this season and he will join the pace attack of Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Stokes. Joe Denly will open the innings, with Jason Roy set to bat at four and the captain hopes that it will free up the white-ball star to play his natural game. “You look at someone like Jason coming in lower down and the ability to play in his manner, a little bit more freely when it’s not doing as much might give him a better chance,” he added.