Consistent [ii]

Given the stasis in England's Test match batting order, here's a stat to toy with: Bopara and Denly were England's thirteenth opening partnership in T20 cricket. England have only played 22 T20 matches. As they both got nought on Sunday, how long before number fourteen comes along?

More consistency: England have played Ireland three times in ODIs, in 2006, 2007 and last week. Here are the teams:

2006

Trescothick

Joyce

Strauss

Collingwood

Bell

Dalrymple

Jones

Chapple

Plunkett

Mahmood

Harmison

2007

Joyce

Vaughan

Bell

Pietersen

Collingwood

Flintoff

Nixon

Bopara

Mahmood

Anderson

Panesar

2009

Bopara

Denly

Trott

Prior

Collingwood

Shah

Wright

Rashid

Swann

Bresnan

Sidebottom

Number of players who appeared in all three games: one. Number of opening batsmen: five. Number of wicketkeepers: three. Number of years between fixtures: three.

NB: England have one tactic right: pick Ireland's best player and then let him disappear. 

Update: Thanks to Rob for pointing out Bopara got one on Sunday - should keep him in the team for today at least. The times today has a good piece on the awarding of central contracts, currently bringing IR Bell and Monty out in fear-sweats. The current list of incremental contract holders has a couple of half-remembered names too: Tim Ambrose and Samit Patel. Don't wait by the phone, boys...

Ash for questions

A good and very necessary piece by Mike Selvey in the Guardian today on the invidious position of Ashley Giles, England's most compromised selector.

Selvey ascribes lashings of integrity to Giles, yet if he was as unimpeachable as claimed he would have withdrawn from the job as soon as he became an employee of Warwickshire. 

The truth is, Giles is ambitious, and the dual role suits his purpose. Selvey sets out an excellent blueprint for the criteria of becoming a selector [no, it's not just being a middling spinner who bats a bit]. One other addition would help: an online register at the ECB website, viewable by all, of every match watched by every selector. 

After all, there's nothing to hide, is there?

Definitely no leaks.

'This selection panel is watertight with its information, and the only leaks yesterday related to the lunch order: cheese sarnies and wedges with salsa dip' - Mike Atherton, today's Times.

'England drop Ravi Bopara and bring in Jonathan Trott. Ian Bell will bat number three' - David Hopps, Guardian

'Jonathan Trott will come in for Ravi Bopara, though not in the number three position, a position to which Ian Bell is likely to revert' - Derek Pringle, Daily Telegraph

'England set to turn to Trott, with Key and Ramprakash missing out' - Stephen Brenkley, Independent 

'This panel does not have a history of radical changes of direction, and the only one expected now is the omission of Ravi Bopara' - er, Mike Atherton, the Times

Nope, doesn't sound like there's been any kind of leak there...