A team that is ranked the second best in the world.Many cricketers have become better players through not playing against Australia, and Paul Collingwood is the latest. The manner of the defeat at Lord's was disturbing but the selectors have to show faith in the players who turned England into a highly competitive and much admired team. It may be unlikely, but England can still win the Ashes.It is to be hoped the selection meeting between David Graveney, Geoff Miller and Duncan Fletcher does not last long. Yes, the same fellas who won seven successive Test matches last summer, and 11 out of 14 in 2004.England's selectors, who will tomorrow announce their squad for the second Test at Edgbaston, have to come up with a side capable of defeating Australia.

The fault, of course, lay in England's weak, pitiful, pathetic cricketers. It is not only on the cricket field where the Australians have shown wisdom and foresight. When Ricky Ponting's squad were being unmercifully ridiculed by the British media and public at the start of their 14-week tour, several members of their party questioned how these same people would react if Michael Vaughan's side lost the first Test at Lord's Well, we have seen Sack Vaughan and make Graham Thorpe captain. Get rid of Geraint Jones - he looks as though he is keeping with a pair of cymbals.

England cannot afford to carry passengers - Ashley Giles must go Ian Bell looks out of his depth - ditch him. Axe Marcus Trescothick and let Vaughan open with Andrew Strauss. Pick Paul Collingwood and drop Andrew Flintoff to No 8. These are a selection of the comments made in the aftermath of England's 239-run defeat to the world champions Nobody has held back. Former Australian players - Geoff Lawson and Allan Border - have condemned members of the side, despite having seen very little of them in the last 18 months, and several retired England players have also called for change.The most outspoken criticism has come from those who na?ly built up England's chances of regaining the Ashes this summer. And as England's last five wickets fell to Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in 50 minutes of demoralising play last Sunday, it could not possibly be they who were wrong. But 161 for 5 became 161 for 8, leaving Ryan Sidebottom and Greg Smith to hold out for six overs..

Bicknell's removal of Jason Gallian gave Surrey a quick fillip, followed by a double strike for Azhar Mahmood, inducing Darren Bicknell to give a catch to his brother at backward point before Younis Khan completed an undistinguished Nottinghamshire debut by repeating his dismissal of the first innings, a loose swipe at a lifting ball giving Clarke an easy catch.The loss of Martin Bicknell with a strained Achilles appeared to hand the initiative back, when Ealham and Alleyne maderapid progress. Taking advantage of better conditions as the swing factor, so dominant on the opening day, seemed to disappear, Clarke's unbeaten 127, including 19 fours, put Surrey in a position to offer a target.Martin Bicknell's unbeaten 37 further bolstered the total before Mark Ramprakash's surprise declaration. Graeme Swann's ill-judged call for a single ended with Ealham run out by Ally Brown's throw off the next ball and when Swann was bowled by Azhar Mahmood in the next over, without adding to the score, Nottinghamshire could only hang on for a draw. Nottinghamshire had been helped towards a winning position by two loose overs from Rikki Clarke as the England all-rounder tested his fitness on the eve of today's Twenty20 finals.Clarke's concession of 22 runs in two overs threatened to take the gloss off his batting. With 10 overs left, they needed only 49 more with five wickets in hand. But calamity struck after reserve wicketkeeper David Alleyne, who had given excellent support to Mark Ealham in a 71-run partnership over 12 overs, dabbed an easy catch to slip, off Nayan Doshi. Nottinghamshire's chance to forge ahead of Kent in the race for the Championship disappeared in the space of five deliveries here yesterday afternoon. Challenged to score 203 in 40 overs to win a rain-hit match, when Surrey made a sporting declaration, the home side slumped to 43 for 4 but recovered so well they appeared to be coasting to victory.

It also gave him his second five-wicket haul of the summer.Yardy was last out, a tired drive ending up in Weston's hands at deep long-on to end a fine five and a half hour innings that had gone a huge way to setting up the exciting finish.. Among his victims was Mushtaq, who became the 500th wicket of Lewis's first-class career. In the preceding over Phil Weston had presented Matt Prior with the first of his catches.But it had taken Sussex more than an hour to make that double breakthrough, by which time it had become apparent that Gloucestershire were not going to chase. They got desperately, tantalisingly close, but Sussex were just thwarted in a thrilling victory bid after setting Gloucestershire a target of 317 runs off 74 overs. Inspired bowling changes by Sussex's captain Chris Adams, which twice produced wickets in the first over and once in the third over, kept pulses racing, but rain had robbed the match of too much time - 137 overs - for there to be a positive outcome. But it was a valiant effort by the Sussex attack especially as they were handicapped by the loss of Jason Lewry to a side strain.The left-arm paceman still left his mark, bowling Craig Spearman with a yorker.