England go with spin as Ashes begin (From The Northern Echo)

England go with spin as Ashes begin

11:08am Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

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ENGLAND team to face Australia in first Ashes Test starting in Cardiff today:

Strauss (capt), Cook, Bopara, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior (wkt), Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Panesar.

Australia:

Hughes, Katich, Ponting (capt), Clarke, Hussey, North, Haddin (wkt), Johnson, Siddle, Hauritz, Hilfenhaus

AUSTRALIA sprang a surprise by omitting experienced seamer Stuart Clark.

With Brett Lee already ruled out through injury, Clark was Australia's senior bowler, but they selected young swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and spinner Nathan Hauritz instead.

The final place was expected to be between those two, but they were both called in despite a lack of action and success on this tour to date.

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and chose to open the curtain on the high-profile series by batting first.