Morgan gets nod over Bopara as squad is named

EOIN Morgan’ superb 193 this week for England Lions has earned him a place in England’s squad for the first test against Sri Lanka starting next week.

Essex’s Ravi Bopara had been regarded as favourite to land the position left vacant due to the post-Ashes retirement of Paul Collingwood after a fine start to the County Championship season but the Middlesex batsmen left national selector Geoff Miller impressed.

Miller said: “Ravi has been getting a lot of runs for Essex, but the controlled innings that Eoin played (193 for England Lions) just gave him the nod. That innings really just showed us what he is capable of doing. It shows his strength of character.”

Miller added Morgan’s selection was also because of consistency as he was a member of the Ashes squad.

There is also a place in the 12-man squad for Morgan’s county team-mate Steven Finn, who played as one of England’s strike bowlers in the first three Tests against Australia last winter. He replaces the injured Tim Bresnan but may not be chosen in the starting line-up as Stuart Broad returns to fitness. 

The first test begins on Thursday (May 26) at Cardiff’s SWALEC Stadium, Sophia Gardens – the venue which controversially hosted the first Ashes Test in 2009. 

England squad Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson, Steven Finn.