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NO RASH CHANGES

THE PAUL COLLINGWOOD COLUMN

England should resist making rash team changes for the third Ashes Test against Australia.

There are those who want to see Ashley Giles, James Anderson, and perhaps even Geraint Jones dropped after our second test capitulation.

But chopping and changing was England's policy in the 1980s and 1990s and look where it got us? 8th in the world Test ranking.

That's not to say I wouldn't mind seeing some changes, just not rash ones. For instance Alec Stewart has just played a good knock at Lilac Hill and would be an ideal replacement for Jonesy. Derek Underwood is out here leading a SAGA tour, and I feel his experience would probably be of more benefit to England at this stage rather than plunging Monty in at the deep end.

And Harold Larwood was apparently heard warming up in his grave during the first test in Brisbane - I think his inclusion would certainly raise a few eyebrows and could be the difference between the two sides.

I was pleased with my own form at Adelaide. My 22 not out in the second innings has drawn praise from some surprising quarters. Shane Warne said it was "pluckily irrelevant", and Chris Tavare said it was "mesmerising in its intensity". Meanwhile a certain Geoff Boycott commended me for playing "proper cricket" unlike my slogathon in the first innings.

See you in Perth!

Colly