England, 2-0 down in the Ashes series and desperate for a win to keep the contest alive, look set to field five bowlers and six batsmen in the third Test at Trent Bridge, according to their wicketkeeper Alec Stewart. Writing in his exclusive diary column for CricInfo, Stewart said: "From the squad the selectors have picked, I suspect they'll go with the five bowlers this time. A lot of runs have been scored at Trent Bridge this season, and it's been hard to bowl sides out in county cricket. Hopefully the added variety in our squad will help."

While England successfully played seven batsmen and four bowlers during their two winter campaigns, the failure to bowl Australia out twice in either of the first two Tests has prompted a tactical rethink. With Dominic Cork dropped from the squad, England will probably line up with Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick, Craig White, Alex Tudor and spinner Robert Croft, with all-rounder White batting at seven. Referring to his county team-mate Alex Tudor's selection in the squad, Stewart said: "He's desperately looking forward to playing in this game. He's had some injury problems, and he's now put in some good performances this year despite further injuries. His batting has kicked on, but his priority at the moment is to take wickets."

The man whom the change of tactics may affect most is Craig White, who welcomed his anticipated elevation from number eight to number seven in the batting order. Speaking to the BBC, he said, "It looks as if I will bat at seven and act as the fifth bowler. If that is the case it will suit me. If you are playing seven batsmen it is often better to have an out and out bowler rather than an all-rounder at number eight so I will feel more comfortable in a side with six batsmen, then me and four bowlers."

White has also welcomed the addition of Glamorgan spinner Robert Croft to the squad, saying; "It is good to see Robert Croft back in the squad. He will bring balance to the attack and is a great competitor." Should Croft get the nod over Yorkshire's Chris Silverwood, he will need to buck the trend at Trent Bridge, which has proved something of a graveyard for England spinners in recent years. Croft himself had match figures of two for 117 in the corresponding match during the 1997 Ashes series, which Australia won by 264 runs. Subsequently, England spinners have fared even worse at Nottingham: Ian Salisbury failed to take a wicket there against South Africa in 1998 and Chris Schofield met the same fate last year against the Zimbabweans.

Talking about Croft's selection, England's Chairman of Selectors David Graveney said: "He is likely to have to spend a lot of time bowling, and the fact that the pitch will not spin so much is not something that we are unduly concerned with. He will enable us to use our quicker bowlers in short spells. Nottingham is a pretty flat wicket and Croft can beat the bat from both sides."

Many felt that left-armer Phil Tufnell might have been more effective against the Australians, especially as he is in good form for Middlesex at the moment. Graveney told the BBC: "Tufnell is always in with a shout for selection. You also have to look at the continuity aspect. Croft was included in the squad earlier in the season and also performed very well on the winter tour of Sri Lanka."

If Croft does play, one of the England batsmen will miss out. The choice appears to be between Ian Ward and Usman Afzaal, neither of whom has reached 50 against Australia so far this summer. Trent Bridge is Afzaal's home ground and he showed continued good form with a century against Derbyshire in the CricInfo Championship over the weekend. That may be enough to secure him the number six slot ahead of Ward.

Earlier in the season, Graveney described Afzaal as a streetfighter. England's batsmen and bowlers will all need all the fighting qualities they possess if they are to compete with the rampant Australians. If the Ashes are to be saved, England will have to fight fire with fire, as Stewart acknowledges: "The third Test is a game we simply have to win; they don't come any more important than this."

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