Hoggy Fit To Start For England

By JMB
September 15 2006

Despite suffering a hand injury at the feet of Yorkshire team mate Tim Bresnan last week Matthew Hoggard has been declared fit to play in the 1st Test against Pakistan at Lords today. This means the Yorkshireman has been ever present in the England side since 2004 - 33 consecutive test matches.

Hoggard had visited a specialist on Sunday morning when it was decided to employ the same hyperbaric process at a hospital in St John's Wood that Simon Jones used as he tried to recover from his ankle injury before the final Ashes Test last summer.

Strauss won the toss and England will bat first.

FULL ENGLAND TEAM
1. Trescothick
2. Strauss (capt)
3. Cook
4. Pietersen
5. Collingwood
6. Bell
7. Jones (wk)
8. Plunkett
9. Hoggard
10. Harmison
11. Panesaar