England flops told to play county cricket before Oval finale

London, Aug.11 (ANI): England's cricket selectors have sent five of their under performing players back to play for their counties in an attempt to find some form ahead of next week's decisive fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.

Batsmen Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, and bowlers Graeme Swann and Graham Onions will all turn out for their counties this week.

Bopara, who is under huge pressure after accumulating just 105 runs in seven innings against Australia, will play for Essex against Middlesex at Lord's in a match that starts today.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hugh Morris, managing director England Cricket, as saying: "Following discussions with the England team management, it has been decided to make a number of players available to their counties for four-day cricket this week.

"We are aware that we under performed with bat and ball at Headingley and this decision is designed to give players an opportunity to spend time in the middle and get overs under their belt ahead of the decisive fifth Test at The Brit Oval next week," he added.

Bopara, Bell and Paul Collingwood have managed just 16 runs between them in six visits to the crease in Leeds.

The other players will report to The Oval next Monday. (ANI)