England v West Indies - preview

Date released: 28 April 2009

The first Test Match of the English season will soon be upon us: England v West Indies at Lord's. There are still tickets available - make sure you're here to see it.

England, no doubt still smarting from the 1-0 Test Series defeat in the Caribbean will be keen to start the season on home soil in positive fashion.

With the Ashes Series just a few months away new captain Andrew Strauss and recently appointed permanent Team Manager Andy Flower have talked a lot about gaining "momentum".

Flintoff: On the treatment table again with a knee injury With Andrew Flintoff's injury and debate still raging about England's number three batting position there are places in the side up for grabs.

The Test side will be announced on Wednesday (read it on Lords.org when the news breaks). With the county season underway we look at those pushing for a place in the England Test team:

Come in number three...

Bell: Keen to win back his Test place Last summer Ian Bell scored a brilliant 199 against South Africa at Lord's. Last week Bell found himself in the England Lions squad, trying to win back his Test place.

Owais Shah was given a run of games during England's tour of the West Indies but, on batsman friendly wickets he did not seize his chance.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has made no secret of his ambitions to return to the England side: Vaughan: 'I'm aiming for Lord's'.

Vaughan: Coming into form with Yorkshire Indeed, he told Lords.org he is targeting the West Indies Test at Lord's as his comeback chance.

Bell has taken his setback well, scoring heavily for Warwickshire already this season.

Vaughan took time to hit his stride for Yorkshire but 82 from 116 balls against Sussex suggests he's coming into form at the right time.

Shah has been left frustrated, kicking his heels alongside England team-mate Paul Collingwood on the bench of the IPL side, Delhi Daredevils.

The all-rounder position could open up for Bopara Big-hitting Ravi Bopara (who has excelled in the IPL) was an outside tip to bat at number three but Flintoff's knee surgery would seem to have opened the number six position for him.

Bowlers full of fire

The England attack certainly looks to be in good shape.

James Anderson (already on the Lord's Honours Boards twice took eleven wickets in Lancashire's match against Sussex, swining the ball both into and away from the batsmen.

In the swing of things: James Anderson Stuart Broad took seven wickets during Nottinghamshire's comprehensive win against Worcestershire, adding a useful 60 runs with the bat too.

Five wickets for spinner Graeme Swann showed that his elbow injury has healed nicely.

Remember me?

Whilst Michael Vaughan was looking for runs, he was bowled out by Steve Harmison who took five Yorkshire wickets for Durham. Even he was outshone by team-mate Graham Onions' match figures of 8-105 - a timely reminder to the England selectors at the match perhaps.

Prior engagement: Matt looks odds-on to face the Windies A certain Matthew Hoggard also took six wickets in the same match. And Ian Blackwell, who scored a century for Durham in the curtain-raising match at Lord's made a handy 95.

England wicket-keeper Matt Prior hasn't started the season in the best batting form. Despite a useful 50 for Sussex in the Friends Provident Trophy he has scored only 57 runs in four innings this seasons.

Prior is favourite to take the gloves against the West Indies but a timely 153 from Tim Ambrose in his latest match for Warwickshire, to go with a season-opening half-century, will have given the selectors a nudge.

Six catches, a stumping and an unbeatn 94 with the bat for Durham's Phil Mustard won't have gone unnoticed either.

And despite Warwickshire Director of Cricket Ashley Giles' protests he "must be protected" - young seamer Chris Woakes, continues to impress with both bat and ball.