Cricket: Selectors in search of Test encore: England are likely to stick to their young guns for Headingley. Glenn Moore reports

AFTER three Tests when he and his fellow selectors have still been debating teams into the morning cornflakes, Ted Dexter will find it a pleasant change to be able to declare the business part of this evening's selection meeting over by the time the pate and soup

arrive.

Even more cheering will be the knowledge that, later this week, his Australian counterparts will be discussing their side for the fourth Test at Headingley well into the cheese and biscuits stage having on previous occasions got it out of the way with the menu.

Although England remain two Tests down, the mood of the Ashes series has swung remarkably since the end of the Lord's Test. The selectors' belated decision to invest in youth paid such dividends that a spark has been detected in the embers of the Ashes with England believing they can keep them aflame. Thus few changes are likely from the Trent Bridge party with any that are made being dictated by the venue.

Less than a month ago Alan Igglesden took 7 for 97 for Kent at Headingley before straining his side, and given his apparent return to fitness - he has looked sharp at Arundel this week - there is no reason to suspect he might not be similarly successful this week, even against a notably stronger batting side.

With Martin McCague making a promising debut at Nottingham, that raises the prospect of both new-ball bowlers coming from the same county for only the fifth time since the Second World War. The last occasion, against India in 1986, also involved a Kent duo, Richard Ellison and Graham Dilley.

Andy Caddick's burst of wickets on the fifth afternoon at Trent Bridge suggested he is coming to terms with Test cricket and should be persevered with, which leaves the fourth place between the Essex pair Mark Ilott and Peter Such or an outsider such as Steve Watkin of Glamorgan.

After years of promising a 'belter' and usually producing a seam dream, the Headingley groundsman Keith Boyce will probably come up with a raging turner just when England need it least. But, working on the principle that he will not, Such may be omitted on the morning with England fielding four seamers.

Watkin, the country's leading wicket-taker, took 5 for 93 against the West Indies at Headingley on his Test debut two years ago. He went wicketless in the next Test and was dropped but is performing well this year and was watched by Keith Fletcher this week.

However, if four seam bowlers are to be used, a left-arm angle would offer variety and Ilott did enough in the last Test to retain his status as the style's most likely exponent, even if Paul Taylor is in better form at present.

Should England use four seamers, there is an argument for the recall of Graeme Hick, especially with slip catching likely to be at a premium. He would provide a spin option - although he has delivered only 41 first-class overs this season - and, with Craig McDermott in Queensland and Merv Hughes far from fit, the batting conditions would be much more to his liking.

But less than one wicket an innings has fallen to spin in 20 years at Leeds and the player to make way would have to be Mark Lathwell. He may have been the least successful of the debutants, and his attacking style may be vulnerable at Headingley, but such a move would send the wrong signals to the rest of the team and to the youngster himself. Hick was given a pretty good run when he came into the team and Lathwell's talent deserves the same.

On Hughes's fitness might the Test hang. He has been the most influential player of the series to date and without him Australia's seam bowling is as bland as a Kylie Minogue song. Brendon Julian, while showing promise, has also shown the batsmen an awful lot of half-volleys, long hops and wide deliveries. Paul Reiffel is competent but pedestrian, ill-suited to spearheading an attack.

That, Wayne Holdsworth could do - he certainly has the pace. But will he be the Holdsworth who took four wickets in eight balls against Derbyshire on Wednesday, or the one who finished the previous evening with figures of 1 for 113 off 20 overs?

Who plays will rest on performances at Durham this weekend, Hughes's fitness and the wicket. Australia may even pick Shane Warne and Tim May and just field two seamers and the two Waughs.

ENGLAND XII (possible): Atherton, Lathwell, Smith, Stewart, Gooch (capt), Thorpe, Hussain, Caddick, McCague, Igglesden, Such, Ilott.