The three Gs - Graveney, Gooch and Gatting - are joined for the first time by Alec Stewart, the new captain, who was always a loyal supporter of the selectorial preferences of his predecessor but who did not always agree with them. Mike Atherton always wanted Stewart in his side and the reverse will now be true. They are high-class batsmen and if there was any doubt at all that Atherton would be retained as the first-choice opener, his obvious good form and chipper mien during his 93 against Surrey earlier this week removed it.
His opening partner, since Stewart has been appointed to keep wicket and not to go in first, could be Mark Butcher, who actually batted at three in the last three Tests in the West Indies. Like his captain, he prefers to open and he has pressed his claim with hundreds in successive championship innings followed by a fifty yesterday against Kent. The new captain is likely to support his regular opening partner if it should come down to a vote.
Maddy missed his final chance yesterday to make sure of the first Test cap as Atherton's partner which has been pencilled in for him since he did so well, and so impressed Gooch and Gatting, on the A tour. He made only seven for Leicestershire against Derbyshire yesterday. Meanwhile, not only Butcher but Steve James, too, continued to knock insistently on a door which had not opened despite his 3,551 first-class runs in the last two seasons.
Gooch watched James yesterday so perhaps the other selectors will look to him to decide whether, at the age of 30, he should not be tried ahead of Maddy, 24, or Butcher, 25. James modestly says that Maddy outbatted him in Sri Lanka, but the question to be answered is which of the three is most likely to make runs against Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock?
Nasser Hussain is likely to return to three, with Stewart himself batting at four, followed by Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash. Should Thorpe's back seize up again, Nick Knight is his likely replacement. His Test future may lie in the middle order.
There will be an all-rounder at seven, but whether it will be Mark Ealham or Cork is the question. Ben Hollioake has not, unfortunately, followed up his outstanding success in Sri Lanka. The case for Cork is that he has won at least two Tests for England, as Ealham could not have done. He seems, after injury and mental turmoil, to be back on an even keel. The case for Ealham is that he is as sturdy as his build: likely to make valuable contributions with bat and ball and unlikely to be as expensive with the ball or as careless with the bat as Cork can be. But Cork's five wickets yesterday in front of the England coach, David Lloyd, may have tipped the scales.
The specialist bowling conundrums are less demanding, although it appears that a decision has been taken, in view of the likely conditions at Edgbaston in early June, to pick only one spinner. After his disappointing home series against Australia last year, Croft had a good tour of the West Indies and took six wickets in his only Test there. He is unlikely to find anything so helpful at Birmingham, but it would be a surprise if the selectors, who know all about Ian Salisbury's longer term potential, will risk a once erratic leg-spinner as their only spin-bowling option.
If there is to be a 12th man named it will be a fast bowler as cover for Angus Fraser, Darren Gough and Dean Headley. The choice will be between Chris Silverwood, who started the season well but has been having shin soreness, and Ed Giddins, who has made a generally excellent start for Warwickshire. Giddins would be the more interesting choice, Silverwood the one more in line with the policy of continuity. But his time would be better spent playing against Leicestershire next Wednesday than on bowling yet again at England colleagues in the nets.
England (possible 12): *+A J Stewart, M A Atherton, D L Maddy, N Hussain, G P Thorpe, M R Ramprakash, D G Cork, R D B Croft, D Gough, D W Headley, A R C Fraser, E S H Giddins.