Seems like forever since our last four day game, but here is tomorrow's squad: Michael Carberry, Jimmy Adams, Will Smith, James Vince, Sean Ervine, Joe Gatting, Adam Wheater, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, Mason Crane, Fidel Edwards, James Tomlinson, Ryan Stevenson, Ryan McLaren.
Stevenson is a young bowling all-rounder, who has impressed this season in local cricket (for Devon, I think). Bowls a bit quick, and gives it a bit of a whack, I understand. But there's surely no way that he'll start tomorrow - the game is far too important to take a risk on him.
On that basis, and assuming that McLaren will slot straight in for Bird, then there are two selection issues:
One, Ervine is fit again. But in four limited overs matches, he hasn't yet scored any real runs. So do we recall him to the side, and if so then who for? Adams was the stand out candidate after our last four day game, but has his 50 over form saved him for at least one more game? Dawson hasn't yet scored any four day runs since his return from Essex, and given that two spinners wont be necessary away to Durham, he is surely also a candidate. But it's possible that we might well just not recall Ervine.
Two, as I mentioned above, we don't need two spinners at the Riverside. But Crane's form has been excellent, and Dawson can only really be dropped if it is Ervine who replaces him - our tail would be too long again if we replaced Dawson with Tommo. So do we stick with Crane, or as a one-off horses-for-courses selection pick, do we go for Tommo rather than Crane?