A door opens for Collingwood
Marcus Trescothick's enforced departure from the Ashes tour of Australia is a bitter-sweet outcome for Paul Collingwood who is expected to play in next week's Brisbane Test
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Cook, Bell and Collingwood arrived in Australia vying for two batting spots, but Trescothick's health problems have contrived to open the door for Bell and Collingwood.
Collingwood said the tourists were devastated for Trescothick, and admitted this was not the way he wanted to book himself a start. But after scoring 732 runs at almost 49 and two centuries this year, Collingwood would consider himself unlucky to have missed out.
"It gives you a taste of the challenges, the mental side of the game, everything you do - it's the biggest challenge in your life," Collingwood said ahead of Friday's three-day practice match against South Australia. "That game against Australia last year [at The Oval] with the pressures and the atmosphere, you want to have more, which is why it's been a big kind of drive to get into this side all year.
"Hopefully, I've come on as a player since then, playing 12 months of Test cricket and improving, so you're a bit more confident about your game."
England's remaining selection dilemma will be deciding between left-arm spinners Ashley Giles and Monty Panesar.
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