Bopara and Bell sent to get county practice

Ravi Bopara and Ian Bell, England's out-of-form middle-order batsmen, are among five players who have been released by the ECB to play county cricket in an attempt to regain form ahead of the final Ashes Test beginning on August 20 at The Oval. Alastair Cook, Graeme Swann and Graham Onions are the others who have been made available to their counties for the next round of Championship matches.

Bopara and Cook will play for Essex against Middlesex, who will not have Andrew Strauss' services, at Lord's from Tuesday while Bell and Swann will face each other when Warwickshire meet Nottinghamshire.

"Following discussions with the England team management, it has been decided to make a number of players available to their counties for four-day cricket this week," ECB managing director Hugh Morris said. "We are aware that we underperformed with bat and ball at Headingley and this decision is designed to give players an opportunity to spend time in the middle and get overs under their belt ahead of the decisive fifth npower Test at The Brit Oval next week."

England's middle-order, comprising Bopara, Bell and Paul Collingwood, who is not available to Durham, contributed a paltry 16 runs between them in two innings at Headingley. Bopara has been in poor form right through the series, scoring 105 runs at an average of 15, while Bell has made only 64 runs in three innings since he replaced the injured Kevin Pietersen at No. 4. Cook's performances have also dipped - he now averages 29 after four Tests - while Collingwood has scored only 151 in five innings since his match-saving 74 in Cardiff.