England lose Hussain while Ponting gets chance

BIRMINGHAM, England - England lost its captain today, while Australia found another.

Nasser Hussain was ruled out of the second Ashes Test because of a broken little finger as Ricky Ponting was given the honour of leading his country for the first time in a four-day cricket match against Somerset, starting Friday.

Hussain gives the hosts, licking their wounds after a hiding in the series opener by an innings and 118 runs, plenty of backbone and they desperately needed him on deck at Lord's.

"The advice we have had from the specialist is that the fracture is stable and Nasser's finger will be in a splint until next Monday," said England physiotherapist Dean Conway.

"He should be able to start mobilising the joint thereafter but the specialist's initial thoughts are that he will be out of cricket for around three weeks."

Alec Stewart, who lost six straight matches when he replaced Hussain during the one-day series, said he never wanted the job again, so Mike Atherton and former under 19s skipper Marcus Trescothick are the leading candidates.

"I think it's time to move on," Stewart wrote in his diary for the CricInfo website.

"I've been captain and done everything that's been asked of me and I think it's better to look to the future now, so I won't be putting my hand up for the job."

Hussain's temporary successor will be announced later this week. Steve Waugh is being rested from the Somerset fixture, giving Ponting his first shot at the captaincy, while strike bowlers Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie have also been omitted.

The Tasmanian, vice-captain of the Australian one-day side five times in the last two years, will not have to introduce himself to the opposing skipper - his State team-mate, Jamie Cox.

Queensland fast bowler Ashley Noffke, a late inclusion in the touring party when Nathan Bracken was sent home with a shoulder injury, was named for his first match for Australia.

The team to play Somerset is: Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Simon Katich, Wade Seccombe, Brett Lee, Ashley Noffke, Damien Fleming, Colin Miller, Damien Martyn (12th man).