Giles in, Tufnell out of England squad

Ashley Giles, rather that the perennial Philip Tufnell, was the leftarm spinner added yesterday to England's squad for the fifth and final Test against the West Indies, starting Thursday at the Oval.

Giles, 27, has been around for some time in county cricket for Warwickshire but his only Test to date was against South Africa in the 1998 home series in which he managed a solitary wicket.

Tufnell, 34, has taken 120 wickets in 41 Tests over a spasmodic career and his omission probably marks the end of his Test career.

Giles has had a steady, rather than spectacular season, with the ball, but his right-hand batting, which has brought him three first-class hundreds, and his fielding are additional assets. He marked his selection yesterday with a timely half-century in the NatWest Trophy limited-overs final at Lord's against Gloucestershire.

The pitch at the Oval has favoured spin in recent seasons but that prepared for the Test will not be necessarily similar to those for home county Surrey, with Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and England leg-spinner Ian Salisbury in their ranks.

England captain Nasser Hussain would make no commitment to including Giles in the final 11.

'Whatever we do, we're not just going to turn up and say that we must play a spinner just because it's the Oval,' he said. 'We have to decide who the four best bowlers are for the conditions.'

The 11, who completed the two-day innings victory in the fourth Test, are predictably retained. If England do plump for Giles, it would leave them with a difficult choice of who to omit.

The squad: Nasser Hussain (captain), Michael Atherton, Marcus Trescothick, Graham Thorpe, Alec Stewart, Michael Vaughan, Graeme Hick, Craig White, Dominic Cork, Ashley Giles, Darren Gough and Ashley Giles.