Last dance for Ramps?

Since England's defeat at Headingley, the clamour for Mark Ramprakash's selection for final Ashes Test at The Oval - his county ground - has been growing. The Guardian editorial advises some caution at picking a batsman who, while being unmatched at the county level, has been an under-performer in Tests but says the story of Ramprakash being given one last dance at The Oval would be truly romantic.

Historically aware advocates of Ramprakash point out that, 53 years ago, and with the Ashes also at stake, the selectors brought back the 38-year-old Compton at the Oval for "a wonderful return to Test cricket". Why not gamble again, romantics argue, and give the vital job of stiffening England's batting to a player who has scored 29 centuries in the past four seasons, many of them at the Oval, and who is averaging over 100 again this season?

Also read Mike Holmans' post on Different Strokes on why picking Ramprakash would be a disaster.