England’s rested trio ready to return for Lord’s opener

The Three Lions will renew their rivalry with Australia in a five-match series that begins at Lord’s on Friday.

Alastair Cook’s men will head into the series with a perfect record from six ODIs this year and were only denied the chance at a whitewash success over the West Indies when Friday’s third match in Leeds was washed out without a ball being bowled.

England’s selectors earned the ire of some before that match when they announced that Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan would be rested amid a busy summer schedule.

The fact that hometown hero Bresnan had been left out of the squad for the match was particularly hard for the locals to accept.

Barring injury, all three are certain to be included in today’s squad, which is set to be announced at 9.30am, with England’s much-debated rotation system set to be shelved – while the series is alive at least – as they look to test their recent 50-over improvement against the world’s top-ranked side.

Cook admitted as much at Headingley when he described the arrival of Australia as “a big series for us as a one-day team” and he will head into it fortified by the impressive start to his opening partnership with the recalled Ian Bell.

The top of the order had loomed as a potential Achilles heel when Kevin Pietersen announced his premature retirement from the limited overs formats earlier this summer.

Bell, a stylish batsman but not the thumping presence of Pietersen, was drafted in and immediately showed he is fit for the role after hitting just the second century of his international one-day career. Cook followed that by reaching three figures for the third time in six games as he and Bell set up back-to-back wins and a rousing rebuttal to thoughts Pietersen’s absence would be terminal to any shorter-term ambitions.

The only possible change the England selectors are likely to debate is whether to retain Jade Dernbach, who left the squad for the second match of the West Indies series following the tragic death of his Surrey team-mate and close friend Tom Maynard.

Maynard’s funeral will take place at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff on July 4 – the same day as the third ODI in Birmingham – and it is unlikely that Dernbach would be available for that match.

The 26-year-old did, however, return to England duty for the rained-off final ODI at Headingley.