We can bowl out Aussies twice, says Prior

Matt Prior shifted the focus from England's batting woes on Thursday, insisting his teammates possess enough bowling firepower to dismiss Australia twice at The Oval next week and snatch back the Ashes.

After losing the Headingley Test in an embarrassing innings defeat in just three days, the series is level at 1-1, leaving Australia needing only a draw in the fifth and final Test from next Thursday to keep hold of the Ashes.

"It's renowned as a pretty good batting wicket and we're going to have to take 20 wickets to win the game," said wicketkeeper Prior. "But the way the bowlers have bowled this series has been absolutely fantastic, from Fred (Andrew Flintoff), to Jimmy Anderson, to Graham Onions, to Stuart Broad, Swanny (Graeme Swann), we know that we've got the unit and we've got the bowlers who can take 20 wickets and we'll be very confident."

Talking to the BBC, Prior would not be drawn on the question of who might feature in England's middle order.

"That would be up to the selectors to decide," he said. "But what I will say is that the 11 guys who go out next Thursday will be absolutely up for it.

"It's amazing to be 1-1 in an Ashes series, it's like having a final in a Test series, it's so exciting, and the whole country has been gripped by the Ashes and really got behind us.

"Those 11 guys who walk out at The Oval will be really pumped up."

Meanwhile, a century from Jonathan Trott and an unbeaten 92 from Ian Bell helped push their cases to play at The Oval as Warwickshire fought back in their County Championship meeting with Nottinghamshire on Thursday.

After Charlie Shreck wrapped up Warwickshire's first innings by bowling Boyd Rankin, the visitors to Trent Bridge were asked to follow on, still 169 runs behind.

But Trott and Bell put on 188 for the third wicket - a new club record against Nottinghamshire - to push ahead of the hosts and press their England claims.

Trott was the more aggressive of the pair and hit 20 fours from 177 balls before he was lbw to Ryan Sidebottom for 121, his fourth hundred of the season, while Bell hit 10 boundaries as Warwickshire finished on 298 for three, 129 ahead. LONDON, AFP