“All the indications are that Andrew will be fine. We need to see how he goes over the next couple of days during practice,” said the England captain. “But at this stage we are very confident and obviously he will want to build on his performance at Lord’s. “I spoke to him the day after the second Test at a charity dinner and he said then he was recovering well. That’s encouraging.

“He won’t have bowled until practice tomorrow but has been in constant contact with our medical team. “When you’ve had as many injuries as him you get a good indication of how you’re feeling. Everything we’ve heard so far has been positive.” But the England captain will have one eye on the remaining fourth and fifth Tests at Headingley Carnegie and The Oval when deciding Flintoff’s exact workload. “A lot depends on how much bowling Freddie does at Edgbaston,” said Strauss. “He’s very keen to play in the remaining three Tests and will do everything he can to make sure he’s available for those. “So far it doesn’t look like his knee injury has deteriorated but the reality is you enter a Test match with everyone 100% fit to play otherwise they’re not in the team. “As captain I will be juggling the bowling attack according to what the match situation dictates. “Clearly we don’t want Fred to be bowling millions of overs when conditions aren’t in his favour. That’s important to look at.

“But if we get into a winning position and he’s the right bowler to take us to victory then we’ll be expecting him to put in a similar sort of effort to Lord’s.”  Strauss confirmed that Ian Bell will bat at four in a direct replacement for Kevin Pietersen, who is sidelined with his Achilles injury.  “Ian Bell will come in for Pietersen at four. We’re very clear on that,” said Strauss.  “It causes the least possible disruption to other members of the side.  “We’re all very excited for Ian. He was left out of the team and had to work very hard to get his place back.  “He’s done a huge amount of work on and off the field. He’s very hungry.”  The Warwickshire batsman has been targeted by Australia in the past but Strauss is backing him to demonstrate his class on his home county ground.

The Warwickshire batsman has been targeted by Australia in the past but Strauss is backing him to demonstrate his class on his home county ground.  “What a great opportunity for Ian to come back and show what a good player he is, which I’m very confident he will do,” said Strauss.  “He can also clear up any misgivings that people have about his record against Australia. I’m very excited about having him back.  “He’s had to dig to deep to get back into the team, has done everything right and I’m sure he’ll be desperate to take his chance and prove he can become an important member of the team.”  The ECB today announced Brit Insurance will become the principle team sponsor of England cricket in a partnership that begins in January 2010.  The contract will last four years with the insurance group replacing Vodafone, who have been sponsors since 1997.

Marcus North and Brad Haddin upped the ante in the hour and a quarter after lunch before Australia declared 239 runs ahead in the first npower Ashes Test at Cardiff.

Haddin flew to a century, having taken lunch on 50, with some mighty blows as the tourists amassed a mammoth 674 when he was the sixth wicket to fall, prompting Ricky Ponting to call North in.

The pair added an even 200 with North contributing 125 from 242 deliveries and Haddin 121 from 151 balls. It was the first time four Australia batsmen have made centuries in an innings against England and their highest score against England since 1934.

Having consolidated in the 20 minutes after the interval, the pair looked to score quickly and succeeded in battering England into submission.

The bowlers toiled on a surface that offered a modicum of encouragement only to the spinners, who did not feature until the second hour.

Resuming with a 44-run first-innings advantage, the fifth-wicket pair looked in control all morning offering England no real chances.

Play began under cloudy skies with heavy rain forecast this afternoon, making a full day’s play unlikely.

Haddin soon took the attack to England with a pair of fours in the second over, bowled by Stuart Broad, albeit the second a streaky top-edge to the fine leg rope.

An exquisite cover drive in Broad’s next showed greater control before North got in on the act, pulling James Anderson for four through midwicket to bring up Australia’s 500 in the day’s fifth over.

Broad and Anderson combined to send down three consecutive maidens in front of a largely muted crowd, waiting patiently for a wicket to cheer.

They were buoyed by Andrew Flintoff’s introduction in the 10th over but Haddin asserted his authority with a straight-driven boundary.

North again got in the act, bludgeoning Broad through densely-populated cover region and sublimely cutting him through a vacant third man.

Monty Panesar replaced Broad, as the fifty-partnership came from 93 deliveries, and Graeme Swann’s introduction saw England switch to an all-spin attack.

The pair asked more questions of the batsmen although any turn they exacted was slow on a surface not sufficiently sun-baked to fully reward England’s decision to field two specialist slow bowlers.

Haddin once again demonstrated the point with a cheeky cut for four off Swann right where slip would have been.

Captain Andrew Strauss opted to delay taking the second new ball for three overs. He turned to Flintoff who forced North into a miscued inside edge for four before Haddin cut him powerfully to the rope.

North went to his hundred in the next over, bowled by Anderson, with a well-run two before a Haddin quick single took him to 50 off Flintoff.

Flintoff and Anderson continued after lunch, which Australia took with a lead of 142, but to no avail as Haddin climbed into the latter with three fours in the third over after the interval.

Haddin continued his assault with a maximum off Swann over square-leg to herald the 600. Panesar suffered similar punishment from North as he became the fifth England bowler to go for a gallon. There was no let up as Haddin deposited Panesar for a straight six.

North was fortunate to survive on 117 when he edged an off-cutter from Collingwood, experimenting with spin, through a vacant slip region.

Haddin brought up his century with a clip off Collingwood for one before launching the hapless bowler four four and six.

North secured Australia’s second double hundred alliance immediately before Haddin holed out to Bopara, who took a smart catch over his left shoulder at deep midwicket off Collingwood.