Chester-le-Street (England): Andrew Strauss, the England captain, may be reluctant to talk about the Ashes ahead of the start of the second Test against the West Indies but that has not stopped Paul Collingwood.

The Durham all-rounder, set to play in front of his home crowd when the final Test of this brief series starts at the Riverside here on Thursday, is well aware that a strong showing following England's 10-wicket first Test win at Lord's, will help cement players' places ahead of the Ashes.

This is England's last Test before their series opener with Australia in Cardiff on July 8.

Collingwood, a bit-part player when England won the Ashes on home soil in 2005, was a regular when the Australians got them back in 2006/07 with a 5-0 thrashing of their oldest foes.

England will regain the Wisden Trophy they lost earlier this year in the Caribbean if they avoid defeat at the Riverside.

England have added batsman Ian Bell and left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom to their squad. But they are likely to be unchanged after wrapping up victory inside three days at Lord's against an undercooked West Indies on the back of fine individual displays from some of their least experienced players.

Ravi Bopara, in his first Test at No 3 made 143, off-spinner Graeme Swann won the man-of-the-match award for his maiden Test fifty and six wickets while Durham' seamer Graham Onions took seven wickets on his debut with some well-directed fast bowling.

One reason why England won so quickly at Lord's was that Swann, who turns the ball away from left-handers, removed Shivnarine Chanderpaul for a golden duck and then a second-ball four.

Chanderpaul, who up until that match was ranked as the world's number one batsman, was all but impregnable when West Indies last toured England two years ago, batting for nearly seven hours during the corresponding Riverside Test while making an unbeaten century.

Match facts
Thursday May 14 - Monday May 18
Start time 11.00am (10.00 GMT)

Highlights of the match