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Cricket

Miller expects Harmison to fight for England place

11/05/2008

England national selector Geoff Miller says he expects Steve Harmison to continue to fight for a place in the England Test team.

Harmison was left out of the 12-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on Thursday, with the selectors preferring to keep faith with Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

Matthew Hoggard, who along with Harmison was dropped following a defeat to the Kiwis in the first Test in Hamilton in March, has earned a recall but Miller says the Durham man must continue to work to get his place back.

He said: "The decision to leave the likes of Stephen Harmison out of the squad was a difficult one, but we've no doubt that Stephen, along with several other players, will continue to fight every inch of the way to stake a claim for England selection."

Harmison is still centrally contracted to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) but no longer plays in the one-day format of the game.

The ECB are therefore likely to have Harmison in mind should they need to replace any of the current bowlers in the squad through loss of form or injury.

But with Broad, Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom having guided England to a series win in New Zealand after a poor start it could be hard for Harmison to force his way back in.

Miller said: "We're expecting an equally tough series here at home and believe we have a squad capable of building on the success stemming from last winter."

Harmison recently said he would consider quitting the sport if he no longer had the chance to compete for a starting place in the Test line up.