England contracted players - availability for County Cricket

The England Coach Duncan Fletcher has made the following decision regarding the availability of England's contracted players to their Counties ahead of the 1st npower Test Match at Edgbaston on July 24th.

Ashley Giles will be able to play for Warwickshire against Middlesex in a four-day game starting on Tuesday and Stephen Harmison will be available to Durham for their four-day game against Yorkshire, also starting on Tuesday.

But England have asked Warwickshire to rest Giles from tomorrow's NCL match against Surrey and next Saturday's Twenty/20 Cup Final at Trent Bridge. Harmison will also be rested from Durham's NCL match against Northamptonshire tomorrow.

Four other members of England's NatWest Series squad, James Anderson, Andrew Flintoff, Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan will be rested from all County fixtures ahead of the 1st npower Test.

Nasser Hussain will be available to Essex for their NCL fixtures this week against Glamorgan tomorrow and Gloucestershire on Thursday. Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart will be rested from Saturday's Twenty/20 Cup Final at Trent Bridge but available to Surrey for their NCL match against Warwickshire tomorrow and three-day game against India 'A' starting on Tuesday.

All of England's non-contracted players who featured in the NatWest Series will be available to their Counties for tomorrow's NCL matches - subject to fitness.