ONE OF Graham Onions’ first instincts on hearing of his selection in the England Test squad yesterday was to speak up for his Durham colleague Steve Harmison, who was overlooked.

After regaining his England place at the end of last summer following an excellent season for Durham, Harmison again fell out of favour in the West Indies.

With Andrew Flintoff, Ryan Sidebottom and Amjad Khan injured, the door was open for him to return. But when England selector James Whitaker visited Riverside for the Yorkshire match last week it was clear he was unconvinced by Harmison’s efforts.

Onions said: “I thought we bowled well as a partnership against Yorkshire, with Steve’s steepling bounce and my skiddy pace. In my mind he’s still one of the best bowlers in England and I’m sure he’ll be back.”

The 26-year-old former junior international basketball player was woken at 7.30 by a phone call in his Taunton hotel from the chairman of selectors.

“I was still a bit sleepy, but I snapped to attention when I realised it was Geoff Miller,” he said, also revealing that the famous Mustard and Onions partnership extends to sharing a room.

“Phil was still snoring in the other bed, so I had to speak quietly so as not to wake him. Then the first people I rang were my mum and dad, Maureen and Richard, in Gateshead, and my girlfriend, Emma.

“Dad was still asleep because he’d been on night shift, but mum was over the moon. She absolutely loves the cricket and wants all the Durham players to do well. It would be great for my family if I played in the second Test at Riverside.”

After featuring in the England one-day squad without getting a game last summer, Onions has every chance of playing in the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s next week.

“To play in a Test a Lord’s is the pinnacle,” he said. “Over the last 18 months I have come to believe that I can step up to the higher level. It was very special to be involved in the one-day squad, but this means a little bit more.

“I read in the papers I was in contention after the Yorkshire game, but I didn’t really want to believe it because I wanted to keep my feet on the ground.

“Every time I go on the field I learn, and I’ve been on three or four tours and picked people’s brains. Now the hard work really starts and it’s very exciting. I can’t wait to get on with it.”

After his heel injury last season Onions failed to recover his form and couldn’t get into the Durham team which clinched the championship.

He was then overlooked by the England selectors, with clubmates Liam Plunkett and Mark Davies being preferred for the England Lions tours.

Davies did well and he might have been the one knocking on the door for Test selection had he not suffered an ankle injury, which requires surgery and could keep him out for two months.

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