Graveney wants to lift fans

England's chairman of selectors David Graveney © Getty Images

David Graveney has called on England to make the most of the patriotic support they will receive at Edgbaston as they look to level the Ashes Series by winning the second npower Test against Australia.

The Birmingham venue is renowned as one of the grounds where patriotism is at its most feverish for the home side and that will be evident more than ever if England can rediscover their best form.

England suffered a 239-run defeat in the first npower Test at Lord’s and chairman of selectors Graveney hopes for the type of performance which will guarantee the support of the public.

He said: “Edgbaston is a great ground - it is my favourite ground just as a spectator, you feel part of the action because the crowd are close to the pitch.

“I also have very happy memories from there of 1997, when we beat Australia in what was my first ever Test as chairman of selectors.

Graveney expects Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher to get the team mentally prepared © Getty Images

“We will get support at any ground we play at because they will all be full. But you have to earn that support. The supporters will get behind the team, as they did at Lord’s, if we rise to the occasion and that’s what we’ve got to do.

“I’m sure Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher will spend a lot of time talking to the guys about how mentally we should be approaching the game after what happened at Lord’s.”

England have experienced mixed fortunes at Birmingham under Graveney since that initial win over the Aussies eight years ago, when Nasser Hussain scored a double hundred.

After drawing with South Africa in 1998, they defeated New Zealand by seven wickets but then lost in successive years to the West Indies by an innings and 93 runs and Australia by an innings and 118 runs.

England returned to the victory trail in 2002 when they overcame Sri Lanka by an innings and 111 runs and, after a draw with South Africa in 2003, they defeated the Windies by 256 runs 12 months ago.

If they are to extend that unbeaten run, Graveney admits England must cut out the errors which they uncharacteristically produced at Lord’s when several dropped catches proved costly.

Dropped catches at Lord's proved costly for England © Getty Images

Graveney is keen not to overplay this facet of England’s game but is aware they will have to be firing on all cylinders on what is likely to be a slow and low wicket after the recent rain deluges.

He added: “In my playing experience, when you play against really good teams, you feel you cannot afford to let mistakes happen.

“The margin was huge by the end of the first Test but, at various stages, if we hadn't dropped a number of catches - which you cannot do against opposition like this - then the margin might have been different.

“But there is no point making a huge issue of it. Then it will happen again. The one thing that seems to have caused more frustration and anger was our demise in the second innings on the Sunday afternoon - which I can fully agree with.”