England release four players for county duty

England have made four players available for county cricket following the Test series triumph against Bangladesh which was achieved inside three days.

Gareth Batty, Ian Bell, Graham Thorpe and Matthew Hoggard will all be available for their counties ahead of this week's county championship programme which begins on Wednesday, with the exception of Bell's match for Warwickshire which starts on Friday at Gloucestershire.

Hoggard will undergo a late fitness test ahead of Yorkshire's Roses match with Lancashire, while the other seven players who defeated Bangladesh will be rested before England's one-day warm-up match against Hampshire on Saturday. England will then play a Twenty20 match against Australia at The Rose Bowl on Monday, June 13.