FOUR months into his Test cricket career, and the background noise of knives being sharpened has become an unwanted distraction for former Novocastrian Tim Ambrose.
The diminutive wicketkeeper, who was born in Newcastle and raised at Bob's Farm, faces a nervous wait for England's selectors to name their team tonight for the third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston.
With their team one down in the four-Test series, English media and fans are engrossed in the traditional national sport of searching for scapegoats.
At the top of their hit list is Darren Pattinson, the unheralded Victorian seamer who, on the strength of an English passport and a couple of county games, made a surprise Test debut at Headingley last week.
That Pattinson bowled reasonably (2-95 from 30 overs) is unlikely to silence critics, who remain astounded that a 29-year-old Dandenong roof tiler gained an England cap after only 11 first-class games.
Pattinson's left-field selection has been the major talking point since South Africa's 10-wicket win in the second Test, but the all-round composition of England's line-up has also come under scrutiny.
The return of Andrew Flintoff, batting at No.7, left some commentators asking whether Ambrose is capable of batting one spot ahead of him.
As England legend Geoff Boycott wrote in The Telegraph: "The balance of the side will be one of the big issues for Edgbaston.
"Ambrose kept wicket very well at Headingley, but I don't think he's convinced anybody yet that he can get precious runs when England are under pressure. He simply isn't a Test No.6.
"In fact, there isn't a Test No.6 in this team. Ambrose will probably survive for another match or two, but not for much longer unless his batting bucks up."
Ambrose scored 12 and a gritty 36 at Headingley, to leave him with 327 runs at an average of 27.16 from his eight Tests. The 25-year-old has scored a century and two half-centuries in his 12 Test innings, but the campaign to reinstate Matt Prior (562 at 40.14) is gathering momentum.
Former England manager Micky Stewart and ex-England keeper Richard Blakey debated the issue in The Guardian this week.
"Tim Ambrose has done OK with the bat since he was first selected for the series against New Zealand earlier this year, but OK is, unfortunately, not good enough right now," Stewart said.
"With that in mind, serious consideration has to be given to bringing Matt Prior back into the side.
"At Test level, he is the better batsman . . . it would be harsh to get rid of Ambrose but it is not his keeping that is the issue at the moment.
"England need real strength with the bat at No.6 and it is debatable whether or not he gives them that.
"Ambrose will feel hard done by if he is left out, and quite rightly to some extent, but it could be for the best."
Blakey argued that Ambrose deserved to retain his spot because "none of the other wicketkeepers in the frame can be guaranteed to improve England's ability to post a big score".
"When the top five fail it is too easy to criticise the keeper and call for him to be dropped," Blakey said.
"What England should be looking for is someone who won't let them down with the gloves and will score a reasonable amount of runs . . . the reason why I would stick with Ambrose is that someone has to be given a bit of a run in the side."
Since the retirement of Alec Stewart four years ago, Geraint Jones, Chris Read, Paul Nixon, Prior, Ambrose and Phil Mustard have worn the gloves for England, in Tests and one-dayers.
Ambrose is no Adam Gilchrist with the bat, but his 27.16 Test average compares favourably to the likes of Ian Healy (27.39), Rod Marsh (26.51) and Brad Haddin (30.20).
And his keeping is far tidier than that of Prior, who last year conceded 33 byes and dropped two catches in an innings against India.
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