BARMY HARMY; BRING HOME THE ASHES OLD WARRIOR BACK TO PEP UP ATTACK IN SECOND TEST.

Byline: MIKE WALTERS

BARMY ARMY bugler Bill 'The Trumpet' Cooper greeted Ricky Ponting with a few bars from the Great Escape on his arrival in London.

And no sooner had the fanfare drifted into the afternoon sky outside the Aussies' hotel than word reached Ponting that England had sent for the Harmy Army to rough them up at Lord's.

Not before time, Steve Harmison was drafted into a 14-man squad for Thursday's Second npower Ashes Test - ostensibly as cover for his big mate Freddie Flintoff, who is a major injury doubt, although the selectors would be mad not to play them both if His Freddieness is passed fit.

Harmison's exile from England duty ended at Headingley yesterday when national selector Geoff Miller broke the news to him personally at Durham's match with Yorkshire.

With 33 wickets at 12.66 each in his last five first-class matches, Harmison is the most in-form bowler in the country. And England's supine attack at Cardiff left the selectors with little alternative but to recall the tallest lad in the playground.

Harmison, 30, will be a popular choice if he reaches for the heights he touched on the opening day of the 2005 Ashes at Lord's.

Wor Harmy cracked Justin Langer on the elbow second ball, pranged Matthew Hayden on the helmet and sent Ponting to a plastic surgeon for stitches in a cut cheekbone after spearing a bouncer through the grille on the Aussie captain's armour plating.

Langer strolled down the pitch and told his opening partner Hayden: "Jeez, these guys really mean business this time."

Gazumped by Glenn McGrath for star billing at Lord's four years ago, it was Salvation Harmy who bounced out last man Mike Kasprowicz with two runs to spare at Edgbaston to set the Ashes on fire.

And although his first-ball wide in Brisbane in 2006 became a symbolic barometer of England's 5-0 annihilation, too often it has been used as a cheap shot to undermine his confidence.

In county cricket, the best view of Harmison remains the safe haven of the non-striker's end. Just ask Flintoff, Langer, Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell and, especially, Phil Hughes - the Aussie tyro he terrorised at Worcester two weeks ago. They have all been unsettled, or physically bruised, by Harmison's steep bounce.

Michael Vaughan, Harmison and Ian Bell were the major casualties when new coach Andy Flower took office 11 weeks ago and dismantled Club England, the closed shop for centrally-contracted players.

But commendable as Flower's intentions were, England learned little from their early-summer rollover of the West Indies. And in Harmison's case, the clear-out was like throwing a Rembrandt out of the attic.

Disappointingly, England captain Andrew Strauss did not offer Harmison any promises of a Test encore yesterday when he admitted: "Steve is a pretty handy replacement to have at your beck and call.

"He is bang in form, bowled very well against the Aussies at Worcester and he got another five wickets for Durham at the weekend.

"It's fantastic to have such an experienced bowler and Ashes campaigner to call on, and if he comes into the side we have every hope he will do well."

Miller also hit back at Ponting's charges of gamesmanship over England's delaying tactics at Cardiff, insisting: "It wasn't time-wasting at all - we had to keep delivering messages to the batsmen to let them know how long they needed to bat to save the game.

"With the greatest respect to Ricky Ponting, he knows this is a tough Ashes series and, in the heat of battle, we needed to make sure our batsmen knew exactly what their job was.

"Our disciplinary record is very good and time-wasting is not on our agenda."

CAPTION(S):

HE'S BACK In-form Steve Harmison has been recalled to the England squad for Thursday's Second Test, hoping to repeat the sort of grief he caused Aussie Damien Martyn in 2005 (left)