Sidebottom and Bell are rewarded for early-season form
England have recalled Ian Bell and Ryan Sidebottom for Thursday's second Test against West Indies at the Riverside.
Bowler Sidebottom is recalled at the expense of spinner Monty Panesar while Bell is also included in a 13-man squad after making two centuries this season.
National selector Geoff Miller said the recalls give England "several options".
Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan, who made their Test debuts in the emphatic 10-wicket win over the tourists at Lord's, retain their places in the squad.
Onions in particular impressed in the first Test, taking seven wickets, including 5-38 in the tourists' first innings, while Bresnan bowled just seven overs.
Bell has not featured for England since he was dropped after England's humiliating innings and 23 runs defeat by the West Indies in Jamaica three months ago.
But the elegant 27-year-old has been rewarded for excellent early season form which has seen him score centuries for the MCC and Warwickshire.
Sidebottom, whose tour of the Caribbean was cut short by a chronic Achilles injury, has made two appearances for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship this season, taking seven wickets.
"Both Bell and Sidebottom have been in form in the early part of the season and have been a part of the England set-up in recent years," said Miller.
"Sidebottom has recovered from surgery after the Caribbean tour and reports that he is now bowling pain-free."
Panesar has lost his place as England's first-choice spinner to his old Northants team-mate Graeme Swann, the leading wicket taker in Test cricket in 2009.
The Nottinghamshire off-spinner took six wickets and chipped in with 63 with the bat at Lord's, his first Test appearance in England.
"Monty Panesar is unlucky but it was always highly unlikely that we would play two spinners at Chester-le-Street," said Miller.
England squad: AJ Strauss (captain), AN Cook, RS Bopara, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, IR Bell, MJ Prior (wicketkeeper), SCJ Broad, TT Bresnan, GP Swann, JM Anderson, G Onions, RJ Sidebottom.
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