If this is not the biggest Test match ever played in this country it is close to it. Perhaps only the 5th Test of 1953 against Australia, and the 3rd and 4th Tests of the 1981 Ashes series come close.

That is confirmation of how far this England team has come under Michael Vaughan, who cannot be praised highly enough for his captaincy. It includes a quirkiness that confuses us at times and inspires us at others.

Essentially his strengths are that he gets the best from all his players rather than a specific group, that they have found a way to play international cricket that is as enjoyable for them as it is for us, and that he is able to apply his cleverly thought-out tactics with the quality of cricket needed to execute them. Add that to his calm exterior and cool approach under pressure, and his increasingly good form with the bat, and you begin to see why England are playing such sparkling cricket.

This takes them to Trent Bridge with momentum and confidence. They have more of this than Australia because the visitors are yet to find themselves, yet to play from the firm base of performance and self-belief that has been their hallmark over a decade. Suddenly they are dependent on an individual to turn things round, while England are relying on the team as a whole. Without Shane Warne and, latterly, Ricky Ponting at Old Trafford, Australia would be 2-1 down and wondering how the Ashes could still be won.

Now it is realistic for them to draw the series and retain the Ashes, but winning the last two Test matches must seem a long way off. The big chance for Australia at Trent Bridge is to win the toss on a good, dry pitch and bat first, letting Warne get to work in the fourth innings. Even though England's batsmen have gone a long way to working out his magic they have yet to prove they can deal with him when conditions are wholly in his favour.

Were it a really dry pitch Australia might do as well to include Stuart MacGill rather than turn to seamers who are not in form. This is where they clearly lack an allrounder because it must be a concern to go into a match with only Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee to bowl seam up if they were encouraged to turn to MacGill.

It is difficult to see things being very different at Trent Bridge now that the pattern of the series has been set. The teams are very even and it's just a question of will power, desire and discipline at key times that will see one side emerge past the other. It is possible, though hard to be sure, that England have a little bit more of that desire for they are a relatively young side and carry all before them. Australia have achieved so much that it's harder for them to reach for the skies.

24 Aug, 2005