Slow start suits England

Marcus Trescothick's clumping strokeplay was one of the delights of the NatWest series and convinced England's inner sanctum that he was blessed with an ideal international temperament. But as England's selectors announce the squad today for Thursday week's third Test with West Indies, the time has come for more sober reflection.

Trescothick's unworried approach is welcome, especially when compared to the mental turmoil of Mark Ramprakash, whose experimental role as an opening batsman has brought only 95 runs in seven innings and further bouts of soul-searching on dressing-room balconies.

After 74 Test innings, and an average of 26, even Ramprakash's most adamant admirers must reluctantly conclude that, if the shots have not flowed by now, they probably never will.

That Trescothick will play in Manchester is inevitable. England's lack of runs in the first two Tests has been so stark - they are still awaiting their first half-century of the series - that to overlook his claims would be madness. But there is a powerful case for Michael Vaughan to open with Michael Atherton, with Trescothick further down the order.

Vaughan's gutsy partnership with Atherton in the second Test victory at Lord's had the air of master and pupil; here at last was Atherton's successor. Their similarity makes them an imperfect opening partnership, but when did England last enjoy the luxury of rejecting a composed start on the grounds that it came too slowly?

Vaughan's number four position is vulnerable anyway because of the return from injury of Nasser Hussain, presumably at number three, with Graeme Hick the likeliest man to follow. That would leave Alec Stewart at number five, with Trescothick displacing Nick Knight at six. Graham Thorpe will also have his advocates.

Craig White's ability to reverse-swing the ball away from the succession of West Indies left-handers should guarantee his return. The obvious route would be to include him ahead of Andrew Flintoff, but England will also be tempted to omit a specialist spinner and bat White as low as number eight.

The West Indies' left-handed bias makes it likely that Glamorgan off-spinner Robert Croft will make the squad ahead of Warwickshire's left-arm spinner Ashley Giles.

England (possible squad): Hussain (capt), Atherton, Trescothick, Vaughan, Hick, Thorpe, Stewart (wkt), Flintoff, White, Croft, Cork, Caddick, Gough, Hoggard.