High Standards

Although they were a bit below par by their own high standards yesterday, the continuing confidence and competence of New Zealand's displays has cast a penetrating shadow on England's more hesitant efforts. On their current form you'd expect them to push Australia and Sri Lanka all the way and it would be great to see them win it.

Back here in England there's been quite a lot of comment in and around the media about Marcus Trescothick's innings of 256 for Somerset against Devon in a pre-season friendly at Taunton on Sunday.

While it's great to see Marcus back on the field (even if it was one with a very small boundary), it seems to me to be far too early to speculate about what his future may hold. I'd like to think - and I'm sure he would too - that he could have a part to play in the England side at home, but there must be serious doubts over whether he can, will or ought to ever tour again. Meaning, of course, that all will depend on the willingness of Team England to accommodate a 'home only' player, even if they're as good as Marcus. My instinct would be to say that they shouldn't, but that doesn't mean that they won't.

However, even though this would mean that I and my fellow Somerset members would see more of him than we've been able to since the end of the last century, it would be very sad to see such an outstanding player serving out his days in relative obscurity.

Still, much as I admire the Devon bowling attack (see this for example), much sterner tests lie ahead.