Andrew Flintoff will make his much-awaited Test comeback at Headingley this morning but the England selectors appear to have accepted that his days as a world-class all-rounder are probably a thing of the past. After happily announcing that Flintoff's 18-month injury exile from the side was to end, Michael Vaughan, the England captain, said that the 2005 Ashes hero would now bat at seven in the second Test against South Africa, not six, the position where he built his reputation.

It was mostly a grey July day at Lord's yesterday. Cold too; two of England's fielders called for long-sleeved sweaters in the third over of the morning, only to be thoroughly warmed up two balls later when Graeme Smith, on seven, misjudged a sharplyrising ball from Jimmy Anderson and dollied a catch off the splice to Ian Bell at point.

Saturday's 22-run defeat to New Zealand in the third NatWest Series match highlighted exactly why England continue to be a capable yet modest one-day side. Paul Collingwood's team contains the personnel to challenge and defeat any side in the world but, frustratingly, such performances are all too often followed by unconvincing, lacklustre displays that have a complacent and slightly arrogant air to them.

The England coach, Peter Moores, has defended the go-slow tactics of his side in Wednesday's controversial NatWest Series encounter against New Zealand. Paul Collingwood, the captain, has been criticised for the role he played in ensuring the match ended in a no-result.

It took England's bowlers just 65 minutes yesterday to take five New Zealand wickets, completing a thumping victory in the third Test and a 2-0 series triumph. On a morning made for cricket the 16,000 spectators who flocked to Trent Bridge did not know whether to cheer or complain. Had bad light or rain restricted their viewing to 12 overs and three balls they would have been entitled to a 50 per cent refund.

Ryan Sidebottom was in a frightful lather at Trent Bridge yesterday. When Gareth Hopkins, New Zealand's diminutive wicketkeeper, turned the ball late and neatly off his legs and took a single to fine leg, Sidebottom looked at him as if he had said something unforgivably rude about the England bowler's mother.

Sixteen weeks ago the landscape was somewhat different for Paul Collingwood and England's one-day side. Uplifting series triumphs over India and Sri Lanka, and two comprehensive Twenty20 victories against New Zealand strongly suggested that they were at last going somewhere. It was Michael Vaughan and the Test team, following series defeats against India and Sri Lanka, who were under pressure. Collingwood was being talked about as Vaughan's heir.

If only England's cricket was as bright as their clothing. In the pre-match hype England talked a good fight, promising to play an aggressive, vibrant and adventurous game. Peter Moores, the England coach, even suggested his side had reached the stage in their development when they could play the sort of cricket they wanted, no matter the opposition.

There are occasions when Test cricket appears to do little to promote itself and yesterday was one of them. Hardly a drop of rain fell on the famous old ground but only 55.4 of the scheduled 98.5 overs were completed as bad light ruined the second day of the first Test. Impenetrable cloud cover forced the players from the field on five occasions, much to the frustration of a sizeable and patient crowd.

Having groomed one England fast bowler in Ryan Sidebottom and made something of a strategic error in signing another in Stuart Broad, the last thing Nottinghamshire need is to have England selectors sniffing around to see who else they might part with in the national interest.

Adam and Eve failed to resist temptation but will Geoff Miller and the England selectors tomorrow when they announce their squad for the first Test against New Zealand? Bait does not come in the form of an apple, but it is the apple of English cricket's eye, Andrew Flintoff, who dominated conversation during the selectors' six-hour meeting in Nottingham on Thursday.