Ashley Giles bowled outstandingly in Pakistan. Marcus Trescothick bridged the gap between county and Test cricket with the minimum of fuss though he looked more vulnerable in Pakistan where he clearly had problems in copying with the short-pitched delivery. He will need to sort out the problem before Glenn McGrath and his mates arrive this summer. Trescothick was, of course, a prolific scorer at England Under-19 level but languished for some years thereafter. There is still something not quite right in enabling the most gifted players to enjoy a smoother transitional path between Under-19 cricket and Test Matches.
County cricket needs to be more ruthless in discarding time servers.
The jury must still be out on the new structure of county cricket. Many will point to the closeness of the Second Division in the final weeks of the season. The summer proved that Surrey, Yorkshire and Lancashire are immeasurably stronger than the rest in the first-class game. However, much of the cricket was tedious. Cricketers have an unenviable task in balancing the need to become harder on the field and to keep spectators interested.