England take marginal gains despite Trott failure

Had a man in a bright orange jacket stood outside the Warner Park Stadium and ushered spectators away with a grave "nothing to see here" it might have saved much pain this week.

These four days in St Kitts have, from an entertainment perspective, been quite dire. The St Kitts team offered all the fight of Pitcairn Island 3rd XI in the first match and the second featured a couple of players - Jonathan Trott and Gary Ballance - batting for both sides. The long-suffering spectators - and it remains amazing that they kept coming - soon discovered it wasn't a match at all; just a long training session.

And that is fine. For with England given so little time to find red-ball form in the Caribbean, they had to do all they could to optimise the usefulness of what might, otherwise, have been a useless occasion.

And if Ian Bell and Alastair Cook, to name but two, go into the Test series having benefited from this experience, it will have been time well spent.

Cook and Bell were England's standout performers on the final day. While Bell rarely looks out of form, here he timed the ball beautifully. A late cut was followed by a drive through the covers on the up and a pull before, with confidence boosted, Bell retired to let his colleagues have a go. He looks in fine form.

But it was Cook who should have provided most cheer from an England perspective. Benefitting from an opened stance - and a healthy break from the game - Cook batted with more assurance than has been the case for a long time. It was not just that he left the ball well or defended in a compact manner that has been foreign to him for a while, it was that he displayed a few of those cover drives that he only manages when at his best.

Yes, the pitch was slow. Yes, the occasion offered no pressure. And yes, he scored at a sedate pace.

But there have been times in the last 12 months when Cook has seemed so unsure of the position of his off stump, that he has looked vulnerable against the most modest bowling. Here, against Liam Plunktett and Mark Wood, two quick bowlers pressing for inclusion in the England side by toiling for St Kitts, he impressed in defence and attack. It is a strong claim, but it is hard to think of an occasion when he has looked better since 2012.

Ballance also looked in improved touch, though he faced less demanding bowling, while Stuart Broad got into line far better than has been the case of late and Ben Stokes looked solid until edging an attempted late cut to slip.

But Jonathan Trott failed again. Attempting to pull, he could only edge the ball on to his thigh pad from where it ballooned to Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps. A touch unlucky, perhaps, but a worrying second setback with so little time before his international return.

Adam Lyth was unable to take advantage of Trott's failures, however. Although he caressed his first delivery, a half-volley on off stump from Wood, through the covers for a four - just like David Gower - his fragility outside off stump was soon exploited - just like David Gower. Having survived one chance to the cordon on 6, he wafted in that carefree way that left-handers somehow manage and gifted a catch to slip. Had he made a century, he might have applied pressure on Trott for inclusion in the first Test.

Jos Buttler was not completely impressive, either. Frustrated by the slow nature of the pitch, he survived a relatively straightforward chance to mid-off on 4 and was then punished for a lack of foot movement by edging the left-arm spinner to slip.

Neither Plunkett nor Wood did quite enough to displace the first-choice seamers in the Test side. Plunkett, though admirably accurate, does not do enough with the ball to unlock good line-ups on such sedate wickets while Wood looked the more dangerous and may yet force his way into the side if pitches offer him more pace. With his pace, swing and willingness to use the crease - he has a habit of jumping wide at the last moment - he has a lot going for him.

So the days were not wasted. England will still go into the Test series underprepared but, in these times of constant cricket and travel, there is little new in that. It could have been much worse but for the flexibility of both sides.