Trescothick rues the bad weather

Rained-out matches were ruining England's preparation for the NatWest Series, according to Marcus Trescothick. England's first match, against New Zealand, was washed out without a ball being bowled, and they now match up against West Indies at Trent Bridge on June 26.

Trescothick, who is returning to the England team after an ankle injury, emphasised how difficult it was for the members of the team, especially for the one-day specialists. "This weather is tough, particularly for the guys who are just playing one-day cricket," he told AFP. "We've obviously played a lot of cricket over the last eight months, and it doesn't seem so disjointed for us. But it's difficult for the guys coming into the team just for the one-dayers."

The focus then shifted to Geraint Jones, the latest English sensation. "Geraint has got something about him, and I'm not the first person to say it - he's got an aura about him without a doubt," said Trescothick. "We're not getting to see the guys we want to see in the sort of situations we need to see them in."

Jones, who recently made his maiden Test century against New Zealand, is all set to break into the one-day team. "When he's playing the first one-day international of his career, it's about finding the right position for him; whether it's opening, No. 3 or No. 7 we just don't know at the moment," said Trescothick. "We may have to experiment a little bit and give him a few days at the top and then maybe try him lower down the order. Then we'll know a bit more after that."

Trescothick underscored the value of time in the middle. "They are losing the experience, and we've now lost six games out of 10 - and that leaves a big hole with players not getting the chances they should," he said. "I've only played 80-odd games and I'm meant to be experienced. But you have people in the opposition who have played 250 games, and that to me is experience."