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James Mossop compares the present XI with the players who found success in the post-war game

Complete silence enveloped Old Trafford. England's players stood motionless, heads bowed beneath a sullen sky. They looked like mourners at their own funeral, pall-bearers at the death of the spirit of English Test cricket.

Instead, they were remembering Cyril Washbrook, of England and Lancashire, who died recently at the age of 84. Among the acres of empty seats, there were knots of cheerless spectators perhaps reflecting that his ghost could have walked to and from the middle with more sense of purpose than the current XI.

Washbrook was of an era that knew only excellence. The batting order in those halcyon post-war days began Hutton, Washbrook, Edrich and Compton.

'Washy' was even recalled in 1956 at the age of 41. He had not played in a Test match for six years and immediately hit the Australian attack to all corners of Headingley for 98.

It was impossible to erase such memories as England scratched around at Old Trafford yesterday. There is revolution in the counties, promotion and relegation imminent and a force-fed diet of one-day cricket. Yet the most enjoyable aspect of yesterday's gloomy events involved the kids' Kwik Kricket during the lunchtime interval. Plus New Zealand's diligence, of course.

Where is the leadership, the inspiration for modern England? And this is not a dig at stand-in skipper Mark Butcher, who has batsmen lost in their own world and bowlers who could not take a wicket on a pitch that has gone from bad to benign.

The urge to consort with the spirit of Cyril Washbrook produced memories of him as a brilliant cover-point fielder and a strong, aggressive leader of Lancashire.

This was rammed home to the last man to play football for Manchester United and cricket for Lancashire, medium-pacer Freddie Goodwin, who made the short journey from one Stretford End to another at the close of the 1957-58 football season.

Washbrook, sensing a rare athlete fresh from football training, put Goodwin in the cover-point position as Brian Statham opened the bowling to Surrey's Tom Clarke. An off-drive whizzed past Goodwin's groping right hand on its way to the ropes.

Goodwin loped after it, languidly tossed the ball back towards the middle and looked up to see Washbrook marching towards him, his face advertising fury. ``Listen son,'' urged the captain, prodding the young man's chest, ``in this game, that's four runs not a bloody throw-in.''

What he would have thought of this England would be interesting, though probably unprintable.

In batting and bowling, they were without confidence. Mark Ramprakash apart, there was not a batsman prepared to play his shots in that 199 that ended on Friday, the day Peter Such received a standing ovation for a marathon duck.

The spectators were disenchanted from the start of yesterday's dreary play. The bowlers gave them no cheer either as Matthew Bell and Nathan Astle dealt with everything the six bowlers tried.

Before play started yesterday, Butcher had talked up what sounded like a carefully modulated plan to have the Kiwis back in the pavilion for a figure around the 260 mark.

It was soon clear that there would be no co-operation from the New Zealanders. Bell, a 22-year-old from Wellington, stroked his way beyond his previous career best of 26 not out.

He was out trying an audacious pull shortly after the new ball had been taken but mistimed his shot and Mike Atherton, running back from mid-on, held the catch.

Astle, who has been around longer, demonstrated that he is more than a one-day expert, though the two sixes he struck off Peter Such were perfect reminders of his 101 from 132 balls when New Zealand beat England in the 1996 World Cup.

His hundred was an essay in concentration, patience and mastery over Caddick, Headley, Tufnell, Such, Hick and Butcher, making England look very, very ordinary. He seemed intent on celebrating his century when he was out hooking Andrew Caddick.