Not content with laying into England bowlers on the field, the Northern Districts' pinch-slogger, Simon Doull got stuck into them off it as well. "They were far too short," said Doull after his career one-day best 80 from just 47 balls. "And I was surprised by the lack of pace. They were a yard short of what they should have been".

Asked whether he had a particular bowler in mind, Doull was quick to respond. "I'd like to think that Andy Caddick has another yard of pace on him," he said. "He was just medium tonight." Doull had savaged Caddick for 16 in three balls during the third over of the innings - and England never really recovered.

But there were kinder words for Matthew Hoggard. "He swung it early," said Doull. "I was impressed with him."

Hoggard, though, was the exception, and Marcus Trescothick, standing in as wicketkeeper and captain, admitted that the bowlers had dropped too short, possibly because they fancied their chances on a lively wicket after spending two months in India. "But it wasn't dreadful," he added hastily.

In fact Trescothick was more critical of his own captaincy. "I messed up a little bit with the overs there towards the end, " he said, alluding to the fact that Jeremy Snape was left to bowl the final over; his first ball was carted over extra cover for six.

Trescothick also conceded that juggling the jobs of keeper and captain had been tricky. He might have added that he had opened the batting as well – a triple-whammy that Alec Stewart has struggled with in the past.

But he was keen to stress the positives too. "I'd have said that 260 was about par. To get 288, we were very pleased, " he claimed. "And it's nice to play against a team who are genuinely going to challenge you. We look at other practice games we've played in other countries and they've been poor opposition."

Sunday's game now takes on greater importance than it was supposed to. A 2-0 defeat to a province side just before a five-game series against the most improved side in world cricket was not what Nasser Hussain had in mind. He must now return to lead the team – and allow Trescothick to do what he does best.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com. His reports will appear here throughout England's tour of New Zealand.

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