If there were any doubts going into the game against Canterbury that Michael Vaughan would be left out of the side for the first Test starting at Christchurch on Wednesday, there are none now. After making 156 today, his highest score for England, Vaughan is now a certainty for the No. 5 slot and he was glowing with the pleasure of it all. "I couldn't have asked for a better day today. All I've concentrated on in this game is putting pressure on the selectors by scoring a big hundred. Hopefully come Wednesday morning I'll be in the final XI." Even more encouragingly for England, Vaughan didn't aggravate the shoulder he dislocated briefly while fielding during the fourth one-dayer at Auckland two weeks ago. "It was fine," he said. "I felt no reaction and I felt free to play every shot that was required. I felt in good touch. My balance was good and my feet were moving reasonably well.

"Batting isn't a problem. But in the field I was under-arming it in like Courtney Walsh. I've done a bit more work with Dean [Conway, the physio] today, and it's getting better by the day, but there's still a fair way to go before I can start throwing the ball hard." Vaughan said he hoped to be able to have a bowl by Monday or Tuesday.

Vaughan has a rotten run of luck with injuries, but he has never felt his form deserting him. "All winter I've felt in good touch. Missing weeks and having to do a bit of work in the nets is never helpful, but my form and my balance have stayed the same."

He was helped by a pitch that had flattened out and some bowling that was a little wayward at times. "The new ball did do a little bit," he said. "But me and Butch and then Nas all cashed in on some balls that were there to hit. That's the art of batting."

Vaughan has never made that art look easier than he did today.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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