Nick Knight's 50 was his first half-century in 11 one-day internationals, and continued a striking pattern: he and Marcus Trescothick hardly ever make runs at the same time. Since they first played together, in the final one-dayer in Sri Lanka in 2000-01, Knight and Trescothick have played all of England's 32 ODIs - but only once have they both passed 50 in the same match. Ironically, that was in the last match before they became England's established opening partnership - this match is their 29th in a row at the top of the order - when Knight batted at No. 3 and made 84, to go with Trescothick's 69, against Australia at Bristol in 2001.

Two days after that, their first opening partnership set the tone. Against Pakistan at Lord's in 2001, Knight was run out for 1 after a mix-up - and then Trescothick went on to plunder 137. It's been the same story ever since, and the stats reveal an odd couple: when Knight doesn't make 50, Trescothick averages 44.77. When Knight does make 50, Trescothick's average is only 27.10 - and when they both open together, and Knight makes 50, that average drops to 21.75.

It's the same for Knight. He averages 45.81 when Trescothick fails to reach 50, as against 20.77 when he does make 50 or more. Even more strikingly, when Trescothick reaches 50 or more and they open together, Knight's average is a mere 12.88 - including three ducks in eight innings. Even in their last Test innings in the same side, against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2001, Trescothick belted 117 while Knight grabbed a first-baller.

Their average opening partnership is 29.76 - but as the Wisden Wizard shows, that puts them a modest seventh when compared to other countries over the same period of time. Astonishingly, they are even below Bangladesh. England's pair have had just the one century partnership, and four half-century stands. On the flip side, there have been false starts aplenty: four 0s, three 1s and two 2s.

There are similarities between the two - left-handedness, a willingness to take the game by the scruff of the neck from the first ball - but contrasts too. Trescothick stands and delivers, but when Knight is at his best his feet dance around like a flyweight's.

If anything, Trescothick's emergence has compromised Knight's position. He seems caught between two stools; his heart telling him to dash, his head telling him to drop anchor. Perhaps it's that indecision which has caused his indeterminate form of late. The pair are like the couple in the old Gershwin song - one liking tomato, the other tomay-to. Either way, with Michael Vaughan waiting in the wings, England might be tempted to call the whole thing off.
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