Openers have pace to trouble Aussies

But it is Trescothick's opening partnership with Vaughan - the sum of the two parts - that cannot have failed to impress Waugh if he watched the start of either England innings during the final npower Test against India at The Oval.

Vaughan is yet to confront Waugh's Australia, having missed the series of a year ago because of injury.

But he has been magnificent throughout this summer, scoring one century when Sri Lanka were here, three more once India took over as the opposition, and setting out in search of another significant score last night.

It is the way, though, the pair bat together that will worry even Australia, who are used to seeing their own openers - men like Mark Taylor, Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer - dominating Ashes series. Trescothick is lefthanded and powerfully built; Vaughan bats the 'right way round' and sometimes looks in need of a decent meal.

On their own they are excellent for England. But put them in harness and you have a firstwicket partnership that could become the best, and most exciting, in the Test arena.

They want to score big and they want to score quickly - and that makes them doubly dangerous.

Batting under pressure at Lord's in May, when Sri Lanka were pressing for victory, Trescothick and Vaughan shared a stand of 168 in 48 overs. At Edgbaston, it was 92 in 21 and Old Trafford, 66 in 15 followed by that amazing dash to glory when 50 runs were hammered in five overs.

A broken thumb forced Trescothick to miss the first three Tests against India.

Returning at The Oval, though, the pair were instantly back on the same wavelength: running aggressively, rotating the strike and encouraging each other to be positive.

After a stand of 98 in the first innings on Thursday, they put together an unbroken partnership of 114 last night at better than a run a minute. It will be fascinating to see whether Trescothick and Vaughan can continue in the same vein when England reach Australia next month.

Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne will reckon on reining them in. But, whatever the outcome of the Ashes series, the contest between the visiting openers and the Aussie bowling attack ought to be well worth watching.

The same could not be said for all the cricket at The Oval over the weekend, especially when England gave up trying to take wickets on Saturday evening and simply hoped India would give them a couple through losing patience.

It didn't happen, though, and the weather had the final say with the match abandoned before 1pm today. Indian batsman Rahul Dravid, who made a double century in the first innings, was named man of the match and man of the series.

Overnight: England 515 (Vaughan 195, Singh 5-115) and 114-0, India 508 (Dravid 217). Match drawn (rain stopped play). Series drawn 1-1.