Thorpe's class has England on the up

England, having had to do without the left-hander for a year, waited until they were sure he was once more mentally in tune for the challenge of Test cricket.

Since being reinstated, however, Thorpe has scored an important century against South Africa, played his part on the tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, fashioned a fabulous unbeaten hundred almost out of nothing in Barbados and, now, secured England's first Test series whitewash of significance for 26 years.

"His experience of having played 90 Tests is a great thing for the team to have," said captain Michael Vaughan after Thorpe's clinical innings of 104 not out had seen off New Zealand, and a victory target of 284, with four wickets to spare.

Approaching 35 and with Nasser Hussain newly retired, Thorpe now finds himself the senior member of England's team. But he's not too old, surely, to be thinking about one last crack at the Aussies next summer. Vaughan's men were arguably over-confident at times against New Zealand at Trent Bridge and might have paid the penalty for surrendering a first-innings lead of 65 if the Kiwis hadn't lost two more bowlers to injury.

But why shouldn't they ooze a bit of confidence on their way to a sixth Test win in seven attempts so far this year?

"We are in a winning habit and when you get in a winning habit, whatever situation you get into, you still feel you can win," said Vaughan.

It's unfortunate, in some ways, that Test cricket is now put on the back burner for five weeks. Still, England need to make some improvements in their one-day game and a mid-summer triangular tournament involving New Zealand and West Indies should give them every opportunity.

Coach Duncan Fletcher is a firm believer that England's side ought to be similar for both forms of the game. That theory does not embrace Thorpe, though, who will most probably have retired before the 2007 World Cup.