Time for England to find some order

Michael Vaughan's England have been at least one step ahead of South Africa for most of this winter, picking better teams and playing superior Test cricket.

But now, as the one-day series reaches the crunch, it is Vaughan and Co who need to be looking and learning from their opponents.

England, 2-1 down with three games to play, can always fall back on the thought that Andrew Flintoff 's absence following ankle surgery has robbed them of a match-winner with bat and ball.

What's more, the prospect of Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen sharing boundary- laden stands this summer - preferably against Australia - is mouth-watering.

But to have a hope of winning this series, Vaughan's team must triumph in East London tomorrow.

Whether they do or not, though, the idea of using Geraint Jones as an opener and employing Andrew Strauss at No4 is one that needs reviewing on a regular basis. Strauss has made a sensational start to his Test career, scoring five centuries and making several more important contributions since bursting into the team nine months ago.

But instead of opening with him in one-day cricket as well, England have given the Middlesex left-hander a vital middle-order role - and the results, so far, have been mixed.

"It's a learning curve for me," admitted Strauss. "But I think it's a role I can play and I enjoy playing it.