Vaughan cool on Ashes talk

They have beaten the West Indies three times and New Zealand twice and come through difficult situations in all those games. Situations that once might have proved too hard to handle.

"So far, everything the opposition have thrown at us we've been able to take and then go ahead," says coach Duncan Fletcher.

"You need strong character and strong self-belief to do that and hopefully it will continue."

The rise and rise of Steve Harmison, right up to No2 in the world Test rankings, has filled England with confidence.

Andrew Flintoff is fast becoming the all-rounder everyone had in mind when they first saw this big, naturally talented batsmanbowlerfielder a few years ago.

And the emergence of opener Andrew Strauss and keeper Geraint Jones has given more depth to England's well of talent.

But Vaughan is right to point out that his team are not the finished article.

For a start, they still drop too many catches from keeper round to backward point - catches that haven't mattered too much this summer but, if repeated, almost certainly will a year from now.

Three went down during the Kiwis' first innings at Headingley and another in the second.

Then there is the question of spin - or rather its absence.

In his five Tests this year, Ashley Giles has combined figures of 94-11-323-5. Five wickets in five matches tell their own story, but just 11 maidens in 94 overs underlines that batsmen are getting after England's left-armer from the start.

If New Zealand had won at Leeds, as they were favourites to do after making 409, Giles might easily have been dropped.

Instead, he retains his place and really needs a confidenceboosting performance this week.

But England would love to unearth a leg-spinner, or an 'offy' in the mould of Saqlain Mushtaq.

Mark Butcher, too, could do with an eye-catching display, mainly because he starts to fret when he believes people may be whispering about his place.

Only three Tests ago Butcher made two fifties and his contribution in the Caribbean was outstanding. No one should start casting around for another new recruit to replace Butcher - not this side of the Ashes, anyway.

If England do make a change at Trent Bridge, then at least Jimmy Anderson appears to be fully fit again following his heel injury.

Anderson for Martin Saggers is a possibility - and an encouraging one for the Lancashire man, who took five South Africa wickets at Nottingham last year and is a gem well worth polishing.

As for New Zealand, finding 11 fit players would be a triumph. But with Chris Cairns playing his last match before retiring from Tests - at his county home - the Kiwis can be expected to scrap to the end.