It has been an interesting start to the one-day series for England and they will be pleased with how they have coped against South Africa considering the injuries they have had. I know there will have been disappointing fans out there after the first match in Johannesburg was washed out, but I think it has helped England because it has given them extra time to clear up their injury list.

Having been to Johannesburg myself, I know what the weather can be like there - it’s the best thunder and lightning you’ve ever seen! When I was last there, you could almost set your watch to the time the clouds would roll in and the storms would start. I always thought the Wanderers was a quick-drying ground, but there was clearly that much rain that it couldn’t dry off. I know it’s frustrating, particularly for the fans who have gone all that way to watch, but it will have been a big boost for England. Had it gone ahead they would have been without Jimmy Anderson, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad but the weather gave Jimmy those extra few days to recover and play at Centurion in the second match. Now we have played the second match, it has given both Broad and Swann a few more days to get over their injuries and when they come back in the team, England will look a very confident unit.

I said before the series started that England looked to have a solid batting line-up and I know we’ve only had one game in the series, but it looks like my early confidence was correct. They batted superbly in the second match and although they were chasing what could have been a testing total, it turned into a comfortable chase for them. I was very impressed with Jonathan Trott at the top of the order and you can see him establishing himself as a one-day opener for England. If that happens, it would certainly solve one of the big problems for the selectors because since Marcus Trescothick stopped playing one-day international cricket, they have been looking for someone solid and dependable at the top of the order.

Trott has played regularly for Warwickshire at No 3 in one-day cricket and there is not much difference between that position and opening and I think that could be the best role for him at international level. He looks really comfortable at that level and the more runs he scores, the more comfortable he’s going to get. He looks like he was born to play international cricket, which is great for England. Paul Collingwood also seems to have re-discovered his zest for cricket again. He has had his struggles in recent times, but his form has returned and his bowling seems to be getting better and better. All England need now is for Kevin Pietersen to start firing again and they will have a really solid and exciting looking batting line-up.

The only worry after their win at Centurion is the form of Adil Rashid. This is his second winter away with England and it is difficult for him because he’s young and he’s also a leg-spinner, which is probably the most difficult cricket art of all to master. Everybody needs to play cricket, but in his position he needs to bowl and bowl and bowl. He will be bowling in the nets, but that’s no substitute for bowling in the middle and unfortunately for him he’s not getting much cricket in, so he’s at a disadvantage when he does come in and play. At the moment he’s got to bowl well in his first over to get another one, the South Africans are obviously looking at him and going after him and unfortunately he’s gone the distance in the two games he’s played. He’s a good prospect and he is a good little batsman and fielder, but if you’re one of the five bowlers then first and foremost he’s got to be able to stand up and deliver his share of the overs.

Away from England, it has been interesting to see the India v Sri Lanka Test series, which looks like a bit of a run-frenzy. The first Test was a high-scoring draw on a very flat wicket and I watched the first day of the second Test in Nagpur and once again the batting was a joy to behold. Virender Sehwag was playing as though it was a one-day international and Gautam Gambhir was not far behind. It is quite clear the influence Twenty20 cricket is having on the India players because when they get in, they are scoring very quickly. It is reminiscent of the way Australia used to play when they were dominant. They set out to score four an over in Test match cricket, which was unheard of at the time, and set the template for modern Test match cricket.