The secret weapon

England vs Sri Lanka, NatWest Series, match 7, Old Trafford

Maybe it was being back in the city of his birth, but Michael "Shane" Vaughan rose from the ranks of the also-bowleds at Old Trafford to take 4 for 22. He was helped a little by some hot-headed Sri Lankan batting, but his success owed more to good old-fashioned offspin values - bowling straight and turning it in. Of Vaughan’s 36 deliveries, 27 pitched on the stumps or just outside off, while nine balls finished up outside leg stump. And there was method in that apparent madness - Thilan Samaraweera was stumped off a wide. Looking at Vaughan’s length, 26 of his deliveries (72%) were on a good length, six more just short of that, and four over-pitched. It would seem that England have found another arrow for their bowling quiver - the batsman who can bowl some respectable offspin. It all makes Graeme Hick’s chances of recall even more remote.

Steven Lynch is database director of Wisden.com Exclusive from Wisden.com