I've been in South Africa for a few days now and am getting into the swing of the England tour. One warm-up match has already been won convincingly and the second is taking place in Kimberley, a former mining town with an intriguing history, as it was central to the country's diamond rush in the late 19th century.

Having driven the two hours west from Bloemfontein, across wide red-earthed plains, and past a myriad of termite mounds as well as the odd ostrich, the attention of producer Louise Sutton and I was soon focused on Stuart Broad, after he got off the team bus with his right arm in a sling.

It transpired that he'd injured his bowling shoulder diving in the field during the warm up game against the Eagles, but fortunately, the results of scans have shown there is no major damage.

England will be hoping his shoulder responds to treatment by the end of the week, so he can play in the Twenty20 international on Friday. However, the fact that the ECB have said he'll miss the next two matches "at least" suggests they will err on the side of caution, with the one-day series taking priority over T20s.

The bowing department is certainly a lot lighter without Broad, who has genuine wicket-taking ability with the new ball, together in partnership with James Anderson.

Broad took a wicket in each of his first two overs against the Eagles in his first competitive bowl on this tour and Tim Bresnan, the natural replacement, doesn't possess quite the same qualities in terms of wicket-taking - and Broad offers that extra height and bounce as well.

Another concern for England at the moment is Graham Onions, who is still struggling with a stiff back and only bowled off a few paces in training on Saturday. He continued to do stretches on his own instead of training fully with the rest of the squad, but the coaching staff say he's improving and they're encouraged by what they've seen.

On the batting front, Jonathan Trott followed his century in the deciding Ashes Test by making an immediate impact in Bloemfontein. Once Kevin Pietersen returns, one batsman has to make way and Trott has made it very difficult for that man to be him. Joe Denly needs a big innings to apply some pressure.

Another encouraging sign from the first warm-up game was England's productive use of the powerplay - 57-1 in the 5 overs - with Eoin Morgan producing some clean hitting.

The squad haven't had long in Kimberley but after training on Saturday, a number of players took the opportunity to visit the town's premier attraction, the Big Hole. The huge, water-filled crater is the largest hand dug excavation in the world, created over a period of 43 years when prospectors seeking their fortune flooded to the town to dig for diamonds armed with nothing but picks and shovels.

They started coming in 1871. Some made their fortune, others died trying to. In all, some 2,722 kgs of diamonds were extracted up to point when mining ended in 1914. You can view the crater and then explore the reconstructed mining town adjacent to the site, complete with verandas and swinging saloon doors.

It felt like an eerie ghost town. There wasn't a soul in sight, but it was the cause of great excitement to discover that a colonial style pub called the Australian Arms was not only real, but also open, and serving exquisite evening meals!

The pub housed three aged pianos, all of which were dreadfully out of tune (either that, or it was just my awful attempt at bashing out Waltzing Matilda) but it all added to the authenticity of the experience.

You can see more photos from Kimberley on the TMS Flickr and via Ali's Twitter @AlisonMitchell

BBC Radio 5 live will have regular updates from England's warm-up games, starting with the match against Diamond Eagles in Bloemfontein on Friday. Then the Test Match Special team will be in action from 13 November with ball-by-ball commentary on the two Twenty20 Internationals, the five match ODI series and the four Test matches, which get underway at Centurion Park on 16 December.

As you will have probably heard new TMS signing Michael Vaughan will be with us in South Africa for the Test series. Vaughan made his Test debut in Johannesburg in 1999 and led England to a 2-1 series victory on England's last tour of South Africa five years ago. He will be joining our correspondent Jonathan Agnew plus other TMS favourites including Christopher Martin Jenkins, Simon Mann, Geoff Boycott and Vic Marks. But Vaughan will not be the only TMS new boy joining us on this tour.

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher joins us for the Cape Town Test and the corresponding one-day international in his home town. Like Vaughan, Fletcher's involvement with England began with a series in South Africa 10 years ago and he guided the team to some great successes including that 2005 Ashes victory. But Fletcher will not only bring his experiences as England coach to our coverage. He is currently working for the South Africa national side in a consultancy role. Fletcher is also a former coach of Western Province where he helped to nurture such South African talents as Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs.

Popular South African commentator Gerald de Kock returns to the TMS box and he will be part of the ball-by-ball team throughout the tour to help bring some local perspective. We have two former South African stars with us as well. Daryll Cullinan, who played over 200 times for South Africa in Tests and limited-overs games, will be with us for the one day internationals and ex South Africa captain Shaun Pollock will join us from time to time during the Test Series.

Also during the one-day-internationals Matthew Hoggard will be popping in to the TMS box to join Aggers and co. Hoggard provided a match-winning 12-wicket haul at the Wanderers on England's last tour and he also enjoyed a very successful spell playing domestic cricket in South Africa for Free State.

BBC Radio 5 Live will have its usual updates every 15 minutes on all international games with Alison Mitchell and Kevin Howells. Jonathan Agnew and Geoff Boycott will present their legendary TMS podcast following each day of international cricket and there will of course be extensive coverage at bbc.co.uk/cricket including text commentary, features and blogs.

We'll try and make sure there are plenty of behind the scenes photographs available on our TMS Flickr site, plus check out Jonathan Agnew and Alison Mitchell's twitter updates throughout the tour. And as always we want to hear from you via e-mail, text and with your posts here.

"I was about to do my own XI but when I checked Stephen Moore for Strauss's spot I found out he's from Jo'burg. So I thought about Ed Joyce, and he's born in Dublin! Can't find an opener."

Of course this might simply be light-hearted banter, but there remains an undercurrent of xenophobia from some England fans directed at certain England players, and in my view it is very much misplaced.

Surely, the rich history of English cricket has been enriched by the foreign imports. And in the case of South Africans, the trickle began a long time ago, with Basil D'Oliveira in 1966, continued with Tony Greig six years later, moved through the aggressive middle-order pairing of Allan Lamb and Robin Smith, and finally arrived at Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott.

And it's not just been South Africans. Andy Caddick, whose New Zealand twang is still just about detectable, was the hero last time England won a Test in Australia, Graeme Hick was a Zimbabwean, the Hollioake brothers Australian, while Gladstone Small, Phil DeFreitas and Devon Malcolm all came from the Caribbean. England's captain at the start of this decade, Nasser Hussain, was born in Chennai, India.

Go back further in time, and there are many other instances. Surely, to attach too much significance to any perceived recent trend, to get too worked up about the dwindling numbers of English-born players in the England dressing-room, is to attach too much nationalism to the simple pleasure of supporting the English team.

It is, in any case, an exaggeration to say England's probable starting XI for the first Test in Port Elizabeth is "half full of South Africans". The focus is on four players - in other words barely a third - and two of them can be swiftly exonerated.

Skipper Andrew Strauss was born in Johannesburg, but left South Africa at the age of six. He first learnt the game in Australia, as it happens. Matt Prior was 11 when he left South Africa, and proudly claims to have lost his accent "within a week".

Pietersen and the new man in the squad, Trott, clearly have stronger links with proteas, braais and springboks. So let's home in on them.

Pietersen made a brave decision as a young man to emigrate after KwaZulu-Natal had told him they could not guarantee him a place in their side. Trott was born in Cape Town and played for South Africa at both under-15 and under-19 level before using his British ancestry to gain a place in Warwickshire squad.

This graph shows the rising value of the runs provided by South African-born players

Respected cricket writer Neil Manthorp - who has emigrated the opposite way, from England to South Africa - says there will inevitably be plenty of mention of certain players' roots in the coming weeks.

"There will be jokes about how Trott and Pietersen won't need to be in their hotels, that they can stay with their parents. We might get a bit bored of the jokes but it will be a lot more humorous than four years ago. There was genuine anger then."

Indeed. Pietersen, the 2005 model, with upturned skunk hairdo and comments freely distributed about the perceived iniquities of racial quotas, was easy prey for some rough barracking on his first tour four and a half years ago.

But he has matured since then, and Manthorp confirms Pietersen's own suspicions, that South Africans are ready to shed much of their animosity towards him. Besides, the jeering did not work - the boy from Pietermaritzburg took three one-day centuries off the Proteas on his first tour.

When he left Cape Town, Trott was "not the most popular sort of guy, difficult to get on with," says Manthorp - and feels the 28-year-old may be something of a target from the crowd at the third Test, if not in the way the more vocal Pietersen was in 2005.

It is already becoming hard to work out just who Trott's friends are. He was targeted for criticism from Michael Vaughan in the ex-England skipper's new book. Why? Trott was spotted by Vaughan celebrating with the South Africans who had beaten England in the 2008 series. Inevitably, Strauss has already been forced to defend Trott's corner.

But if there is a certain type of English fan who bridles at the presence of Trott and Pietersen in the side, then is there a certain type of South African worried about the talent drain towards the English shires?

It's doubtful. Pietersen, who famously struggled to get into his school's first XI, is regarded as something of a freak, a player whose talent did not blossom until he had abandoned KwaZulu-Natal for Nottinghamshire.

And of the current crop of South African youngsters who have done the maths and realised how much easier it is to break into one of 18 county sides as opposed to the six franchise teams in their own country, only one - the Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter - looks like a probable international prospect. The 21-year-old was recently parachuted into England's winter performance programme, and qualifies to play for the national side in February.

Somerset's 21-year-old wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter qualifies for England next February

Around two years ago South African followers did get a bit concerned, with the Kolpak loophole making it even easier for counties to register an almost limitless supply of their countrymen, but that fear has been eased by the Proteas' ascent to the top of the Test rankings ladder.

And as it happens, Kolpak contracts are becoming a distinct rarity, with most South Africans in future summers probably having to unearth a European grandparent or two to gain a county contract.

Furthermore, South Africa's under-19 side is performing well and the academy is well regarded.

Manthorp is unequivocal: "Proponents of positive discrimination will say there are a hell of a lot more kids coming through. It's a hard world, if you're white and don't like it go play in England.

"The reality is cricket at school and club level in South Africa is still active and strong, whereas every time I come to England I see more and more clubs close, and more schools where the game is no longer played. The game there is certainly in decline."

It is a depressing view which the England and Wales Cricket Board will dispute, as they continue to talk of their commitment to delivering funds to the grass-roots of the game.

But the irony is that because of the apparent lack of high-class homegrown players, there are more places at the counties for immigrant South Africans - or imports from anywhere else, provided they meet the increasingly complicated entry criteria.

These players, in turn, help raise the standard of county cricket - despite the ECB's reservations - and as a result the counties should eventually deliver better-prepared candidates for the international game.

So just remember that when Pietersen, Trott and Kieswetter celebrate winning the World Cup in 2015.

Follow me on twitter, if you want, for an up-to-the-minute take on all things cricket.

The Aussies were already overwhelming favourites and New Zealand, without their captain, simply couldn't match them with bat or ball.

A total of 200-9 was always too few on a decent batting pitch and despite the fine efforts of Kyle Mills and Shane Bond with the new ball, Shane Watson showed that his match-winning, unbeaten century against England was no fluke.

Following consecutive ducks at the start of the tournament, Watson demonstrated his worth as a versatile and powerful batsman with a hard earned 105 not out, hitting consecutive sixes to bring up his hundred and win the match.

Australia have now won the last two Champions Trophies, as well as the last three World Cups and the only consolation for New Zealand was that they didn't have to wear the cream and gold blazers dished out to the champions by the ICC.

ICC president David Morgan helps Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting into his blazer at the end of the match

As for England, they were dealt a ruthless lesson by Australia in the semi-finals, which served to remind them that they're still a long way off where they need to be in the one-day game.

During the recent home series against the Aussies, it was the middle order which caused the most worry. Here, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan played the important innings in England's inspiring victories against Sri Lanka and South Africa, but again, couldn't fire in the semi-final.

When Kevin Pietersen returns, England will have a batsman who can change a game, but arguably you need two to be world-beaters.

Morgan's performances in the first two games were a huge encouragement, and I like his audacity in strokeplay, but even he struggled to hit the ball off the square in the last two matches. Shah showed again that he has the talent to play match-winning knocks; they just come around too infrequently.

Collingwood, meanwhile, equalled Alec Stewart's record of 170 one-day appearances for England, serving as a reminder of his all-round abilities as middle-order anchor, canny medium-pacer and the side's best fielder.

The biggest concern in the semi-final defeat though, was how bland the bowling attack looked. The injured Stuart Broad would have added a bit of extra height and bounce, but there was no penetration, and no bowling change gave the feeling that something was about to happen.

James Anderson had bowled exceptionally well in the first two games, becoming skipper Andrew Strauss's go-to bowler, but against Australia, even he couldn't conjure any magic.

The attitude and game plan of Strauss and coach Andy Flower is certainly to start out boldly, to attack with the bat and risk collapse, rather than nudge and nurdle conservatively, which has dogged so many of England's one-day performances in the past.

It's not going to work every time, but with the right players and the right mindsets, it might work more than it fails.

From a domestic point of view, it has helped that England have somehow turned their fortunes around with their unexpected win over Sri Lanka and their unbelievable innings against South Africa, but being here at the event is incredibly exciting.

The 50-over game has come in for a fair amount of criticism as the Twenty20 game becomes ever more popular, but whilst it must be pointed out that crowds here have been very disappointing (except for South Africa matches and the India/Pakistan game) the format of the tournament means that every match has had something riding on it.

We've also had some tense finishes, and there have been more than a few talking points.

In many ways it's a shame the World Cup proper can't follow a similar format to this; short, sharp, easy to follow (no 'Super Sixes' - what stage of the tournament is that?) with every match a potential 'do-or-die' situation.

People talk about 'tournament football' whenever the European Championships or Word Cup comes around, and in cricket it should be no different.

A five (or heaven forbid) seven-match one-day series is the time to allow side to lose a few games then make a comeback. In a tournament, the thrill should be in knowing that a bad game will make life difficult and two bad games could mean it's all over. It's about hitting form at the right time, and pulling it off on the day.

Admittedly, in cricket, you can be scuppered by a poor pitch, such as the minefield England played on at the Wanderers in Tuesday's defeat by New Zealand, but on the whole this tournament has been a lot of fun, and having it staged between two grounds, based around one city, means you can't help but feel in the absolute thick of the world's best players.

The problem is, there haven't been enough people here to share it. It'll be interesting to see how many turn out for the semis and then the final.

I started writing this blog in the media room during the ICC Awards at the Sandton Convention Centre. The ceremony has just ended and Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has just picked up the main gong of the night, Cricketer of the Year (Andrew Strauss missing out), while England's Claire Taylor has added ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year to her bulging bag of accolades. Ireland captain William Porterfield has won Associate Player of the Year.

Johnson is perhaps a surprise pick considering the crisis of confidence he suffered during the Ashes but he's still comfortably the most prolific strike bowler of the year, with 80 wickets in 17 matches.

There has been a lot of chuntering in the media here about the distinct lack of South African players shortlisted for awards, considering the success they've achieved in the qualifying period; not only winning the Test series in England last summer but then consigning Australia to their first Test series defeat at home for 16 years. Not one South African player attended the awards ceremony.

Unfortunately, there was a distinct lack of players overall. I was at the event here two years ago during the 2007 World Twenty20 (invited as a guest - I've clearly fallen down the pecking order!) and if I remember rightly it was held just before the tournament began.

All the squads attended and it gave the T20 a real lift off. On that occasion I understand the teams were required to attend by the ICC, whereas this time there was no three-line whip. And, of course, with some teams already knocked out, they're hardly in the mood to party.

Test Match Special will have commentary of England's semi-final against Australia on Friday and the final on Monday. Both games will be live on Five Live Sports Extra, Radio Four Longwave and on-line for listeners in the UK, the programme stsrating at 1315 BST.

Friday's coverage will include a full-length interview with England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and news of Thursday evening's ICC Awards ceremony.

Oddly, they might see more of him as a non-player than they ever did as a Test player, given that cricket is the exclusive domain of satellite TV in Britain, and given the celebrity-conscious nature of the prime-time family shows where Freddie could be headed some time soon.

"He's possibly doing a television series in which he may do bungee-jumping," his agent Andrew "Chubby" Chandler revealed earlier this month.

Flintoff, tattooed biceps bulging out of his sponsored tee-shirt as he launched his new book on Monday in London's Canary Wharf, does not warm to the idea of extreme sports in particular.

"I think something's going to fall off if I bungee-jumped," he says, mindful of how his body has become something of a ticking time-bomb.

Perhaps something a little less physical would be in order - a stint on the rainforest-based ITV show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, perhaps? "Everyone has told me I'm going to the jungle, which... nah..." he says as though spitting out a witchetty grub.

So could it be that cricketers' favourite, Strictly Come Dancing, which launches the non-cricket-playing Flintoff brand in 12 months time? No clear denials from the man in question on that particular subject.

Coaching is certainly not a long-term prospect, despite the work he is currently doing at Dubai's Sports City.

"I don't think I would be a very good coach on a day-in day-out basis. I'd love to, once I have finished with Lancashire, come in and help someone with their game from time to time but not on a full-time level.

"I'm sure you'll find out more in the months to come but yeah, TV work, things like that - not necessarily commentating though I have had offers to do that. I've been playing cricket as a professional since I was 16 and I'd like to do something else.

"I want to forge another career. I've got three kids and a family and I want to provide for them. I want to work - I don't want any restraints over that.

"The cricket will come first and I will build something else around that and try to have a natural progression into something else."

Flintoff has such a likeable personality, such an easy, friendly approach with the people he meets that one can imagine him being more than an occasional guest on TV reality shows. Perhaps he will end up hosting something in his own right in the mould of those other retired sportsmen, Darren Gough and Ian Wright.

What cricket fans want to see, though, is less of that and more of the match-winning Freddie performances that are so often discussed in pubs around the country when talk turns to England's 2005 and 2009 Ashes triumphs.

England can no longer count on the heroics of Flintoff in Test cricket

But when he tosses his crutches over one shoulder before sitting down to chat you get a tangible reminder of how far he has to come before cricket becomes a realistic aspiration once again.

His book is what you would expect of any ghost-written offering from someone still playing professional sport. The closest he comes to ruffling feathers is the revelation that the disastrous 2006-07 Ashes tour seemed to include more drinking than purposeful cricket.

"Most of the support staff were at it more than we were - it was like being on a booze cruise," he writes.

There was the opportunity to score points against ex-England coach Duncan Fletcher, whose own book went into elaborate detail about Flintoff's incapacity to field as a result of a drinking binge the night before a practice session in Australia.

But it is not in Flintoff's nature to do such a thing, though he does say Fletcher is not "one of his favourite people in the world" and there is a telling passage when he reveals being in a cab with him in India when discovering that his son Corey had been born. "There weren't any big hugs... I don't think Duncan is an expressive kind of bloke," Flintoff reminisces.

Naturally, the actual cricket is covered in plenty of depth, including of course the extraordinary five-wicket haul on the final day of his last Test at Lord's.

Despite his knee giving him considerable grief, Flintoff had told Andrew Strauss, when the final day of the Test match dawned, that he would be bowling until Australia were all out. I asked him to elaborate on that utter conviction he had that England would win and he would be the one to take the wickets.

"There are certain points in my career when I've had a lot of self-doubt and there are times when you think you can do anything. But that morning I turned up to the ground with some weird excitement and I couldn't shut up.

"I was everywhere, doing everything and I just thought it was going to happen. In 2005 it happened for four Test matches - I felt I could do everything - but then you get the reality check afterwards, as I did in 2006 and 2007, and it just tows you back in a bit."

From reality check to reality TV, with the odd heroic performance on a cricket field thrown in, Flintoff is a fascinating symbol of the peaks, troughs and dilemmas of professional sport in 2009.

The change of scene, flying out of England and away from the pressures and scrutiny of a long domestic summer appears to have done the players some good.

They arrived here with little to no expectation on their shoulders, and their win over South Africa was the most compelling England batting display I've ever seen.

You had to keep blinking to make sure it was really happening.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the batting was the ability of Shah and Morgan to clear the ropes, something England have often struggled with, whether it be Twenty20s or ODIs.

Twelve maximums in the innings was a new England benchmark, with Shah hitting six of them, one short of Andrew Flintoff's individual record.

Eoin Morgan smashed 67 from just 34 deliveries at Centurion Park

Shah and Collingwood also manoeuvred the spinners around beautifully, knocking ones and twos into gaps, running well between the wickets and then stepping on the gas for a rare onslaught in the last 20 overs.

Yes the pitch was flat, and South Africa bowled too short, but the punishment metered out was exceptional.

Speaking of exceptional, Morgan is making a lasting impression on fans and commentators from around the world who have never seen him play before.

He also kept wicket tidily for someone who had only kept in a couple of Middlesex 2nd XI games and an ICC Trophy match for Ireland before.

Apparently, he impressed Strauss when he stood in briefly for Ben Scott during a Middlesex Championship game this season. With England's place in the semis now assured, it at least gives Matt Prior a little longer to recover from his viral infection.

A mention must also be made of James Anderson, whose is probably bowler of the tournament so far for his economy and accuracy. He was Strauss' 'go-to' bowler against South Africa, coming on in the 41st over and taking the wicket of Mark Boucher when he hit the top of off stump with his first delivery.

As for sportsmanship, well Strauss' nose has got a little harder since he recalled Angelo Mathews during the Sri Lanka match.

His decision to refuse Graeme Smith a runner has become the talk of the match, and it's difficult not to have sympathy for Smith as runners have been allowed for batsmen with cramp before.

England, in particular, have benefitted when struggling with hot conditions in the subcontinent. I recall, for example, last year's one-day series in India when Shah and Prior were both cramping up in the second match in Indore. On that occasion, Ian Bell came out as a runner.

Strauss was perfectly within his rights to refuse Smith, but surely the bottom line is that cramp debilitates a player's ability to run and is not an injury a player comes into a match with, so therefore he should be allowed a runner?

The problem comes with judging at what point the cramp is genuine and at which point it eases, leaving a player capable of running for himself again.

However, a runner is rarely an advantage, usually creating more confusion than anything else. It is a grey area though, the real problem being consistency, which needs to be addressed.

Andrew Strauss 7 - The England skipper was a rock at the top of the order during the Ashes series and he took that form into the one-dayers. A couple of fifties at the Rose Bowl and Lord's, although he will be disappointed he didn't convert those into hundreds.

Ravi Bopara 4 - Seven opportunities to shine, and he managed a high score of only 49. Technically he's all over the place at the moment, his running between the wickets is skittish, and it is difficult to see how the selectors can continue to pick him.

Joe Denly 6 - Missed the start of the series because of a freak warm-up injury, but showed plenty of potential when he did finally get a run. His 53 at the Riverside included some very assured strokes.

Paul Collingwood 5 - Looked horribly out of nick in the Ashes series and there wasn't much to suggest he'd solved his problems in the four one-dayers he played. Did manage a fifty at Lord's, but took just three wickets in the series. Remains the team's best fielder.

Eoin Morgan 4 - One fifty in six games for the Middlesex man, although he did show some nice touches at other times. Has a touch of Neil Fairbrother about him, although yet to prove he is in the former Lancashire man's class.

Matt Prior 4 - Scored just 112 runs in seven games, with a highest score of 37. For a man who can look very classy at times, that's not much of a tally. Continues to impress behind the stumps, which is just as well.

Luke Wright 4 - The Sussex all-rounder hardly set the world alight with the bat and took just three wickets in four games. A spiky presence in the England line-up, but England need more than just spiky characters, they need top-class batsmen and bowlers.

Stuart Broad 3 - Only three matches for the Nottinghamshire all-rounder, and he was hampered by injury. England need him firing on all cylinders at the Champions Trophy.

Tim Bresnan 5 - Ploughed through 50.5 overs in his six matches for six wickets. Very game, as demonstrated by his fighting 31 not out in a losing cause at Trent Bridge, but it is difficult to imagine the world's best batsmen having nightmares about his bowling.

Graeme Swann 6 - Only four wickets in four matches before his five-for in Durham, and he managed just 33 runs in four innings. However, was England's highest wicket-taker and also topped the averages. Still his country's premier spinner.

Adil Rashid 5 - The young Yorkshire leg-spinner showed much promise with bat and ball at The Oval, before being mysteriously left out of the side. When he was recalled, Australia's batsmen went after him and he no longer looked so assured.

Dimitri Mascarenhas 3 - Only two matches for the Hampshire all-rounder and he failed to stake a claim for a permanent place in the side. Like Luke Wright, falls into category of a "bits and pieces" cricketer, leaving you wondering if he offers enough with either bat or ball.

Ryan Sidebottom 3 - Managed just three wickets in six games before being dropped for the final match in Durham, which England won. His form is a worry for the England selectors ahead of the Champions Trophy.

James Anderson 6 - Took 4-55 in the sixth game at Trent Bridge after being rested for two engagements and looked sprightly enough in the final game in Durham, suggesting his dip in form was largely down to fatigue. England will need him in form in South Africa.

Graham Onions 7 - Only one game for the Durham seamer and he bowled well when given his chance in the final encounter. May have done enough to cement a place in the side at the Champions Trophy.

I'm hoping his introduction to our Test commentary team is less traumatic than his Test debut as a player which also took place also in South Africa 10 years ago when he famously faced his first ball in Test cricket with England 2-4 after Butcher, Atherton, Hussain and Stewart were all dismissed inside three overs as Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald made the most of a damp morning in Johannesburg.

He impressed many that day with a battling 33 and went on to play 82 Test matches for England and enjoyed a spell as the number one ranked batsman in the world.

Vaughan was more than just a fantastic player - he became the most successful England Test captain of all time and who could forget how he helped bring to an end 18 years of hurt with that never-to-be forgotten Ashes success of 2005.

But enough of his record as an international player - what else will Vaughan bring to the TMS box ?

While nibbling on a chocolate brownie, he announced that "my wife is a brilliant cake maker...she's not a professional but she makes cakes for all sorts of people". It was at that moment I knew Michael Vaughan and TMS would be a match made in heaven!

Vaughan with Man Utd stars Gary Neville and Paul Scholes during a Twenty20 game at Old Trafford

Of course, we always knew he could be a really good addition to our team when he hung up his boots. As well as a great tactical thinker, he has always expressed interesting views on the game and we got a flavour of that on Tuesday when he gave his thoughts about Andrew Flintoff's decision to become a freelance cricketer.

Vaughan has always had a really good sense of humour as well. On Tuesday, after expressing surprise that Matt Prior used to have posters of Alec Stewart on his bedroom wall, Michael told us that he was more of a Kylie Minogue man.

He then forced our scorer Malcolm Ashton to confess which posters he had on his wall when he was growing up and Malcolm reluctantly groaned "Stanley Matthews".

I think Vaughan is really going to enjoy getting involved with the TMS listeners. Also during our coverage at Trent Bridge, he set the challenge of working out what were the chances of Andrew Strauss winning nine out of ten tosses against Australia and was very impressed when Bob Drake from Swansea quickly texted in with the answer...512-1 against.

But Vaughan wasn't satisfied and immediately raised the stakes by asking what the chances were of Strauss winning all the seven tosses in the NatWest series, but then losing all the matches. He should not have underestimated TMS listeners as Bob and many others came straight back with the answer and various statistical explanations of how they worked it out.

Who needs Derren Brown when you have Bob Drake from Swansea!

Vaughan will be with Test Match Special not only for the South Africa tour, but also next summer where he'll join our other TMS regulars including Phil Tufnell, Vic Marks and Geoff Boycott.

And you can get another sneak preview today when he will again be joining us on TMS for our commentary on the sixth one-day international, also from Trent Bridge, alongside his former England coach Peter Moores, one of his predecessors as England captain Alec Stewart and former Australia batsman Stuart Law.

Give us a listen on 5 live Sports Extra, Radio Four Long Wave or online.

Nothing like it had happened to an Australian skipper since Billy Murdoch's team were demolished by Kent's Fred Martin in the 19th century - an era of comedy moustaches and rudimentary protective equipment.

But two weeks after Ponting made the long journey home to ruminate on a 2-1 defeat by the old enemy - he will return to England in time to lead his side in the fourth one-day international next weekend - there are no immediate signs that his deputy Michael Clarke is set to be handed the captaincy on a permanent basis.

But it is Ponting who will defend the 50-over-a-side ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa at the end of this month and, unless Australia's selectors are ready to throw a curve ball, the 34-year-old will also captain his country in home Test series against West Indies and Pakistan.

Positive results against weak opponents will only stiffen Ponting's resolve to fulfil his final ambition, that of winning an Ashes series in England at the third time of asking, in 2013.

Clarke and Ponting both have designs on the Australian captaincy

But fans of Clarke, 28, must not despair. The pretender will continue to get opportunities to lead his country as Ponting gets the luxury of further "periods of rest" throughout the foreseeable future.

And tantalisingly, Cricket Australia did not confirm Ponting's Test captaincy in its statement on Monday. That alone is a strong incentive for Clarke to showcase his leadership skills when the opportunities come his way.

Ponting is arguably the greatest batsman to wear the baggy green cap since Bradman. Under every statistical measure his Test exploits surpass the sparkling careers of Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Greg Chappell.

Coincidentally, those three were all captains of Australia too, but none surely had their tactics questioned as readily as Ponting.

Ten years ago, the Tasmanian arrested a downward spiral of drinking and gambling - the "Punter" nickname sticks to this day - with the considerable support of Cricket Australia.

He has repaid the national board with two World Cups and countless Test series successes - beginning with a 3-0 sweep in Sri Lanka, and also including wins in other tough locations like India and South Africa.

It was a run that kept Australia on top of the world rankings until Ponting's England curse struck for the second time this summer (although we shouldn't forget he was in charge for the crushing 5-0 Ashes win in 2006-07).

But Cricket Australia's dilemma is clearly apparent. It would look almost brutally cruel if it suddenly shed the avuncular role it has adopted over Ponting since rehabilitating him at the start of the decade.

While fans' favourite Shane Warne was busy texting his way out of the captaincy, Ponting went from bad boy to poster boy after taking over from Steve Waugh - and his remorseless run-accumulation shows that leadership suits him just fine.

But when not able to dictate with the bat, Ponting is prone to making poor decisions. He had Marcus North, the sort of bowler who Geoffrey Boycott's female relatives would salivate over facing, sending down those crucial final overs in the Cardiff Test when Australia were unable to force victory.

The rub-off was severe. By lunch on day one of the subsequent Lord's Test, he wore a perplexed look, having swiftly run out of ideas. The four-bowler system that had worked so well with bowlers like Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in the side looked a deeply flawed tactic with Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook in control.

England put on 126-0 in the first two hours of the match, and went on to win comfortably.

Australia's non-selection of Nathan Hauritz in the final Test, which saw England's specialist spinner Graeme Swann took eight wickets, may not have been Ponting's decision alone. If he had pressed Hauritz's case with coach Tim Nielsen and the selectors, however, the off-spinner would have played.

Four years earlier, there was the biggest faux pas of all - Ponting's decision to insert England at Edgbaston knowing that his most dangerous bowler in the prevailing conditions, Glenn McGrath, had injured himself in the pre-match warm-up.

Clarke is a ferociously eager school prefect whose own sobriquet "Pup" is attributed to his youthfulness.

And while the British media have rightly castigated Andrew Strauss's team for their failure to chase down two gettable targets in the one-day series, Clarke's sure leadership has been a factor in each match.

He has performed some sort of minor miracle by converting Shane Watson, a reluctant bowler indeed during the Ashes, into a devastating wicket-taking option.

And his aggressive field placement throughout England's innings at Lord's on Sunday was rewarded handsomely when wickets kept on falling. Of the recognised batsmen, only Paul Collingwood - starved of the easy singles which he so often dines out on - lasted until the final overs, by which point Brett Lee would not be denied.

It was smart captaincy, and though we will again see Ponting resume as skipper the gradual transition has already begun.

The unusual trio joined us during the break at the second Natwest one-day international at Lord's on Sunday to discuss a special commemoration of Bomber Command which is taking place at the ground. During the Second World War, Lord's was used as an "Air Crew Receiving Centre" - where young aircrew volunteers were received prior to being posted for training to the likes of Canada, the USA or South Africa before joining RAF squadons in the Bomber Offensive against Germany.

The Lord's museum is running a special exhibition to mark the 65th anniversary of the receiving centre being closed and handed back to the MCC, and on Sunday we were entertained by the RAF Central band and a fly-past of a Lancaster bomber.

Also in the crowd at the game were 20 veterans who were invited as special guests of the MCC including pilots, navigators, wireless operators, flight engineers and air gunners, several of whom were decorated for gallantry in air operations.

One of those veterans was Group Captain Bill Farquharson DFC who joined us in the commentary box to tell the amazing story of life as a bomber pilot. More than 55,000 people died in Bomber Command, three out of every five who joined, and Farquharson admitted that he was extremly frightened all of the time.

He told us that just before one mission a colleague asked him "'If you don't come back, can I have your hat?' You see, I had just got myself a new service hat. Well in fact I was reported missing and when I got back my hat was gone. However, it was returned to me in the end."

Farquharson also told us about a very lucky escape. He said: "I went on one mission and we were hit by flak. I knew we had been hit but I hoped not too badly. When I got back and pulled my parachute from under me I noticed a large lump of flak stuck inside it. If it had gone any further, it would have been the end of my matrimonial prospects!"

Joining Group Captain Farquharson in the TMS box was wildlife and aviation artist David Shepherd who even brought us a chocolate cake with his one of his famous elephants on the top. He has painted a special picture which is being raffled off to try and raise money for a proposed memorial to those who died in Bomber Command which he hopes will be erected in a central London park.

David Shepherd brought TMS an elephant cake

Also working to raise funds is Robin Gibb from the legendary pop group Bee Gees who is president of the Heritage Foundation. Gibb told us that he had flown in especially from America to be at the event at Lord's.

As well as speaking passionately about the campaign, Gibb also told Jonathan Agnew some exclusive news about the Bee Gees. He told Aggers that six years after the death of his brother Maurice, the Bee Gees are going to re-form and play some live concerts again. "I've just been with my brother Barry in Miami and we have decided we are going to perform again". Gibb admitted that it had been a tough few years but "we have just got through the breakwater of emotions and now we can go forward".

All in all, it was quite a surreal day in the Test Match Special commentary box starting with the expected mickey-taking for Jonathan Agnew following his "Dieselgate" episode on Friday. In case you hadn't heard, Aggers managed to put a full tank of petrol into his diesel car on Friday and only discovered the error five miles later when his car broke down.

On Saturday evening I texted Angus Fraser to ask if he could join Aggers at the start of the match on Sunday and I mentioned that he should feel free to rib him about his fuel error. Gus replied a few minutes later "It will be my pleasure". So it was no surprise when Angus greeted Aggers with "Nice of you to join us for a change. I'm glad the weather is good so we won't need any of those diesel-powered hover covers."

Also part of our summarising team on Sunday was Phil Tufnell, fresh from rehearsals for Strictly Come Dancing. Well I say fresh - frankly Tuffers could hardly walk after his first full day in the dance studio. One listener e-mailed in to ask whether his dancing prowess was more like his batting or his bowling. Tuffers answered "Probably more like my fielding. Lots of mistakes with the very occasional flash of brilliance." We will have to wait until 18 September to find out!

Regular listeners to Tufnell on TMS this summer may have been surprised to hear Phil's eloquent descriptions of batting technique which perhaps were lacking a little when he was a player. Well, after one session on Sunday where he was discussing the best method to play the white ball, fellow TMS summariser and his former captain at Middlesex Justin Langer came on and said: "That's the biggest load of nonsense I've ever heard. He was probably the worst batsman I have ever seen.

"And he was probably the toughest human being I have ever had to captain - the best to have a drink with, but the worst to captain. I remember here at Lord's a few years ago, Tufnell just left the field at one point and then returned a few minutes later smelling of cigarette smoke. He said 'sorry skipper - I just had to have a fag'... he was a nightmare."

But Langer did fulfil a lifetime ambition during the Lord's ODI. When he was paired on air with Henry Blofeld, Justin exclaimed: "I have to say I am absolutely pumped. I've been listening to you for all these years and now I am sitting alongside you at my favourite cricket ground in the world in a commentary box full of chocolate cake. Life can't get any better than that."

Well, who knows what will happen during the rest of this series - but TMS will be back for the third one-day international from the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday, 9 September at 1415 BST. Christopher Martin-Jenkins will be with us alongside Aggers and Jim Maxwell with Vic Marks, Jeff Thomson and Alec Stewart.

Make sure you are with us as well.

But there is plenty of life left in the English cricket summer with seven one-day internationals between England and Australia still to play, not to mention the climax of the County Championship and Pro-40 competition.

It certainly didn't feel like summer at Manchester as spectators were left frustrated by two abandoned Twenty20 games, but as I write, the weather forecast seems better for Friday and Sunday for the opening games in the NatWest series at The Oval and Lords, so let's hope we have an exciting three weeks ahead.

Somehow I can't see Geoff Boycott ever donning the lycra and glitzy costumes, although I'm sure if he was persuaded to appear on Strictly, his technique would be perfect!

As for Tuffers, he'll be with us after morning rehearsals so we may well see evidence of why he was nicknamed 'Cat' in the Middlesex dressing room for his ability to sleep anytime and anywhere.

With Matthew Hayden having returned home we have a number of different Aussies offering their expert views during the seven-match series.

On Friday afternoon, we welcome former fast bowler Rodney Hogg who once took 41 wickets in an Ashes series. Hogg has already been offering his forthright views on various BBC outlets throughout the summer and we are looking forward to hearing his views now on TMS.

On Sunday at Lord's, we will be joined by the man who produced the so-called 'Ashes Dossier' - Somerset captain, former Australian opening batsman and bbc.co.uk/cricket columnist Justin Langer. Justin, of course, knows Lord's very well having played for Middlesex before swapping counties and heading to the west country.

We will also be joined during the series by another Aussie who knows the English game inside out, Stuart Law, who has played for Essex, Lancashire and now Derbyshire.

Finally, aftder watching the rain fall at Old Trafford, Jeff Thomson will be hoping for better weather when he works with us during some of the other games.

Our other summarisers throughout the series include the likes of Vic Marks, Angus Fraser, Alec Stewart and Graham Gooch and we will also hear some more from former England coach Peter Moores, who will be joining us for the two Trent Bridge matches.

Jonathan Agnew will, of course, lead our commentary team alongside CMJ, Henry Blofeld, Simon Mann, Arlo White and ABC Radio's Jim Maxwell.

As well as ball by ball commentary we'll have plenty more to enjoy during the intervals including a detailed look at just how England won the Ashes.

On Sunday, however, we'll be joined by the famous aviation and wildlife artist David Shepherd and we hear why Lord's is re-establishing a historical link with the RAF. During the game, there will be a fly past by the only Lancaster bomber still flying and it will be attended by a number of RAF Bomber Command veterans. We'll hear the story of how during the darkest days of the Second World War they arrived at the Air Crew Receiving Centre set up at Lord's before being posted for training.

Also during the series we'll meet cyclist Oli Broom, who is embarking on an incredible journey from Lord's to Brisbane hoping to arrive in time for the next Ashes and raising money for the Lord's Taverners along the way and from author Simon Rae who has created a cricket novel described as "the Harry Potter for cricket lovers" to raise money for "Chance to Shine".

We will also be debating the new-look English cricket calendar which has been announced over the past few days as well as asking how the game can capitalise on this summer's Ashes win and avoid some of the mistakes arguably made following the success of 2005.

After a summer which had already seen the likes of Russell Crowe, Rolf Harris, Ted Dexter, Adam Gilchrist, Stephen Fry, Daniel Radcliffe and Lily Allen visit the TMS box - who knows who else may pop in over the next three weeks?

As well as TMS there will be regular updates over on 5 live and keep checking bbc.co.uk/cricket for details of our interactive scorecard, blogs and podcasts - and
throughout the series we want to hear from you either with your posts on the TMS blogs or you can e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk or text 84040 or if you are in Australia the text number is 199 21 222.

It all gets underway at 1245 on Friday for the first ODI from The Oval with commentary on 5 live Sports Extra, Radio Four Long Wave and on-line

Theatre is an entertainment. On the evidence of Tuesday night at Old Trafford, international cricket considers itself otherwise. How else to explain the latest farcical episode in the sport? Twenty thousand paying customers and the highlight was a middle-aged ex-cricketer periodically poking his umbrella into a circle of mud.

Twenty thousand paying customers frustrated by a couple of circles of mud - it's worth repeating. Why those circles of mud were there, we'll come back to later.

"This is an international Twenty20 match," said England skipper Paul Collingwood after the abandonment, the second in three days at the same ground. "If the
conditions are unfit you have to make a brave stance."

"There's no game I play for Australia where you go out and bowl some full tosses so the crowd get a great spectacle," said Aussie skipper Michael Clarke. "The ground just wasn't fit enough to play and both teams are disappointed."

The inference is that international cricket exists in a vacuum, for its own sake, above and beyond vulgar entertainment. How brave, I wonder, did those 20,000 paying customers find the decision to pull stumps without a ball being bowled?

The brave stance would have been to put the risks to one side, agree to bowl spinners, tell the pacemen to shorten their run-ups. Former Aussie speedster Jeff Thomson reckoned there was nothing wrong with the pitch. Former Aussie batsman Greg Blewett advised them to play in football boots. Shane Warne suggested they bowl from one end. Ridiculous? Try telling that to the 20,000 paying customers.

"If Brett Lee was running up to bowl, I can't imagine it being safe enough," added Clarke.

Why not tell Brett Lee he's not going to bowl? It's just a game after all, or am I being hopelessly naive?

When did international cricket become so self-important? If Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes is to be believed, it has been a gradual process over the last 30 years. "We would have got out there and played," a clearly upset Cumbes told Sky presenter Paul Allott. "Yes, but things have changed," was the gist of Allott's reply.

Maybe things need to change back.

"We have got to rethink how we treat our public in cricket," added Cumbes, acutely aware that some of those now trudging into the night behind him, caterwauling as they went, might never return.

The irony is, 30 years ago, cricket could probably afford to treat its fans in such an off-hand manner, entrenched as the game was in the nation's consciousness. But in this splintered and cluttered age, with its myriad forms of entertainment, it really can't afford to be so haughty.

Back to those circles of mud, clogging up the bowlers' run-up at the Brian Statham End. When 99% of the pitch was seemingly playable, why was the most important part a sodden mess? Cumbes said the footmarks had sweated under the covers. David Lloyd, the Lancashire great and former England coach, wasn't convinced.

Why, you could also ask, was Manchester awarded both Twenty20 internationals? It tends to rain rather a lot up there, especially in September.

It's been a horrendous few days up at Old Trafford. The ground, currently being redeveloped, is fighting for its international future. There are no Test matches scheduled for the ground until 2013, so it could have done without all this.

Those who made the decision not to play on Tuesday could have done Lancashire a big favour. Instead, they huddled in the pavilion and worried about themselves.

Instead of banging on, I'll read you an email I've just received, and it from a paying customer:

From Rick (Mr Angry in Cheshire): "Do the players and administrators and umpires not know who pays their salaries? The poor old muppets who keep stumping up £40 or £50 + car parking + food + drinks.

"Why not bowl off slightly shorter run-ups? Be creative and come up with some ideas. The whole thing is so badly run. Perhaps the spectators should strike for a few seasons? Apologies for ranting and raving, but this is a disgrace."

I'd wager Rick's not the only Mr Angry out there. The powers that be would do well to think on what he's said.

A sole security guard smiled a greeting at the barrier in the early sunshine, rubbish bags were piled high in the concourse waiting to be loaded into lorries, and the only activity came from two pigeons who pecked at a crumb on the floor.

Once I made my way up into the commentary box and looked out of the window, it was as if a wave of calm had settled over the ground. It was a quiet, serene view, not a person to be seen, not a movement to be detected, save for the pictures in my mind, replaying the moment the last Australian wicket fell, when the crowd erupted in mass jubilation and the urn was finally secured.

Once reporting duties were over (and a bacon sandwich devoured), the Oval started to creak slowly into life. Groundstaff were arriving, the dressing-room attendant pottered about. Beefy, Warnie and fellow Sky commentators had dragged themselves in and were filming in the stands.

I was lucky enough to get a peek inside the dressing-rooms, which, in England's case was still full of all their kit (most of the remnants of the celebration had been cleared away). Ian Bell's area looked very tidy, with his bats all lined up. Andrew Flintoff's less so (!) complete with a framed photo of his five-for at Lord's given to him by the MCC.

The away dressing-room is a lot smaller and less plush, but a famous feature is the white wall, which the dressing-room attendant has asked notable stars of the game to sign over the years. It was quite fun spotting the different signatures. A slot was there ready for Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss to sign when he returned this morning.

The dressing-room party wasn't of 2005 proportions - and rightly so for so many reasons. Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower see this victory as the start of something, rather than the pinnacle. Quiet but purposeful celebrations reflected that.

Both teams stayed in the dressing-rooms until after 10.30pm and the Australians shared a drink with their opponents - good to hear. The families had joined them earlier as well, and then, for some of the players it was onto a rooftop bar near London Bridge, where, again, it was more reflective socialising, rather than wild partying.

Just as I was leaving the dressing-rooms this morning, some of the England staff started arriving to collect their gear. I had a quick chat with Stuart Broad's sister Gemma, who became the team analyst this summer and who used to perform the same role with the England women.

Hey, this will be a good pub quiz question - who's the only person to have won the Ashes twice in one year? That will be Gemma - as backroom staff with the women in July and now the men in August!

Add to that the World Cup in March and the World Twenty20 in June and she can almost claim bragging rights over her father and brother, who have now both been part of Ashes-winning sides.

Given the glimpse of the future we've seen though, Stuart will undoubtedly come out on top, given time.