Marcus Trescothick Photo CricInfo

England are struggling to avoid a serious batting crisis going into the first Test of their three-match National Bank series with New Zealand.

Two collapses suffered against State Championship minnows Otago, their late arrivals from England all struggling for form and time in the middle, their leading batsman on the last day of their game against Otago, Marcus Trescothick, complaining of concentration problems and the prospect of no respite against a stronger Canterbury team in their next game starting on Thursday at Hagley Oval.

The only point in England's favour going into the Test has to be that New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond is still on the injured list.

Trescothick admitted after today's drawn game with Otago that he was tired after having played all of England's one-dayers against India and New Zealand and in most of the other games on the Test section of the Indian tour.

He was hopeful that he might be spared duty when Nasser Hussain returns to lead the side against Canterbury.

"I find I'm not mentally switched on when I'm going out to bat.

"I found that in the last two or three one-day games," he said.

It was a problem that needed to be assessed as soon as it happened to find out what was going wrong and try hard to put it right.

"I've found it very tough to concentrate. I've been going out and working really hard in the nets, almost twice as hard as I normally do, trying to get it right but the mental side of it has been the problem and being able to concentrate properly," he said.

Trescothick said he had a similar problem last summer when scoring five centuries in six innings just before the first Test against Australia. He took a week off before the second Test and scored a century in the second innings so on that occasion the break had worked.

It was a fact with the amount of cricket being played that this sort of thing happened.

"If anything I need a bit more of a break than the constant cricket," he said.

However, his innings of 68 today in England's second innings had been of some comfort to him as he found his batting rhythm returning and he was pleased with his shot selection.

His newly-arrived team-mates from England did struggle to make an impact however and it would be tough for them to be ready in time for the Test.

"Two games to warm up is all right for those who were here for the one-day games, the rest of the guys, I don't know. Having come from England where there was no outdoor practice, it will be tough for them," he said.

While not dominating Otago, England had managed to "cover" them, he said and there had been some good opportunities for the bowlers to have a good, long bowl.

"We should have batted a lot better than we did, we still came out of it OK," he said.

Leading bowler Andy Caddick did pick up seven wickets during the game and he had a good work out.

"He's still got a little bit of work to do - his rhythms were coming back the more and more he bowled. He came back right at the end bowling five overs, sometimes I've seen him and that's the best time he bowls, when he is quite tired. Sort of running him into the ground almost, as he tends to get a bit more rhythm," Trescothick said.

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