It was the turn of the women yesterday, when Australia defeated New Zealand in the third and deciding game in their series of one-day internationals.

Early this morning, British time, the new floodlights were due to be used for the first time as New Zealand and England donned their coloured kit to start the series of five games which, depending on your view, provide either light relief from the tensions of the Test series or the icing on the cake.

England had not decided last night, after practising under the lights, whether to rest Mike Atherton for the first match after he spent all but the last afternoon of the Test on the field. For his own good and the team's he should certainly have been prepared to miss at least this match.

Graham Thorpe, who was unwisely left out of the one-day games in Zimbabwe, was a certainty to play, partly in order to do some bowling on the Test pitch, which is being re-used and can only be slow.

Atherton said stoutly after the Test series had been sewn up that England must play much better in the one-day series than they did in Zimbabwe if the winter is to end on a high note.

New Zealand can take on Sri Lanka in two Tests next month with a bit more confidence, having finished against England with some promising bowlers in place - Heath Davis, much improved, Geoff Allott, Simon Doull and Daniel Vettori - and equipped to bowl out Test sides in a variety of conditions.