NatWest Series, Match 6, Old Trafford, Sunday, July 7, 2002 People are going to look back at this match and point at our batting collapse, and dredge up all our old failings against spin. But, to be honest, we lost this game in the field – our ground fielding wasn't up to much, and even our bowling could have been better, which may sound a strange thing to say. But I always thought 230 would be a tough ask – against four spinners on a dusting track. We gave away about 30 runs too many.

I hope it wasn't because this game was a dead rubber – I'd be very disappointed if that was the case. But we did lack something today, and a bit of clumsiness crept in in the last 35 overs. It was a failing that surfaced from time to time in India, but it hasn't been seen since, until now.

Our game-plan was always to use the first 15 overs to build a platform and go from there, and at 100 for 2 after 17 overs, we were exactly where we wanted to be. But once the spinners settled in and we started to slip behind the rate, it was always going to be difficult.

Yes, one or two wickets did fall to the sweep-shot, but when the ball is slow and low, it is a very important source of runs. If this was Perth or Lord's, where spin plays little part, then straight-batted shots would be much more profitable, but here they are hazardous – they bring the covers and the bowler into play. Frankly, it's an issue that the Sky commentators have got a bee in their bonnets about at the moment, and I wish they'd shut up about it. Irani, Snape and Collingwood all scored valuable boundaries from sweeping, whereas if they'd hit straight they would have got a single at best.

At the time I thought the toss was a good one to lose, although I would have batted first. But by the end the wicket was quite a dustbowl, and was actually turning too much – usually in Old Trafford Tests it takes a good three days to get that much spin. As soon as I saw Snape turning it I realised that I had to give Vaughney a go, especially with the seamers off the boil, and he came up with the goods.

The seamers were a little wayward, but it wasn't an easy track for them – it was a take-pace-off type of wicket rather than a put-pace-on one. But I was pleased with Alex Tudor on his debut. He bowled all right – I can't say fairer than that, he did go for five runs an over – but he was operating in the first 15. His fielding, though, was excellent and he showed he has what it takes with the bat as well. We'll have to have another look at him.

Nasser Hussain was talking to Andrew Miller. His thoughts will appear on Wisden.com, other duties permitting, at the end of each day of England's international cricket this summer.

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We lost it in the field
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