Trescothick Ready For Test Showdown

The Somerset left-hander had been sidelined with the injury for six weeks prior to last weekend, but returned to play in Saturday's C&G final defeat and the Norwich Union match in Durham on Monday.

Those innings were enough to persuade the selectors to include him in the squad for this week's deciding Test, which begins on Thursday, and after his initial net session he is confident of being fit enough to reclaim his place at the top of the order.

Facing a bowling machine with the speed raised to 85mph at the Oval on Tuesday, Trescothick struggled initially but improved as the session progressed and is expected to replace Kent youngster Robert Key in the starting line-up.

"If I was pushed I would say I'm more likely to play than not," said Trescothick.

"There were a couple of balls from Matthew Hoggard in Saturday's C&G Final which I felt but it's been like that in nearly every net session.

"Once you get through the pain barrier it seems to be all right. It is a mental barrier for me to get over - it was a bad break and it's all a question of me getting over it because it's mainly a confidence thing.

"We cranked up the bowling machine at just short of a length because playing off the back foot is when it causes me the most problems, but the more I practice, the happier I feel about batting."

Essex captain Ronnie Irani, recalled after Andrew Flintoff was sent for surgery on his hernia complaint, was a similar doubt after a fortnight on the sidelines recovering from an operation on his right knee.

He made a successful comeback in Essex's National League fixture against Lancashire at Old Trafford on Sunday and having come through that unscathed, is equally confident of being able to prove his fitness.

In fact, he wanted to be so sure of his participation that on Monday he flew to Munich where he received an unconventional form of medication which comprised an injection into his knee, for lubrication, of the oil-like substance found on the scalps of cockerels known as Hylart.