Crushed England take heart from fit Freddie

All thoughts of a fairytale Flintoff comeback evaporated as South Africa earned the comprehensive 10-wicket victory they deserved, leaving Michael Vaughan and his team to work out why almost everything went wrong for them in Leeds after six matches without defeat against New Zealand.

Even more depressing than England's lack of runs and wickets was Vaughan's admission that his side, with Flintoff and Anglo-Aussie Darren Pattinson having replaced Paul Collingwood and Ryan Sidebottom, failed to click as a unit.

But the reinstatement of ultimate team-man Collingwood for next week's Third Test at Edgbaston should go a long way towards solving the last of those problems. And, with Flintoff proving his fitness by emerging unscathed from a match in which he bowled 40 first-innings overs, the selectors ought to be encouraged to make room for a second all-rounder.

"We didn't feel as much a unit as we did the week before at Lord's," said Vaughan. "I always have a huge belief in being a unit in Test cricket, a real togetherness. For some reason we didn't have that.

"Whatever squad we pick this weekend it's important we react like we did at Lord's in the first game, get that buzz back. This week it wasn't there."

It was the popular Flintoff, rather than the almost unknown Pattinson, who took Collingwood's place while Sidebottom missed out because of a back injury.

But coach Peter Moores is confident key paceman Sidebottom will be fit for Edgbaston next Wednesday and there seems every chance England will revert to fielding only four front-line bowlers, including Flintoff at No7, with Collingwood's medium-pace on hand if needed.

He said: "I just want to get it right, get that unity back and I want us to play better than we did at Headingley because we weren't at our best by a long shot."

No one should blame Pattinson for England's defeat, and Vaughan certainly doesn't. But his out-of-the-blue call-up started a chain of events which led to the hosts picking an unbalanced team before producing a horribly loose first-innings batting performance that effectively settled the match.

"My goal now is to make sure that on the morning of the match next week we are very focused and prepared," said Vaughan.

Pattinson will almost certainly drop out of the squad and Stuart Broad could find himself 12th man, despite hitting an unbeaten 67 when an innings defeat seemed inevitable. Broad is a huge talent, a proper allrounder in the making, but he looked tired with the ball and may benefit from a break.

With Collingwood back at No6 and Flintoff finding some run-making form while making 38, England should have enough batting-depth without Broad. "The way Fred came through was really good," said Moores. "We were patient with his build-up so he had bowled quite a few overs for Lancashire. Now he has played a Test we know a bit more.

"We've still got to manage workloads but we've the two options [four or five bowlers] available. We'll see what is best to give us a strong side but also enough firepower to win the game at Edgbaston.

"As for Fred's batting, everything he did said, 'I'm happy out here, I'm enjoying myself and I'm playing well,' so that was very promising." England's decision to send for Pattinson when they could have recalled either Matthew Hoggard or Steve Harmison suggested that a line had been drawn under the names of the 2005 Ashes heroes. Not so, insisted Moores.

"That would be foolish," he said. "They are experienced players who are desperate to play again."

If Sidebottom is still not fit next week, England will have another chance to look at the pecking order.