By Paresh Soni

A successful partnership at the top of the order is the key to a good batting side.

TRESCOTHICK'S PARTNERS Jun 2000- Jul 01: Alec Stewart May 01 (two games): Ali Brown Jun 01-Mar 03: Nick Knight Jun 03-Nov 03: Vikram Solanki Nov 03 (one game): Andrew Strauss Apr 04-Jul 04: Michael Vaughan Sept 04: Solanki Jan 05-? Geraint Jones

In Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss, England have one of the best - in Test matches.

Finding a pairing for one-day internationals, however, has proved to be a real headache for the selectors.

Trescothick has been secure at the head of England's ODI line-up for most of the last five years, having amassed close to 3,500 runs at a healthy average of 37.65.

But six partners have been deployed with him in a bid to find a productive combination.

The latest experiment of promoting wicket-keeper Geraint Jones up the order in South Africa has been far from a resounding success.

But with as many as four other candidates for the role in the squad, the selectors have plenty of options...

Despite originally establishing himself in Test cricket at the top of the order, the captain only opened for England in one-day internationals in last year's Caribbean tour.

The idea was abandoned after a dismal sequence in the NatWest Series last summer but his form lower down the order has not been sparkling either.

Some have called for him to be pushed up in a bid to boost an average that is one of the lowest among international captains and worse than his predecessor as captain, Nasser Hussain - whose style was considered by critics to be less than ideal for the shorter form of the game.

The most logical solution. Strauss has enjoyed a phenomenal introduction to Test cricket as an opening batsman, and he has been the cornerstone of England's remarkable success in that format over the last 12 months.

Like Trescothick, he is a naturally quick scorer, but the England hierarchy have been reluctant to play him as an opener in ODIs - he scored three in his only such innings against Sri Lanka at Dambulla last year.

Although he has enjoyed success at number four, his penchant for partnering Trescothick - the pair have already recorded four Test stands in excess of 150 - suggests the solution is staring the selectors in the face.

Duncan Fletcher and Vaughan still do not seem to have made their minds up about the Worcestershire batsman.

A lack of consistency has not helped the 28-year-old's cause - he has registered only six scores above 50 - but he did enjoy a successful time in Zimbabwe, where he made his second ODI century.

England have persisted with him partly because of his athleticism in the field, but his place in the team is no more secure now than when he was first brought in against South Africa five years ago.

The 22-year-old is very much regarded as the future for England in both forms of the game, and has done little to suggest otherwise - when given the chance.

After plumping for him as an opener in Zimbabwe, he has been dropped down as low as seven against the South Africans.

His part-time bowling has not been called upon either - begging questions about his role in the team, which at the moment appears to be purely dowm to his fielding prowess.

Jones established himself in the England team after impressing Vaughan and Fletcher towards the end of the Test series in the West Indies and his attacking style is well suited to one-day cricket.

But the question for the selectors is: can he make a bigger impact at the top of the order when fielding restrictions are in place, or coming in at number seven to smash the ball around in the last 15 overs?

The evidence so far has been less than conclusive. He has been thrust up the order in the way Australia have done with their wicket-keeper, but Jones - as good a striker of the ball that he can be - is not in Adam Gilchrist's class.

As the averages suggest, no outstanding candidate has emerged as a worthy partner for Trescothick from the players who have been persisted with.

The man with the fewest oppportunities to shine has been Strauss, which is surprising bearing in mind the joy he has had as the Somerset star's foil in Test cricket.

England appear determined to find a pinch-hitter, but an orthodox opener could be the answer with Trescothick comfortable in the aggressor's role.

If England want any further clues, they need only look back to the last consistent limited overs partner Trescothick had: Nick Knight - also a left-hander and a regular opening batsman.