Having meandered through another disappointing first innings in the second Test at Old Trafford, England played with much greater determination to chase down their victory target of 294 second time around. 

“Having a target to go for may have helped,” said Vaughan. “We showed a bit more intent and we will have to take that into the first innings here.”

It is 125 years since England last played the same side over five consecutive Tests. “That’s incredible really but a sign we have won a few games,” Vaughan added. “We feel we are developing as a side. We have shown character and resilience in positions where maybe we would not have done so six months ago. 

“And that is a good place to start developing a team. We realise scoring more runs in the first innings is something we have to try to do to beat the better teams in the world. There are periods where we are very exciting as a bowling unit and periods when we are inconsistent. 

"And as a fielding unit at stages we are very good, at stages we are not so good. It’s consistency all round we need to develop.”

England expected to overcome New Zealand 3-0 this summer but 2-0 will do, and the way to do that at Trent Bridge, according to local knowledge, is with good swing bowling.

All the talk around the ground, which has been through another redevelopment phase with a new stand on Bridgford Road side, is of swing. 

The average first innings score there this season is 213, and the vast majority of catches have been heading the way of the slip cordon. To aid that swing one of the Kiwis will be wearing their new flannels with a polishing patch woven into the fabric, something which did not bother 

Vaughan: “I think Yorkshire have them as well and it hasn’t helped them!

“There’s a great opportunity here for the swing bowlers. We have to show how good they are.”

England’s pace trio should have no excuses if the conditions do favour them. 

This is the home ground of Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad while Jimmy Anderson is the best exponent of swing bowling in the country when the muse is with him. 

New Zealand’s selection is not so straightforward, with wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum concerned about a back problem which might force him to play as a specialist batsman with Gareth Hopkins taking over the gloves for his debut.

Tim Southee is expected to return to the bowling attack and Peter Fulton is pushing for a place among the top six but Daniel Flynn, who had his teeth rearranged at Old Trafford, is expected to play.

The Test will be Vaughan’s last involvement with England for a month. While the one-day inter-nationals take over, he will be away delighting at his first taste of the Twenty20 game with Yorkshire.

He has played two 20-over matches for England but never for his county who have promised him some games when the competition starts next week.

However, he laughed off any suggestion that this could lead to him making a one-day comeback for his country just in time to jump on the gravy train this winter. 

Vaughan still has to protect his right knee from too many unnecessary risks, and for the first time in a year yesterday he admitted that he had to tread carefully.

“I find it nice to get out of Test cricket for a while to give myself time to work my knee again.” he said. “When I playing back-to-back games the knee starts to cause a bit of a problem. 

“It’s also an opportunity for me to make my Twenty20 debut for Yorkshire.

“They have asked me if I’ll play and I said I would love the opportunity. It is a fun game to play in.”