SUNDAY

Woke up feeling deflated after Graeme Smith's superb century saw South Africa home in a difficult run chase. My mood was worsened by rumours circulating on breakfast TV that Michael Vaughan may be resigning from the captaincy.

After texting him and finding out that the rumours were true, I watched as events unfolded and Michael gave his final press conference as captain. It was clearly emotional for him, but also for me to see the end of his reign. It was impossible not to think back on all we had been through over his five years in charge and remember all he had done to make the team successful. He was without doubt the best captain I ever played under, having a unique ability to take pressure off his team, advocating enjoying the challenge while never allowing us to get too relaxed.

MONDAY

What was planned as an enjoyable day at Silverstone, racing some cars and doing a few low-profile interviews for the team sponsor, Vodafone, turned into a media frenzy as the hoards descended on Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff and myself for our views on the choice of the new captain, Kevin Pietersen.

With Michael in charge I don't think any of us were thinking about who might take over from him. I suppose Paul Collingwood seemed the obvious successor when he was appointed captain of the one-day team, but with his resignation yesterday as well there was a vacuum which needed to be filled quickly.

The selectors opted for KP and it was easy to see their logic. It is clearly much simpler for one man to be in charge in all forms of the game and Kevin is one of a very select group who are guaranteed to play every game for England. In addition, he has some obvious skills that should come in handy. First, a captain has to breed confidence in his charges and if he is struggling for confidence himself that is impossible. KP should be fine in this regard!

Secondly, he is a very decisive character who sees things clearly. When decisions have to be made it is important as a captain not to agonise over the pros and cons for too long. You go with your gut feeling, and again KP will be able to do that.

Thirdly, he is a good enough batsman not to let the captaincy affect his run capacity and to let his brilliance inspire those playing under him. Probably one of the most important attributes of a captain is to lead from the front.

TUESDAY

Practice washed out, but a very fresh team meeting took place with Kevin giving us his views on the future, as well as honest assessments of where we are as a side coming from everyone.

WEDNESDAY

A light practice followed by the announcement of the team, which saw a welcome return for Steve Harmison. Although there were many who agreed when he was omitted in New Zealand, I don't think any could argue with the way he has responded. A bag full of wickets for Durham sees him back in the side, and he fully deserves it. We all know how unpleasant he is to face.

THURSDAY

New captain, new team, and finally we have put South Africa under pressure. There was a little less discipline in the way they batted today, but take nothing away from the bowlers, Steve Harmison and Jimmy Anderson in particular, who were both hostile and accurate. The ball that ripped out Hashim Amla's middle stump was a gem from Harmison. With South Africa 195 all out and England 49 for the loss of only yours truly, we are in a perfect position to push home the advantage.

FRIDAY

I don't know who writes KP's scripts, but they are predictably brilliant. A fantastic hundred by the new skipper today put us in the box seat, only for the South Africans to come back at us in the afternoon. Despite losing our middle-order cheaply, a lead of 85, with Graham Smith in the bag, is a strong position.

SATURDAY

A frustrating day. We, including KP, spent the afternoon watching the rain and Olympic badminton and weightlifting. It's amazing how much a 48kg woman can raise above her head.