England cricket team sets a world record

England set a world record Wednesday after it named an unchanged team for the sixth Test in a row to meet South Africa in the first of the four Test series at Lord's Thursday.

The previous record was also England's when they fielded an unchanged side through a five-Test series in Australia in 1884-85

'Everyone's fit and we'll be playing the same team that played at Trent Bridge,'' captain Michael Vaughan was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.

Vaughan missed the final part of his county Yorkshire's four-day match against Durham after stiffness and pain in his his troubled right knee, which has undergone four operations.

He said Wednesday the joint had been injected with a lubricant and he would be fully fit for Thursday's first Test.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who has not played test cricket since the final Ashes Test in Australia early last year because of injury, practised with the England team at the indoor nets at Lord's because of steady rain.

'We want him back in the England team,'' Vaughan said. 'He's here today practising just to get his foot in, we know he's not far away. How we get him in the team, we will have to decide on that once he's become available and had enough cricket.''

Vaughan said Flintoff could be available for the second Test starting at Headingley in Leeds July 18. 'He feels in decent spirits, he says he's getting better,'' he added.

Turning to South Africa, Vaughan said they had enjoyed a wonderful past 12 months. 'They are a very settled team, they have got a good blend of experience and youth,'' he said.

'I always think that a South African series is nearly up there with the Ashes. It's always a really big series for the guys to play in. Always hard-fought contests, very, very tough, what Test match cricket is about, he said.