A routemap for Irish cricket

Watching Ireland play in this World Cup has not felt much like watching amateurs. There has been a tangible chasm between their performances and those of Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and even Zimbabwe. And what India would give to have fielding as athletic, and prone to conjuring up direct hits, as Ireland’s. Having built on their progress since 2007, you would think the ICC would be doing all they could to help Ireland continue their upward trajectory.

But if the ICC do not ensure there’s a fair qualification process for the 2015 World Cup, they will undermine much of cricket’s growth in Ireland. It is World Cups that inspire players, like the 14-year-old George Dockrell in 2007. Ireland’s genuine ambitions for growth should be rewarded. Think of plans to build a large new ground in Dublin, and tireless work to increase the takeup of the sport, rewarded with some highly encouraging performances in U-19 World Cups.

The relationship of Irish and English cricket is a curious one: England are both their biggest friends and foes. England are essential if the Irish side is to improve, and Dockrell’s development can only be aided by him signing a contract with Somerset, becoming the seventh Irishman to have a county contract. But there is axiomatically a limit to how much Ireland can improve whilst their best players are continually stolen, and few would disagree that at least one of the games against Bangladesh and West Indies could have been won with Eoin Morgan in the side. But how can this be stopped? Given how much better Dockrell looked than Mike Yardy in this tournament, what’s to stop him going the way of Morgan and Ed Joyce?

Ultimately the answer is simple. Ireland must be given more one-day internationals against the major sides. As Brian O’Rourke, the Lenister Development Manager, says, “We now deserve regular games certainly against teams close to us in the rankings.” He is absolutely right to say, “We have proven ourselves to be the best associate nation in world cricket” – Ireland’s performances in this tournament have been much closer to those of Bangladesh, England and West Indies than those of the minnows Ireland are still viewed as part of. Accordingly, they should be included in the future tours programme for ODIs – after all, Zimbabwe already are, and they are ranked below Ireland.

O’Rourke also says that “the ICC are looking at our country to potentially be the next Test playing nation”. It is all well and good the ICC making positive noises about Irish cricket, but they need to put their words into action and help the sport move to the next level there. The alternative is to risk the progress of cricket in Ireland being undermined, as the collapse of the sport in Kenya after 2003 is a warning of. Only in cricket do sporting governing bodies actively prevent countries who want to play the game from doing so; as Peter Roebuck says, “cricket is altogether too precious about Test cricket. In every other sport it is possible for strong and weak to meet without the game getting into a palaver about it.” When we think of sides being awarded Test status, we need not think of Bangladesh, who suffered from playing the very best constantly, and, accordingly, constantly being thrashed. There should be a different model for Ireland and, indeed, other sides that display similar levels of progress to them in the future.

There should be an official timetable for Ireland to be awarded Test status, which should be possible with five years. This need not be the same as putting them on the future tours programme and insisting they regularly play Test series in Australia – an exercise in futility. Rather, Ireland should have a schedule that involves regularly playing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and often New Zealand and West Indies too. Whenever sides tour England, they should play a Test in Ireland before (and four-day games in the meantime). This would appeal both to the tourists, who would get genuinely useful practise ahead of the Tests rather than facing under strength and demotivated county sides, and obviously Ireland themselves. A Test against Australia every four years would be a good indicator of their progress, as well as helping increase interest in the game – and, if they did well, it could even lead to more in the future. Fundamentally though Ireland would play against sides of similar ability. At a stroke, too, the threat of players switching to England would be lost.

The issue of Ireland’s domestic structure has often been held up as a reason why they are not ready for Test cricket, and obviously steps must be taken – as they already are – to improve it. Yet, looking at football, the top division in both the Republic and Northern Ireland are roughly analogous to the English conference; but this doesn’t stop success being enjoyed, like the Republic reaching the World Cup quarter-finals in 1990. There is no reason why Ireland’s players can’t continue to play in the county championship.

Ireland’s ambitions are such that, in spite of defeating England, they will leave the tournament with a strong sense of disappointment that they didn’t claim at least one more Test scalp. They deserve better than for their progress to be undermined by what their chief executive Warren Deutrom labels the ICC’s “closed shop” mentality.

Home with honour XI

Now the 42-game group stages are over, here is an XI from the best players whose World Cup is over, featuring at least one player from the six knocked-out sides.

Imrul Kayes
Whilst Tamim fired only briefly, his less obtrusive opening partner was the nearest Bangladesh had to a reliable batsman. Seldom over-adventurous but with a good range of shots deployed sagaciously, Kayes provided the backbone for their successful chases over England and the Netherlands, winning the Man of the Match award in both games. In his own words,”I believe in the idea of hanging in there instead of making a 10-ball 30” – making him almost the antithesis of Tamim.

Ed Joyce
His long-awaited return to Ireland colours was a disappointment in many ways – how Joyce will rue his soft dismissal against Bangladesh. But his 84 against the West Indies, which begun with consecutive boundaries, was testament to his class: he is surely the most aesthetically pleasing batsman any of the associate nations possess, with his cover drive evoking that of David Gower.

Collins Obuya
He is remembered for his sharp-turning leg-spin in the 2003 World Cup, when he took 5-24 in the victory against Sri Lanka. Obuya’s bowling has since subsided, but he has reinvented himself as a top order batsman of genuine quality, as 243 tournament runs illustrates. It was a great shame he ended 98* against Australia, after he had handled Tait, Lee and Johnson with the assurance of a Test player.

Niall O’Brien
O’Brien will be extremely frustrated reflecting on this World Cup: he made starts in every innings but only once past 50. O’Brien’s relish for a challenge was illustrated by hitting Morne Morkel for six over long-on, one of the shots of the tournament, and an average in excess of 40 shows the quality of this most industrious of cricketers.

Ashish Bagai (wicket-keeper)
Bagai was one of the best wicket keepers on display in this World Cup, keeping with poise and vivacity to seam and spin alike. And with the bat he was easily Canada’s best player. Elegant and never overawed, he took them to victory over Kenya, and then scored a commanding 84 at almost a-run-a-ball against New Zealand.

Ryan ten Doeschate
Ten Doeschate came into the tournament with a reputation as the best associate player in the world, and, with a century that fused brawn and finesse against England, he quickly went about justifying it. Though runs proved harder to score thereafter, he chipped in with a half century in difficult circumstances against Bangladesh, before ending the tournament with another magnificent hundred. His wicket-to-wicket bowling also troubled England.

Kevin O’Brien
Critics will say he only played one innings of note, but what an innings. O’Brien 113 against England – including 45 off 15 balls during the batting powerplay – was a knock for the ages. As a display of brutal, calculated hitting it was phenomenal: and it was fitting he ended Ireland’s tournament with the six that sealed victory over the Netherlands.

Shafiul Islam
Belying his ODI average of under 6, and three ducks in five innings this tournament, Shafiul proceeded to smash Swann and Anderson down the ground en route to raiding England for a match-winning 24*. His pace and reverse-swinging venom previously claimed 4/21 to clinch a tight victory over Ireland. But, like his team, Shafiul was damagingly inconsistent, leaking 124 runs from 14 overs in Bangladesh’s three defeats.

George Dockrell
Dockrell’s control and big-match temperament – remarkable for an 18-year-old mark him out as a special talent. In the intense pressure of the opening game in partisan Dhaka, Dockrell’s wonderful 10 overs, in which he returned 2-23, ought to have secured Ireland victory. Thereafter, he only continued to impress, with the only shame that his skipper didn’t trust him to bowl to Kieran Pollard. What odds him representing England in 2015?

Ray Price
The man with the most theatrical expressions in world cricket illustrated his guile and skill with some admirable performances, notably 2-21 of eight overs against Pakistan, and was equally effective opening the bowling or bowling in the middle overs. Nine wickets at less than 19 deserved better support from his disappointing compatriots.

Harvir Baidwan
Canada’s bustling seamer was impressive throughout, making up for a lack of express pace with nagging consistency and a touch of late movement. He will be rightly proud of his haul of thirteen scalps – three more than any associate bowler managed - which included Brendan McCullum, Shane Watson and Younis Khan.

2008 Season Review: Middlesex

Continuing our season reviews, here is an assessment of Middlesex’s season.

Final placings:
Championship Division Two – 3rd;
FP Trophy – 3rd, South-East Division;
Twenty20 Cup – Winners;
Pro40 Division One - 8th

How to judge Middlesex’s season? It was one in which they lost two captains, never looked like getting County Championship promotion and saw a members’ revolt. But they also ended 15 trophyless years with a pulsating win in the Twenty20 Cup – earning riches unprecedented in county cricket in the process.

Still, for all the excitement of winter trips to Antigua and India, deep problems remain. A batting line-up that appears one of the best in the county game is still prone to alarming collapses; all too often, it fell to the line-up’s less-vaunted members, wicket-keeper Ben Scott and Shaun Udal, to repair the damage wrought by injudicious strokeplay.

Underachieving batsmen
In Andrew Strauss, Billy Godleman, Owais Shah, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan and Eds Smith and Joyce, Middlesex possess an array of supremely talented stroke-makers. Yet too often the side proved less than the sum of its parts. Where in the Twenty20, there was a relish for responsibility – witness Owais Shah’s sublime innings in the final and Malan’s breathtaking quarter-final century against Lancashire, from the depths of 21/4 – it was a sadly different story in the Championship. Consecutive wins to end the campaign secured third, but no one was fooled.

In between England duties, Strauss was much-improved upon last season and Shah played a few magnificent innings, though a CC average of 42 was still disappointing. Godleman struggled at times, but, still not 20 and with 35 first-class games under his belt, a long future in the game looks assured.

Further cause for optimism came in the pair of young left-handed stroke-players Malan and Morgan, both of whom are in the England Performance Programme Squad. Morgan looks well set to follow Joyce in representing both Ireland and England. His limited-overs batting is fearless and highly innovative – perhaps overly so at times – and an ODI debut cannot be too far away. But he also possesses a temperament and elegance that are well-suited to the first-class games, as three hundreds (the first, against South Africa, being his first for Middlesex) and an average of 50 are testament to.

Captaincy troubles
However, things were less rosy for Messrs Smith and Joyce. Smith’s campaign was injury-ravaged. Joyce did superbly to steer the side to Twenty20 glory, but he struggled with the bat and as captain in the other formats of the game, leading him to pass the reins onto Udal, who oversaw the encouraging end to the season. Whilst signing Udal out of retirement proved inspired, as he batted terrifically and bowled with tremendous nous, especially in Twenty20, it is decidedly uncertain whether the Eds will begin the 2009 season in the Middlesex ranks.

The mainstay of the bowling was Tim Murtagh. Indefatigable and increasingly canny, he took more wickets all told than anyone else in the land. The support was rather mixed, however, owing much to injuries. Alan Richardson did very well after coming back from injury, but Chris Silverwood barely played. Young tyros Steven Finn and Danny Evans both have bright futures, especially the beanpole Finn, provided they are not overbowled too young.

Middlesex’s foreign imports were something of a mixed bunch. Dirk Nannes proved an excellent recruit, fantastic in the Twenty20 and averaging just 20 with the ball in his five Championship games. Tyron Henderson is a superb Twenty20 player, but failed in other competitions. Locum overseas player Vernon Philander was uninspiring, whilst Murali Kartik, so outstanding last season, failed to repeat his success, though he too was crucial in the Twenty20 win.

As they prepare for an exciting winter, Middlesex have many issues to be resolved – a permanent captain being the most pressing. But with Twenty20 riches to boost the club coffers and a band of immensely promising youngsters, Middlesex are in better shape than for many years.

Player of the season:
Tim Murtagh is the only realistic choice after taking 104 wickets this campaign, including 10 wickets in a match for the first time. An increasingly skilful operator and handy lower-order biffer – how Surrey must regret letting him cross the Thames.

Most disappointing player:
It may seem harsh but Murali Kartik’s 16 wickets at 34 from seven Championship games was a pretty woeful return for a man recruited to be a match-winning spin bowler who could lead the club to Division One.

Highlight:
Tyron Henderson holding his nerve, when all others were losing theirs, to win the Twenty20 Cup. With 11 wins from their 13 games, no one could dispute Middlesex were the tournament’s best side.

Lowlight:
Losing consecutive Championship games by an innings and 10-wickets just before Twenty20 finals day, virtually ensuring another season in Division Two.

If you're interested in writing a season review for your county (we still need reviews for Somerset, Sussex, Lancashire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire) or contributing in any way please email cricketingworld@hotmail.com

Shah ensures Twenty20 riches for Middlesex

After 15 years without a trophy, Middlesex certainly picked the right one to end their drought. In winning the 2008 Twenty20 Cup, they have earned themselves riches the envy of all county players. And their victory was utterly deserved: they have been the best side throughout the competition, winning 11 of their 13 games.

Their success has been built on the soundest of formulas. Mixing the accumulating batting style of Ed Joyce and Billy Godleman with the unorthodox flair of youngsters Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan, the phenomenally-powerful hitting of Tyron Henderson and the tournament-winning brilliance of Owais Shah, their batting line-up was formidable indeed.

Their bowling was expected to be less so. However, in Murali Kartik and Shaun Udal, Middlesex had the best spin pair in the competition, able to suffocate the opposition in the middle overs with their canniness and subtle variations: Kartik’s economy rate was 6.7, Udal’s a brilliant 6.2. Their pace bowling appeared on paper to be their weak link, but Henderson, Dirk Nannes and Tim Murtagh all rose to the challenge throughout, with Henderson's yorker-filled death bowling particularly significant.

Always, they had someone able to take on the responsibility as the county set about improving upon their previously appalling Twenty20 record.

The best instance of this was Malan's extraordinary quarter-final century against Lancashire. At 21/4, the game seemed almost gone yet Malan's knock transformed the match. Driving powerfully against the seamers and treating Simon Marshall's leg-spin with skilful and calculated disdain, Malan provided evidence of a rare talent. He also illustrated the self-confidence and self-expression that Joyce, in tandem with injured club captain Ed Smith, has established.

Yesterday Middlesex certainly showed few signs of nerves in the first Twenty20 finals day. Against the favourites Durham, they stifled them through a combination of the parsimony of the Udal-Kartik duo and some wonderful fielding, leaving Shivnarine Chanderpaul unable to get into Twenty20 mode. Henderson then obliterated Durham's powerful pace attack with a 19-ball half-century, even having the audacity to launch Steve Harmison over his head for six. He was at it again in the final, as Middlesex's bold plan to promote him to number three paid dividends, but was totally overshadowed by Shah.

Called a big-game player by Joyce prior to the final, he proved him emphatically right with a model innings for this form of the game. Shah was able to manipulate the ball into gaps with his wrists, showing his propensity for finding unlikely corners of the outfield. He then launched a memorable assault upon the off-spin of James Tredwell: one would have called it slogging, but the incredible speed with which he hit through the ball and the distance with which three consecutive deliveries sailed over the ropes showed the skill and practise that have gone into the shot. The 34-ball 75 was a superb innings that illustrated the range of skills he brings to England’s limited-overs sides. And he surely deserves more than his mere two Test caps.

As Rob Key and Joe Denly put on 89 at ten-an-over – opening with them for England would certainly be an improvement on the Bell-Wright partnership in the ODIs against New Zealand – Middlesex would have wondered whether their 187 would prove enough. But Kartik and above all Udal, with a relish for a big occasion the like of which seemed in the past when he retired last year, transformed proceedings, helped by Joyce’s run-out of Arafat. Darren Stevens and Justin Kemp took Kent to the brink, but Murtagh bowled a superb, yorker-leaden 18th over to confirm his startling progress since leaving Surrey. Even when Stevens departed, the assault continued, with two moments – Joyce’s drop off Kemp; and Malan’s awful throw gifting two runs – looking crucial as the equation became four off two balls. Henderson’s figures were 3.4-0-0-58, but the South African held his nerve to deliver two superb yorkers. A trophy, at last, was Middlesex’s.

With a richly talented side imbued with self-belief following this victory, Middlesex’s years of underachievement should be coming to an end. But they were thrashed by Worcestershire in their last CC match and remain lurking in Division Two mediocrity. Whatever their grim four-day form, Antigua, and perhaps India too, awaits.

2008 Season Preview: Middlesex

Continuing our series of county previews, here is an assessment of Middlesex's chances in 2008.

2007 in a nutshell:
Middlesex finished third in both the LVCC 2 and in the 2nd Division of the Pro40, securing promotion in the latter via victory over Northants in the ‘Play-Offs’. A positive season that lacked stand-out individual performances, the runs of Shah, as always, were crucial, while Ed Smith had a fruitful year with the bat during his first year as captain. Until the arrival of Murali Kartik, the side lacked a quality spinner, however the ageing new ball partnership of Richardson and Silverwood benefited from the wet conditions which permeated the summer’s cricket.

2008 Prospects:
Middlesex doubtless have the armoury to force their way back into the top tier of Championship cricket; the likes of Shah, Joyce, Strauss and Smith have all played international cricket, while Compton, Morgan and Godleman have all been marked out as potential internationals. The weakness lies in the bowling department, without a strike bowler or a world-class spinner, there are doubts over the team’s ability to really threaten the strongest top-orders. The evergreen David Nash and star gloveman Ben Scott will share the wicket-keeping duties and either will provide batting depth down the order.

Middlesex have never made the Twenty20 finals, nor have they made a huge impression in the Friends Provident Trophy, so it would be good to see them step up their efforts in the one-day format in order to help them gain momentum in a push for promotion.

Batting:
Owais Shah, when not carrying drinks for England, will inevitably score a stack of gloriously wristy runs. More is expected of Joyce, Morgan and Compton after mediocre 2007s, while everyone’s eyes will be peeled to see if Billy Godleman can live up to the hype surrounding the left-hander’s name. Ed Smith will be hoping he can reproduce the form he showed in all forms of the game in 2007. David Nash has made regular contributions from number 7 throughout his career, although if Ben Scott takes the gloves expect spectacular stumpings as opposed to consistent run-getting.

Bowling:
The aforementioned Richardson carries a heavy workload on tired legs, while Tim Murtagh has enjoyed more success in limited overs cricket than the longer form of the game. Steven Finn is a real talent, only young; he is freakishly tall, gaining bounce, lift and sideways movement and received several rave reviews during the recent Under 19 World Cup. Shaun Udal will need to enjoy a second wind to provide a spin option after the departure of Jamie Dalrymple, while left-arm spinner Chris Peploe has failed to make himself a permanent first team fixture.

The mid-season arrival of Murali Kartik will be of huge benefit to the balance of the attack, while it remains to be seen how new signings Vernon Philander and Dirk Nannes fair in their first years of county cricket.

Probable sides:
Championship
Godleman
Compton
Shah
Smith
Joyce
Morgan
Nash/Scott
Philander/Kartik
Murtagh
Udal/Silverwood
Richardson/Nannes

One Day and Twenty20
Smith
Compton
Shah
Joyce
Morgan
Malan
Scott
Philander
Murtagh
Udal
Nannes

Key Man:
It is difficult to look past Owais Shah, and if he impresses early season he will be, once again, knocking on the England selector’s door. After a pretty average 2007, look for Ed Joyce to rediscover the form that won him a spot at the World Cup.

Rising Star:
All the talk will be about young Godleman who recently scored a pre-season hundred against Surrey, but the real stand-out youngster is Steven Finn, who could burst onto the scene ‘a la’ James Harris and really take batsmen by surprise.

Captain and Coach:
If his writing is anything to go by, Ed Smith is clearly a pretty intelligent guy. Add to this a double first from Cambridge, all the while establishing himself as a cricketer of note and you get the idea that the guy is pretty talented. He is a shrewd captain, who has the respect of the players, and as a batsman he has the ability to really take the game away from the opposition, particularly in the shorter formats.

New coach Toby Radford is a bit of an unknown, having run the Academy for the past three years, he will be keen to promote from within and will know the likes of Finn, Williams, Godleman and Levy (all academy graduates) well. Moreover it may benefit the county to have a fresh break from John Embury and the troubles that went with his time as county coach.

England Lions Tour Review

For fans angered by England's poor displays in their last Test and ODI Series, the England Lions' recently completed tour of India provided a few encouraging signs. However, in the Duleep Trophy, after winning their opening game England collapsed meekly on the final day of their second match when the final was in their sights. They then won two of their three limited-overs games.

Michael Carberry's career has frequently promised much but he now appears to be realising his potential. After averaging 50 in first-class cricket last season, he struck centuries in both the Duleep Trophy and a one-day game. If he has a successful time opening in the Friends Provident Trophy group stages, he could earn a ODI callback as an aggressive opening batsman. At 27, he is entering his prime years.

Of the other batsmen, captain Mike Yardy hit a big century in the Duleep Trophy but is palpably not international class, while Jonathan Trott did little of note and the great hope Joe Denly struggled. However, Ed Joyce, so impressive in scoring 107 against Australia last year, reminded the selectors of his talents. Overall though this was probably not the best batting line-up England could muster of those not involved with the national side. Rob Key and Ed Smith, both of whom would have been better as captains than Yardy, given that they have greater class and more chance of featuring internationally.

The great England wicket-keeper debate shows no sign of abating, but James Foster endured a miserable tour with the bat which will end his short-term hopes of playing another Test.

With the ball, the veteran Alan Richardson was impeccable, claiming six wickets in his only first-class match, before being unfairly dropped for Liam Plunkett, and doing well in the one-dayers too. However, as he is near 33 it is unlikely he will be called upon, barring a severe injury crisis. Plunkett was most disappointing, and was outshone by Durham team-mate Graham Onions. Onions took 7-39 in a heroic display in the one-dayer England lost and, for want of other options, has a chance of winning a ODI debut next season.

The tour's big winner, however, was Adil Rashid. With six wickets at 18 in the Duleep Trophy, he outbowled Monty Panesar. His batting was fantastic; he displayed tremendous maturity in both forms of the game. For the first time in his career, Rashid made significant strides in the limited-overs game and how England would love him in their ODI side come the 2011 World Cup.

Always Look on the Bright Side

Is the glass half empty or half full? Depends who's buying ultimately, but following the understandable doom and gloom around at the moment, and well articulated by Tim and Nick on this blog, the time has come to look for the positives in English cricket.

Test Cricket
It's important that we don't mix up the One day debacle with the Test team and treat them as one and the same. Last summer, we comprehensively beat Pakistan. Over the past 3-4 years we have dominated teams on the test circuit and we should bear this in mind with the Ashes defeat.

We were beaten by a highly motivated Australian team who are comfortably the best in the world. We couldn't cope with injuries to key players, notably Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones. Some of the selection choices didn't help, but playing Monty Panesar and Chris Read from the start wouldn't have changed the result.

We have a settled test team, with competition for places throughout the team. It is also a young test team, which could be around for a long time. How we bounce back in the summer will be critical, but we shouldn't panic on this front.

ODI
We went into the tournament as the 8th best team in the world. We will finish 5th or 6th, depending on what happens against the equally poor West Indies. Isn't this therefore a good tournament for us ?

South Africa aside, we have looked competitive against the big teams in the tournament. We probably gave Australia their biggest test so far and should really have beaten Sri Lanka. Never mind that we've not looked convincing against the minnows, we have at least beaten them all- unlike South Africa, India and Pakistan.

On the playing side Kevin Pieterson, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, James Anderson and Paul Nixon can all come out with reputations enhanced. Monty Panesar has shown that he can be a One day bowler. Andrew Strauss's innings yesterday was a welcome return to some sort of form

However, there are negatives. Michael Vaughan and Ed Joyce played safety first cricket at the start but didn't capitalise on their starts. Joyce in particular faces a fight to continue his international career with England while his Irish former team mates are looking forward to a new phase in theirs. Jamie Dalrymple has gone backwards with his batting and wasn't trusted with the ball. Saj Mahmood and Liam Plunkett let the opposition get off to flyers, despite Anderson at the other end. And then there is Freddy....

What do we do?
On the test side, we carry on with the players we've got and the coach we've got for the summer.
The team below is one that can look to close in on the Australians.
Cook
Strauss
Vaughan
Pieterson
Collingwood
Bell
Flintoff
Read
Jones/Anderson
Panesar
Hoggard

For One Day cricket, we need a new coach and captain. I'd go for Peter Moores as One Day coach, with Collingwood as captain. We need a new approach at the start of the innings and to identify players who have the appetite for the game and the willingness to take the risks required. This should then lead to a smooth transition for Moores to succeed Duncan Fletcher, maybe at the end of the summer.

At the last World Cup, we went out in the group stages and were amongst the worst test teams in the world. We have progressed, but we need to go further and faster.

Preview: England vs Australia

Following Bangladesh's brilliant win over the Proteas yesterday the World Cup has been thrown wide open again. West Indies, Bangladesh and of course England are now in with a shout of qualifying for the semi-finals, most likely at the expense of South Africa. The South Africa vs England game is likely to be the key game which decides qualification for England, but a victory here against the old enemy would really set them up well for that encounter and take them level on points with the South Africans. Top order woes persist for England and it seems as though Duncan Fletcher has finally had enough and is willing to recall a rested, but matchless, Andrew Strauss for Ed Joyce, who has yet to convince he belongs. Michael Vaughan, as captain and now part time spinner, is assured of his place, despite woeful form with the bat and Ian Bell, though slow in scoring, has nevertheless shown an ability to stay at the crease and score runs.

Many would love to see England revamp their batting order, with either Kevin Pietersen or Ravi Bopara thrown in at number three to increase the early run scoring during the powerplays. Ian Bell often plays spin quite well and would probably do well at four, able to rebuild after a collapse, or score at his slower accumalation pace outside of the fielding restrictions. Andrew Flintoff certainly needs to improve his form with the bat, because on current form he looks no more than a number eight batsman and should not be batting above seven. Prehaps a flexible line-up of Strauss, Vaughan, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Bopara, Flintoff, Nixon and Plunkett would be a good option for England to explore. Flexibility is key, as has often been said and England need to show more of it, not just sticking to a rigid batting line-up and throwing Flintoff in at 25 overs, whilst Bopara would be more suited for example.

Australia want to knock England out, but they can not do that in this match now, thanks to Bangladesh. England can though take a massive step towards qualification with victory, victory that would be made all the more sweeter following John Buchanan's verbal attack. One man who may have more to say than most, as usual, is Glenn McGrath, playing prehaps his last game against England and few would bet against him to go out in style, though KP will be eager to avenge his rib injury.

Prediction: With Andrew Symonds back Australia are a stronger side than the one which lost the CB series. However, minus Brett Lee, the bowling is weaker and should Brad Hodge be played in place of the injured Shane Watson, there will be overs for England to exploit from the likes of Michael Clarke and Symonds. England know how to beat Australia, but the Aussies have long memories as the latest Ashes series showed. I'm still going for England!

Players to watch: Kevin Pietersen is the talisman and will feature if England win, also watch out for Andrew Symonds' allround contribution.

Preview: England vs Sri Lanka

This game is massive for both sides and especially England who have to face Australia on Sunday. England need the points more than Sri Lanka, although the Sri Lankans are conscious of the need to maintain high standards following their defeat to South Africa earlier on. Mahela Jayawardene will be banking on Lasith Malinga and Chaminda Vaas to make early inroads into the fragile England top order. That top order could be boosted by the inclusion of Andrew Strauss for Ed Joyce, although England may give Joyce one final chance against meaningful opposition, to prove that he merits his place. The other selection issue concerns Sajid Mahmood who has so far failed to look threatening against even the minnows of the tournament. Liam Plunkett is the most likely replacement and he will feel agrieved at losing his place in the first place, as will Jon Lewis.

The key battle will likely be between Muttiah Muralitharan and the England middle order of Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff. England will be hoping for a repeat of Pietersen's reverse slog sweep for six off Murali in early 2006 and that they can maintain their excellent World Cup record against Sri Lanka, which currently stands at six victories to one. A tight contest will ensue.

Prediction: Against my head, I am saying England. I just have a feeling that if England can get Sanath Jayasuriya early then they can keep Sri Lanka under some semblance of control and hopefully he has just had his good game!

Players to watch: Kevin Pietersen and Kumar Sangakkara.

England’s top-order woes show no sign of abating

Ian Bell’s 74-ball 31 was an excruciating, unassertive innings against willing but limited opposition. He was incapable of hitting boundaries, despite batting primarily during the Powerplay overs. Had he seamlessly given the strike to the more obtrusive Kevin Pietersen that would have been fine; instead, he proved incapable of even picking up singles, leaving Pietersen with just a ball or two an over. It was not an isolated incident; rather, the latest disappointing showing from England’s top three. Ed Joyce and Michael Vaughan, meanwhile, contributed just seven runs between them.

So England’s top-order problems are twofold. Save for Joyce against Kenya and Canada, they have recently been incapable of making substantial scores at the top of the order. To compound this, the few runs they have been making have been scored far too slowly. While other top nations are routinely 100-1 after 20 overs, England tend to be nearer 80-3.

Vaughan, given that he is captain and is doing little worse than Joyce and Bell, must be persevered with, and told to bat through the innings, rather than attempt to exploit the opening overs and succeed only in getting himself out. Joyce scored a fine hundred against Australia two months ago but, save for some runs against the minnows, still appears unsure of himself. Bell was England’s finest ODI batsman in 2006 but has regressed of late; as highlighted against Ireland, he can find it very difficult to consistently score singles.

Andrew Strauss was rightly dropped at the start of the World Cup but the time has come for his return. He has palpable class and pedigree and, though hardly explosive, probably utilises the fielding restrictions better than any other member of the top three. Hopefully, the break will have reinvigorated him.

Who should he replace? Probably Joyce, though it is a very marginal decision. What England really need, of course, is a Marcus Trescothick-like figure to attack from the off. At the risk of saying ‘I told you so’, the answer is Mal Loye. Thrown into tough circumstances in Australia, Loye fared reasonably well, giving England momentum with his audacious cameos and playing his finest innings in the second final; even when not making huge scores, his fearless stroke play was vital in giving the side momentum and the run rate an early boost.

Mike Selvey, writing on Shaun Tait’s World Cup impact to date, asked: “Would England select such a maverick in similar circumstances, one wonders, or would they concentrate on what a player cannot do - Monty Panesar, say, or Mal Loye - rather than what he can?” Alas, the answer is in the question; England will just have to hope Strauss is out to make for loss time and the top order can learn from Paul Collingwood’s risk-free accumulating.

Question time for Duncan

It’s like the remarkable final fortnight in Australia never happened. England’s defeat to New Zealand was comprehensive and leaves them with much to do to reach the semi-finals. To compound their troubles, four players have been disciplined after returning after curfew on the night of the defeat.

England play Canada tomorrow and Kenya six days later, and face a number of fundamental questions regarding the make-up of their side.

Joyce or Strauss?
Ed Joyce looked to have solved England’s top-order worries in making his superb century against Australia in the CB Series but, in six appearances for England since, has not passed 25, appearing tentative and inhibited when the memory of that innings should still be fresh in his mind.

His Middlesex team-mate Andrew Strauss endured an awful winter, failing to pass 55 in 20 international innings. He has only averaged 26 in his last 23 games, but does offer class and experience at the top of the order. The decision is certainly a tough one but, given that Strauss averaged 43 in the last ODI series England played in the Caribbean, my gut instinct would be to return to him.

Whoever plays, however, the problem of England’s inability to exploit the Powerplay overs remains, along with the nagging feeling they will regret the non-selection of the idiosyncratic and explosive Mal Loye.

Jamie Dalrymple: good enough?
Jamie Dalrymple had a fine summer for England, but his performances in the CB Series were mediocre: he is the sole bits-and-pieces player in their one-day side. Against New Zealand, he failed with both bat (making 3) and ball (bowling four overs for 29), highlighting the lunacy of Duncan Fletcher calling him the first choice one-day spinner.

England surely look a better side replacing him with an extra batsman – especially given Flintoff’s dire one-day batting in the last 18 months - but, if they want a player similar in style, the vivacious Ravi Bopara would surely be a better option than Dalrymple.

Plunkett, Lewis or Mahmood?
England also face a huge dilemma over who opens the bowling with James Anderson; do they go for one of the mercurial young quicks, or the less glamarous qualities of Jon Lewis?

Liam Plunkett bowled devastatingly, if too expensively, in the CB Series. He also batted enterprisingly in the final overs. Though he scored a fine 29* against New Zealand, his bowling was wayward and seemed somewhat nullified by the St Lucia track.

Sajid Mahmood got five wickets in England’s three consecutive wins against Australia and has a fine slower ball, but his inconsistency always makes him liable to be smashed.

Doubts remain over Jon Lewis’ ability to bowl away from home, but he bowled well in Australia and in the Champions Trophy, and dserves a chance in the World Cup. Unlike Mahmood and Plunkett, he can always be relied upon to bowl accurately; though he lacks pace, this could make him hugely difficult to get away on slow wickets. Lewis’ new-ball pedigree is outstanding: since being recalled to the side against Pakistan last summer he has taken 11 wickets at 18 in the first opening overs. And his economy rate during that time is almost the antithesis to Messrs Mahmood and Plunkett – 2.95.

So what did that tell us then?

It’s always dangerous to read too much into a meaningless warm up game, but I’m not going to let that stop me. What does England’s 241 run win over Bermuda tell us about what is going to happen over the next few weeks?

Selection
Michael Vaughan and Ed Joyce is clearly the opening pair of preference, and it looks increasingly like Andrew Strauss is the spare man in the batting line-up. This is a remarkable downturn in fortunes for Strauss, who England were looking to take on Marcus Trescothick’s mantle as the senior man at the top of the innings.

Vaughan looks like he is going to take the responsibility to have a go in the first few overs in the Mal Loye style, allowing Joyce and then Ian Bell to play themselves in around him. It has to be remembered that Vaughan is a naturally aggressive batsman and this approach may allow him to protect his many injuries as the chance for a longer innings is reduced. He’s clearly not 100% fit, but seems to be being sensibly eased back into the matches.

With Jamie Dalrymple now assured his place at 7, England have a pretty long batting line up and three genuine all-rounders. However, it does seem ironic that Chris Read was dropped because he couldn’t be trusted to bat at 7, and Paul Nixon will end up batting at 8.

Jon Lewis and James Anderson are the opening bowling pair of preference, with Liam Plunkett and then Saj Mahmood as cover. Therefore, I would expect England’s first choice line up to be

Vaughan
Joyce
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Dalrymple
Nixon
Lewis
Panesar
Anderson

The Pitches
If this is representative, and the Ireland – South Africa game was similar, then they are as slow as was promised. Therefore, the predictions of regular 400+ scores may be wide of the mark and scores of 220 may be closer to the norm. Dwayne Leverock was Bermuda’s best bowler taking the pace off the ball. England's most important bowlers may end up being Collingwood, Dalrymple and Panesar with Anderson or Lewis making way for Bopara.

The Minnows
Clearly Bermuda will be disappointed with their performance, which was not helped by an injury to Irvine Romaine, their captain and one of their leading batsmen. However, it must be remembered that Bermuda are one of the weaker minnows, and Ireland’s performance against South Africa gives more hope that there will be a few scares for the big boys.

The Tuesday Lunchtime View – Who are the Minnows?

Three weeks today, on the 13th March, the whole jamboree begins, although it does look like being a phoney war for the first stages. The big eight countries are pulling away from the minnows as Zimbabwe move backwards at a rate of knots, only Bangladesh look like they have the experience and know-how to pull off an upset. In this preview, I will look at the teams ranked 9 to 16 according to the official World Cup seedings.

9) Zimbabwe
They’ve made the Super Six stage in the last two tournaments, but that was with a very different line up to the one that is now in place. The last World Cup was a catalyst for the turmoil that Zimbabwean cricket finds itself in, with the public displays of Henry Olonga and Andy Flower in denouncing the government. Since then, most of Zimbabwe’s better players have been discarded, including the Flower brothers, Heath Streak and Tatenda Taibu, leading to their teat playing status being suspended. The team has been thrashed by the other test playing countries, although they did manage a tight series win at home to Bangladesh last year, which was reversed earlier this year.

Grouped with West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland, their first game, against the Irish, is their only realistic hope of any success

10) Kenya
Semi-finalists last time round, although that was helped by the number of forfeited matches involving themselves and Zimbabwe. Heavily reliant on Stephen Tikolo in probably his final World Cup, Kenya have warmed up by winning the WCL trophy for the second rank of cricket playing nations. New talent is also coming through into the team, notably batsman Tanmay Mishra and left-arm spinner Hiren Varaiya

In the same group as England, New Zealand and Canada, they may have been hoping for an upset against a demoralised England team. However, it now appears that the best they can hope for is a comfortable win over Canada and to continue to dominate the non-test playing nations.

11) Bangladesh
A test playing nation since 2001, with definite signs of improvement being made since their debut, particularly in the sub-continent. They are still trying to break in with the big boys, however, and have spent a lot of the past year playing (and beating) Zimbabwe and Kenya. Under the astute coaching of Dav Whatmore, the team has recently beaten Sri Lanka (losing the One Day series 2-1) and memorably defeated the Australians in England during 2005. A lot will depend on the more experienced players, such as Ashraful, Rafique and Bashir, the captain, but they will be hopeful of causing an upset.

In the same group as Bermuda, India and Sri Lanka, the draw has not been unkind. Bangladesh have beaten both India and Sri Lanka over the past four years, and both of the bigger teams are prone to having an off-day. If an upset does happen, this is the group.

12) Scotland
A tremendous run of run of late saw them beating Kenya to reach the final of the WCL trophy, only to lose to the same opponents in the final. Firmly established as the next best team after Kenya, they are less reliant on their county stars, Gavin Hamilton, John Blain and Dougie Brown, than they used to be. Their introduction to the Pro40 league has helped to develop a squad which has now qualified for the 20:20 World Cup and will be looking to grow the game north of the border.

In the same group as the world number one team, South Africa and everyone’s whipping boys Australia. Similar to Kenya, they will be looking for a comfortable win against the other minnow in their group, the Netherlands, and to give one of the other teams a fright.

13) Ireland
Ireland are unfortunate in that their star batsman from the qualifying stages, Ed Joyce, has defected and should be opening the batting for England in the tournament itself. Disappointing in the ICC tournament in Kenya, they made up for matters by reaching the final of the Intercontinental Cup, the longer format of the game for non-test playing nations. Eoin Morgan, now on the books with Middlesex, and Andre Botha will be key to their batting.

In the same group as Zimbabwe above, that game will be their best chance of success.

14) Canada
Like Ireland, Canada have made the final if the Intercontinental Cup. They are heavily reliant on John Davison, a big hitting batsman, who scored 111 in 76 balls against the West Indies in the last World Cup.

Coached by former Notts bowler, Andy Pick, they will be targeting Kenya as their best chance of glory.

15) Bermuda
Captained by current Glamorgan captain David Hemp, Bermuda find themselves in the same group as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. This is Bermuda’s first appearance at the Cricket World Cup and their most competitive game could be a warm up match against Zimbabwe .

16) Netherlands
The Dutch have the unenviable task of making up the numbers in the Australia, South Africa, Scotland group. This at least will give their players of South African descent, including Essex’s Ryan ten Doeschate, a chance to shine against the country of their ancestry.

Collingwood and Flintoff restore some English pride

England somehow managed to revive a seemingly doomed tour by winning four consecutive ODIs and, in the process, winning their first major foreign tournament for almost a decade. Here are ratings for all the batsmen, as well as the 'keeper, who took part in the CB Series.

Ian Bell 6/10
Bell was a constant throughout the ODIs at number three. He consistently made 20s and 30s but only made two 50s (though both were in victories over Australia). There were whispers over the rate at which Bell scored his runs, as well as his running between the wickets, but, especially with his fine fielding, he was a qualified success and is in possession of a spot for the World Cup.

Ravi Bopara 6
Bopara played only one game, in which he made useful cameos with bat and ball, and helped to reinvigorate a struggling side. But has he done enough to earn a place in the World Cup squad?

Paul Collingwood 9
For his first six games, Collingwood looked as if his spirit had been shaken irrevocably by the events of the Ashes. But, after missing a game through illness, Collingwood returned in magnificent style, scoring two match-winning centuries and a 70 to re-emerge as a vital member of England’s one-day batting line-up; his industry, experience, running between the wickets and penchant for hitting boundaries make him an indispensable facet of the side. There was more good news for Collingwood: he bowled very steadily throughout, taking eight wickets and going at only 4.7 an over, overtaking Dalrymple as England’s fifth bowler in the process; meanwhile, his fielding remained superlative.

Andrew Flintoff 8
Flintoff has taken enough knocks to last a career on this tour, but he remained defiant till the end and earned some reward when his improving captaincy led England to victory in he finals. He only scored one fifty, but generally batted effectively at six, scoring important runs in the finals. Flintoff’s bowling seemed on the verge of collapse halfway through the series but, by the series’ end, he was back to his talismanic best, leading a vibrant side by example.

Ed Joyce 6.5
Joyce began the series unsure of himself and in the middle-order; he ended it with three failures, and several injudicious shots, as opener. But in between he scored a confidence-boosting 66 against New Zealand, then a superb century against Australia. He is an inherently elegant batsman whose square-of-the-wicket play is particularly effective but is also happy to use his feet and hit over the top during the Powerplay overs.

Mal Loye 6
Fans called desperately for his selection, thinking his idiosyncratic style would make an instant impact. He was certainly not overawed, and his slog sweep certainly got people excited; but he too often got out to rash shots outside off-stump, particularly against the left-armers. After a terrible decision in the first final, Loye played with more selectivity in the second, without overly diminishing his flair. But a mix-up ended his innings on 45, leaving his World Cup still up in air. Yet he is deserving of a place – on the short boundaries in the Caribbean, his characteristic shot could wreak havoc. If he doesn’t, who else can satisfactorily exploit the Powerplays?

Paul Nixon 6
His selection continues to seem ridiculous, but his ‘keeping was good; his experience, gift of the gab and value to team spirit immeasurable. The selectors picked him for his lower-order batting – and, though he too often failed when batting late on, he lead England home in the innings that most mattered.

Kevin Pietersen 8
Only played the opening game, and scored a typically belligerent 82; despite Collingwood’s recent innings, he is by far England’s finest ODI batsman. But he will be extra keen to prove it is no more than an anomaly that finals victory came without him.

Andrew Strauss 3
Only Steve Harmison’s stock fell more in Australia; Strauss did not make more than 55 in 20 international innings. His game has disintegrated, and it must be hoped the selectors recognise that Joyce performs the Strauss role better than he does currently, while Loye, statistically only marginally more successful, provides a whole new option.

Michael Vaughan 5
Came back amidst huge hope that he would rekindle the spirit of ’05. Alas, the hopes proved ill-founded, although England won two of the three games he played in. His captaincy was as canny as ever, but on batting alone he was patently not worth selection.

The Future’s Bright!

Much was rightfully made of Ed Joyce’s superb maiden international century in the last One Day International. However, we also witnessed the emergence and revival of another two potential stars. Ravinder Bopara showed in his brief innings that he could be the perfect replacement for Paul Collingwood, who has patently lost his way recently. His pace between the wickets is excellent, much to Jamie Dalrymple’s surprise it seemed! He also showed that he has the ability to find a gap in the field as well as to turn ones into twos. These are of course the key attributes of a great finisher and Collingwood has not finished a game for England for a very long time indeed. In the field Bopara’s pace was a bonus and he has the ability to become one of England’s best fielders. Most welcome of all though was Bopara’s nippy bowling. Described as a medium pacer, Bopara was regularly hitting 80mph in his brief stint, during which he surprised Michael Hussey with a bit of pace and swing. This bodes especially well for England’s future, if Bopara could be developed into a bowler who could consistently bowl ten overs.

Should he develop into more of an all rounder, then he would of course join Andrew Flintoff and also Liam Plunkett, who has once again shown an impressive ability to hold a bat and score quick important runs. His bowling also seems to have returned to the promise of last winter, when he established himself in the England team. After injury though it has taken him a while to break back into the side, but now that he has, he looks as if he wants to stay and he seems fit, which is not something I was expecting, following the slow returns of Ashley Giles and James Anderson.

Monty Panesar and James Anderson would also both feature in England’s best one day side. There does however remain one important question. Jamie Dalrymple has not been bowling and when he has, has not been bowling particularly effectively. Does Dalrymple therefore belong in England’s best eleven as a specialist batsman? There are undoubtedly better players out there than Dalrymple when it comes to batting, Owais Shah one of the most obvious candidates. But Dalrymple does bring with him a lot of fight and grit and he has shown on numerous occasions, including yesterday, an impressive ability to come in when England are on top, a rare occurrence, and take the game forward, acting as another finisher. He is also a superb fielder and does offer the spin option should it be required. If he is not going to bowl regularly though it must bring his selection into question. Perhaps he and Bopara could share ten overs at the World Cup.

Fast forward to the World Cup and it would seem as though Flintoff, Plunkett, Panesar and Anderson are going to be the main bowlers, possibly backed up by another seamer at times, probably Jon Lewis, or the part time bowling of Dalrymple, Bopara and Collingwood. Ed Joyce seems to have cemented his place at the top of the order, although the same can not yet be said for Mal Loye who will likely be replaced by Michael Vaughan should the England skipper be able to maintain his fitness. Ian Bell has supposedly made number three his own, though he needs to start converting his 50’s. Pietersen is the man at four, who can be brought up to three if required. Flintoff is no doubt lurking at five or six, with the lower order comprising of Dalrymple (extra seamer), Nixon, Plunkett, Panesar and Anderson.

That would leave just one place in the side for Strauss, Collingwood or Bopara, at number five or six. Collingwood currently holds the role but I would be disappointed if Bopara did not get a chance to impress there again against New Zealand, with the veteran so out of form. Few would argue that Strauss should bat so low and so his best bet is to make a top four spot his own once more, but that would mean displacing a top order player, of whom Joyce was the most likely until his heroics. England currently have more top order players than places though, which is why Strauss is so at risk, with Vaughan and Pietersen certain to return in the top four for the World Cup and Bell and Joyce playing in such assured fashion.

Chris Pallett

Joyce the tonic to top-order worries

Ed Joyce’s start to international career was tentative indeed; but, in making a fantastic century against Australia, he has probably secured a starting place for the World Cup. The selectors have received much criticism for their continued selection of Joyce, who averaged only 25 in domestic limited-overs games last season and ostensibly appears better-suited to Test cricket. He took eight international innings to hit 50 but this innings, a lesson in judicious limited-overs batting and how to make the most of luck, vindicates their faith.

Though he has played just nine one-day internationals, Joyce has already had stints as an opener, a middle-order accumulator and, now, a second at the top of the innings. He failed in the first two roles, yet, since returning as opener, has displayed the class, resilience and coherent thinking for so long absent from England’s top-order play.

Joyce looked confused during his four-game stint in the middle order, diffident and unsure of the tempo his innings should seek to adopt. The result was three failures and a resilient 47, ended by a rash shot. In returning as opener, Joyce is no longer filling the void of Kevin Pietersen, with whom he shares very few traits, but the similarly compact, fellow left-handed Middlesex opener Andrew Strauss.

Strauss’s batting has been bereft of its usual inherent simplicity in Australia. His success has been built on an unobtrusive technique; yet, in the CB Series, his innings have frequently been ended by injudicious shots. In seven innings, five as opener and two in Joyce’s old position in the middle order, he has invariably scored between 12 and 28. Previously, he had scored four 50s (though only one – a 78 – above 56) in his last six innings, each as opener.

However, his batting currently seems bereft of common sense and his sole hope of a World Cup starting berth would appear to be overtaking the similarly struggling Paul Collingwood as England’s finisher. Collingwood, however, boasts over 100 ODI caps and is a superior fielder, while his nagging medium-pace was crucial in England’s win over the Kiwis at Hobart in Tasmania and could prove useful in the Caribbean.

Joyce, though, will now begin the World Cup as one of England’s few in-form players. He bats responsibly, and is seldom flamboyant, although he is happy to back away to leg to strike the ball through the offside during the Powerplay overs.

Though he is not naturally an aggressor, and more content to play around big-hitters like Mal Loye, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, an audacious pull shot when the field was up and a brilliant lofted drive over mid-off later on proved he is sufficiently assertive for limited-overs cricket. Joyce has the potential to be a superb opener for England, with his fusion of pragmatism and aggression, and his ability to adapt his game to suit the demands of his side. Should he extend his form into the World Cup, a Test call-up will be imminent.

The Irishman’s century was the first by an Englishman in ODIs since Marcus Trescothick’s 12th seven months ago. While Joyce patently has much to do before establishing himself as a worthwhile replacement, the 28-year-old’s aptitude for international cricket has now been proved.

Turning the tide?

There has been nothing but doom and gloom surrounding the England team and their woeful tour of Australia, until now. Following what from a distance appears another abject and downright pathetic performance against the hosts, England can actually take heart from two major positives, their best opening wicket stand on tour so far, between the dominant Mal Loye and out of form Andrew Strauss and the re-emergence of James Anderson as a dangerous One Day International bowler.

It may just be that England emerge from this tour in a better position to challenge for the World Cup. Even suggesting that their could be a challenge may sound laughable at present, but slowly England are realising what makes a successful One Day International side. Perhaps they are learning from the masters, Australia.

Prior to Michael Vaughan’s latest injury David Graveney stated that he was happy with a top three of Strauss, Vaughan and Bell. Distressed does not come close to describing how this made me feel. Fortunately though, Vaughan’s misfortune has been England’s fortune. Forced to give Mal Loye a shot in at least three games now, England’s selectors have found an answer to part of the puzzle. Marcus Trescothick has been England’s dominant one day top order batsman since the retirement of Nick Knight. Rather than replacing Trescothick with a belligerent like for like though, the selectors chose to open with Ian Bell and promoted Andrew Flintoff to three, which encouraged slow starts and prevented Freddie from doing what he does best, finish games.

Having realised that they were wasting Flintoff at three, England then failed to answer the problem by opening with Michael Vaughan, who one suspects would not even be in the side if it were not for the absence of Trescothick, the recent demoralising sequence of defeats and the current lack of inspired and intelligent leadership. Now, we must not get carried away. Loye scored just 36. But it was a speedy and aggressive 36, scored at a run a ball rate.

When Pietersen is restored to the side for the World Cup, with Flintoff lurking below, England will have three attacking players spread throughout their order, who sides around the world will fear.

Currently lacking Pietersen though, England are still desperately short of fire power. Ed Joyce is a classy player, full of talent, but his mental state on this tour appears frail and if one is brutally honest he is not the type of player England currently need to replace a power player like Pietersen. Joyce is a nudger and nurdler, not a player who will take a game by the scruff of its neck. Joyce’s Middlesex colleague Owais Shah would have been the closest England have to a replacement for Pietersen, but he is seemingly out of Fletcher’s good books. Joyce is more in the mould of a Strauss, a Bell, a Collingwood. England already have too many of those unfortunately.

Ravi Bopara will now surely get a chance in the rest of this series to stake his claim for a middle order slot in England’s one day team. However, ultimately there will not be room for more than three of Vaughan, Strauss, Bell, Joyce, Bopara and Collingwood in England’s one day side. Long term, the likely occupants are Strauss, Bell and Bopara. For now though, few will place Bopara above Collingwood, who has though shown a worrying deterioration in form at precisely the wrong time. It is also likely that Michael Vaughan’s leadership skills will get him the nod at the World Cup if fit, although as I have stated before I believe he should be concentrating on Test cricket afterwards, in order to prolong his career.

This could leave Strauss and Bell fighting it out for the number three/four position in England’s middle order. Strauss has occupied the role before, whilst Bell has shown that he can be a success in that middle order position, especially against spin.

Long term, many believe that Strauss should be the captain and no disagreements will be found here. He has shown time and again that he raises his game when captain and England have made a mistake in returning to Andrew Flintoff, rather than turning to his namesake, Strauss. Flintoff, in contrast to Strauss seems to wilt somewhat under the burden of captaincy and freed of responsibility he gave his best performance by far on tour so far against New Zealand.

In the wicket keeping department it appears as though the management are going to stick with Paul Nixon through until the summer, when one hopes that one of Matt Prior, Steven Davies or James Foster will get the gloves. Nixon, reminiscent of Geraint Jones with his constant verbals and tendency to average fifteen, is not the gloveman that Chris Read undoubtedly is, but his experience makes him a better option with the bat and England are now in need of quick fixes. Many though would still prefer to give one of the above trio the gloves.

One further point which is worthy of consideration is where Kevin Pietersen bats. When you look around the greatest sides in the world the best player often bats at three, just ask Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting. Pietersen, undoubtedly England’s best batsman, needs to bat at three in most situations. Flexibility is though a key string to a sides bow in one day cricket and Pietersen and the number four should of course be interchangeable in certain situations. With Pietersen batting at three though, England will look a far more threatening side during the power plays and it also gives him the chance to bat for the optimum amount of time. With Flintoff lurking down the order at five/six (interchangeable of course!) England would still have a power player to attack the final ten to fifteen overs. Surely it makes sense!

Earlier it was stated that England could learn from Australia and they can and should. For if England were to line up as so, their side would bear striking similarities to that of Australia and surely that is no bad thing:

Trescothick/Loye - Gilchrist (wk)
Strauss/Vaughan (c) - Hayden/Katich
Pietersen - Ponting (c)
Bell/Strauss - Clarke
Flintoff - Symonds
Collingwood/Bopara - Hussey
Dalrymple - White
Prior/Davies (wk) - Watson/Hogg/Johnson/Clark
Tremlett - Lee
Panesar/Broad - Bracken
Anderson - McGrath


Chris Pallett

Loye's cameo accentuates Joyce's timidity

Ed Joyce has an outstanding first-class average – 47 – but he does not appear fully at ease in international cricket. The stylish left-hander has been nervous and unable to impose himself over his brief ODI career. The World Cup is looming, and the explosive cameo of Mal Loye may now mean Joyce is quietly ushered out of his adopted country’s World Cup plans.

In six international innings to date (one in Twenty20, five in ODIs), Joyce has scored just 42 runs, failing to pass 13 in any innings. Moreover, he has not been particularly unlucky or the victim of brilliant deliveries. He has just appeared tentative and unsure of himself – and the opposition have ruthlessly exploited this.

The Irishman is a stylish accumulator in the Graham Thorpe mould. But there appears one fundamental difference – unlike Thorpe, there are doubts over Joyce’s mental strength. And, while people may point to Ian Bell initially being afflicted by similar self-doubt, Joyce is 28 and, in all probability, will be given just one chance to prove himself in international cricket.

He is stylistically better suited to Test cricket but, unless he can allay fears that he is mentally weak, may never get his chance. Competition for England batting places – in both forms of the game – is fierce. Indeed, many felt Joyce should not have been named in the original one-day party, and would have preferred Middlesex team-mate Owais Shah, a fiery and explosive batsman who greatly impressed on Test debut, or the idiosyncratic and highly-effective opener Mal Loye.

The latter has finally received his chance and, in scoring a run-a-ball 36 topped by a superlative slog-sweep six off Brett Lee, showed his method can prove successful in the short-term; and, unlike Joyce, he never seemed to doubt himself.

Loye dared to play his natural game, knowing he has been selected to provide early-innings impetus. One of Joyce’s problems may be that is he unsure of his task: he is an accumulator of runs, but so are Ian Bell, Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss. To compound his uncertainty, he is batting in the position normally occupied by Kevin Pietersen.

If Vaughan returns for the next game, it should be at the expense of Joyce, rather than Loye. The Lancastrian must be allowed a run opening the batting – he did enough to suggest he can thrive there in the World Cup, and England must patently find a better way to utilise the Powerplays. Strauss, Vaughan and Bell, in that order, should occupy the other top four positions until Pietersen returns. Ultimately, England should select only the two that perform best in the CB Series for the World Cup, provided Loye fares well in the remaining games. Joyce, meanwhile, can now expect to be dropped, and must seek to approach future innings with less timidity.

Loye cannot be ignored

In the absence of Kevin Pietersen, England edged to victory against New Zealand. Yet only Andrew Flintoff was able to play in an authoritative manner; despite needing only four an over, the run rate rose to almost six by the time Flintoff played his belligerent, yet mature, innings.

The selection of Ed Joyce to replace Pietersen was puzzling in that he seems incapable of being genuinely assertive; and, with Vaughan, Strauss and Bell already making up the top three, they are already over-reliant on Flintoff to raise the tempo. The selection of Joyce is puzzling in that he is patently a better player in first-class, rather than one-day, cricket.

Is this another example of England blooding potential Test players in the one-day game? Even if they genuinely view him as a potential star in ODIs, surely they must acknowledge that his only role will be replacing, rather than complementing, the top three? Their logic in playing him appears to be to give him sufficient experience to be the first reserve in the World Cup. But, with Michael Vaughan’s hamstring injury, England will have to play novice Ravi Bopara, who bats at five for Essex, at four, and move Joyce, who has appeared nervous in averaging just 9 in his four ODI innings to date, back up to his original ODI position as opener. Bewildering, indeed.

Fortunately, England have a get-out-of jail free card at hand. They can select Mal Loye, second only to Marcus Trescothick of Englishmen in his proven ability to get the innings off to a good start and open the batting with him. Loye is 34, but he is in the form of his life and is a necessity for the World Cup, bringing the one-day experience England so palpably lack. And, which Englishman doesn’t shudder at the thought of a Strauss, Joyce, Bell and Bopara top four?

Alas, Australia is a long way away, and it would be a logistical impossibility for him to fly out there and play in England’s next game on Friday. That would be a great shame, but, fortunately, we need not worry. Loye is already playing domestic cricket for Auckland; he has played two one-dayers for them scoring 90 and, just today, a run-a-ball 34. And, intriguingly, that match-winning 90, scored from just 79 balls, came at number four. So, if England are adamant Joyce must open, they could still slot Loye in at number four, where he would at least play in a similar manner to Pietersen and allow the men around him to bat as they do when he is playing.

England’s one-day batting is too often characterised by diffidence and an inability to score sufficiently fast at the top of the innings. Loye would present an ideal solution; he is a flair player of proven class (averaging 41 in first-class cricket), while his penchant for sweeping fast bowlers is just the sort of inventiveness required at the top of the order.

Time for a breather

Thursday was the day for cricketing news. The biggest news of course was that Shane Warne is retiring from international cricket following this Ashes series. Only four more times will us England fans sit there staring despairingly at our television sets as the chief magician bamboozles our batting line up.

My initial reaction was one of relief, relief that this will no longer happen and also that he plans to play on for Hampshire for a further two years. However, then I began to wonder, is international cricket about to become a whole lot more boring and the answer is undoubtedly yes. Those nail biting moments emanating from the pressure cooker environment which Warne creates are not going to be replicated again during my generation I fear. He has been the best and likely will be forever.

Thursday also brought the announcement that Stephen Harmison was retiring from One Day Internationals, just three months before the 2007 World Cup starts in the Caribbean, a region in which Harmison enjoyed his best form. This is a bold and justifiable decision by Harmison who undoubtedly recognises that he needs to play more first class cricket for his county if he is to maintain his place in England’s test side.

The Durham pace man has left England in a spot of bother though with such a major tournament so near. It is unlikely that he would have been selected for the World Cup squad anyway based on current form, but had he bowed out a few months earlier England could have conducted a more thorough search for a replacement. Now though, time is of the essence, which may have counted against Stuart Broad and his lack of experience. Whether this is the correct decision remains to be seen.

The third piece of news that broke on Thursday was of course the announcement of England’s ODI squad for the forthcoming series against Australia and New Zealand. The absence of Broad is a disappointment. However, much to my pleasant surprise I actually quite like the look of the bowling, if England select the correct five. Andrew Flintoff is a given. Jamie Dalrymple and James Anderson have probably also done enough to be in the side.

Following the dismal performance at the Champions Trophy I argued that a new approach was needed, that England needed to play two spinners in the Caribbean and that they had to play Monty Panesar. Michael Yardy looked troubled with the bat and average with the ball in his handful of appearances in an England shirt. If England are to play two spinners, one must be a wicket taker and Monty is certainly that. Four parts of the jigsaw are now in place.

Finally, I also argued that Chris Tremlett should be in the side. Surprisingly he now gets his chance following a year of troublesome injuries. However, he must play. Tremlett spent a lot of time working on the mental side of his game with Warne over the past two years and he has emerged a more threatening bowler. He will not let England down and has good control unlike Sajid Mahmood. He can also bat to a reasonable standard. Perhaps Broad could have had more success than Anderson in the Caribbean and on the current Australian pitches, but bringing in three new bowlers would have been a big change with the World Cup so near.

Ultimately, Anderson is a seasoned campaigner and knows the one day game well. Jon Lewis performed fantastically in England, but it remains to be seen whether he is up to standard abroad. Mahmood still needs more county cricket to develop, whilst Plunkett has not played for nearly two thirds of a year. In summary then I am happy with the bowling, but would have campaigned for Broad’s inclusion in the squad, along with Simon Jones when fit, for Plunkett and Mahmood.

To the batting now and I am also reasonably satisfied. Michael Vaughan will hopefully open and bring a lot to the game with his captaincy, though England must be certain of his fitness. He should though retire from ODI’s after the World Cup to prolong his Test career. I suspect that had Trescothick been fit Vaughan may have done so already. With Vaughan back there is hopefully a shot maker in the top three, with Strauss and Bell looking to build their innings more.

England will though miss the power of Trescothick and may regret not looking at players such as Owais Shah and Mal Loye. Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Flintoff are givens now, along with Jamie Dalrymple in England’s middle order, but they must be played in that order. That means no more experimenting with Flintoff at three. He is needed for the last ten to fifteen overs. Collingwood and Pietersen are the best players of spin, hence their positioning in the middle order, whilst Bell and Strauss are the most likely innings builders at the top.

Vaughan must though play some shots to get England off to a quick start. That is likely to be the key position. Ed Joyce is a quality player but offers little different to Alastair Cook, who has performed well when involved. England are probably a bowler heavy and a batsman light, which indicates their doubts concerning the bowling attack at the moment. They may well rue the omission of an aggressive top order player though. However, all in all I am sounding reasonably happy so far.

Now we turn to the wicket keeping situation. This completely baffles me. Why England have turned back to a thirty-six year old really is beyond me. Paul Nixon is a good one day player and especially proficient at Twenty20 cricket. However, having named Chris Read as the number one wicket keeper I fail to see the point in calling up a short term player as reserve.

This was the perfect opportunity for the England management to take a look at the two academy keepers, Matthew Prior and Steven Davies. They have not done so and this is my main criticism, unless of course they plan to usurpe Read once more and play Nixon at the World Cup, which would still be a backward step. Batting at number eight though, England can afford to select the best glove man, whoever that may be.

In conclusion, England have made a better fist of selecting a competitive one day squad on this occasion. Gone are the likes of Vikram Solanki, Rikki Clarke and Michael Yardy. However, it remains to be seen whether or not they select the right eleven to take to the field and then play them in the best order. By selecting the best spinner though England have finally sent a message. They are going to look to be more positive in their one day cricket and about time too.

Andrew Strauss (vc)
Michael Vaughan (c) (Marcus Trescothick/ Mal Loye/ Owais Shah)
Ian Bell
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Andrew Flintoff
Jamie Dalrymple
Chris Read/ Paul Nixon (wk) (Matthew Prior)
Chris Tremlett
Monty Panesar
James Anderson (Stuart Broad)


Chris Pallett