Keen followers of England's World Cup history will be aware that their efforts in the early years of the competition were highly competent right up to the final, of which they have reached three without actually winning the ultimate one-day cricketing prize.
In recent tournaments, England's performances have stuttered along without any indication that they have got up to speed with the new developments in limited overs cricket such as pinch hitters and slower balls, resulting in three successive first round exits. The question now is: Can the England of 2007 upset the odds and prosper where their more experienced predecessors have failed?
The main factor in England's favour is the open nature of the tournament, where any one of the eight major test nations could emerge victorious. Though Australia remain favourites, their travails in the recent series in New Zealand and loss to England in the Commonwealth Bank finals has shown the rest of the world that the world champions have several weaknesses, particularly in their bowling attack.
England gained enormous confidence in winning that tournament after a horrible start when they seemed completely without hope. That they did so without their best batsman (Kevin Pietersen), best captain (Michael Vaughan), and several experienced bowlers stands them in great credit. Some young players stood up and took the opportunity to demonstrate their talent in Australia, notably Ed Joyce and Liam Plunkett. Joyce has the ability to find the off-side boundary regularly with his sublime timing whilst Plunkett, though frustratingly innaccurate with the new white ball, has the priceless knack of getting out the best batsmen with some superb deliveries.
England's middle order has been strengthened by the return of Pietersen and the resumption of normal service for the reliable Paul Collingwood, so often the glue that knits together the England innings. At the top of the card, Michael Vaughan, despite his moderate record in one-day cricket, offers a touch of real class and his 62 against Australia in last week's warm-up game contained some exquisite strokes. Ian Bell continues to look a very fine player without going on to make the really big scores that would silence those that doubt his place in the team. What would help England's chances so much would be a return to form for Andrew Flintoff, who has to have the highest % of dismissals caught on the boundary for a top 6 batsman in history.
Freddie's inability to use his batting brain properly results in England fans up and down the country swearing and shouting at the TV in disgust as he predictably gets caught at long on/deep midwicket once again, before sending each other text messages along the lines of 'What the XXXX was he thinking?'
At least his bowling shows no sign of deteriorating, and Flintoff, along with Monty Panesar, represent the bankers in the England bowling line up. James Anderson will probably open the bowling and if he can progress with the zippy swing he demonstrated after the Ashes had finished, he has every chance of making early breakthroughs. Plunkett looks set to start offering England a new ball pairing of Anderson & Plunkett and an opposition score of either 35 for 3 after 10 or 78 for 0 - as for which is anybody's guess. With the West Indies pitches favouring turn, Jamie Dalrymple must play offering canny spin in the middle of the innings and useful hitting towards the end.
Paul Nixon, much criticised in the early stages of the Commonwealth Bank series, will be crucial to England's prospects with his encouragement of fielders and annoyance of opposing batsmen. His ability to stand up to the part-timers like Collingwood and possibly Bell, will be a vital weapon in England's bowling armoury.
As for a prediction for England's chances......I haven't got a clue. If they throw away the many good starts they make in the middle of the innings as so often happens, they'll be also-rans. If, however, they can use their nous between overs 20-40 and demonstrate the same sort of resolve they showed when winning in Australia, with KP back in the side they might just win it.
Enjoy,
Wello
