OwZat!

Can this England side go all the way in the world cup? A few weeks ago the answer would definately have been no, however a month is a long time in sport. This rapid turnaround of fortunes demonstrates the effect of confidence and the difference that it can make to the performance of a team. At the end of the Ashes series England's confidence level was at an all time low, thoroughly outplayed, calls for the head coach to resign, and for the captain to be replaced. The commonwealth bank series was just something to endure, before getting back home.

So what happened? Well England had a little luck in their first win against the Aussies and all of a sudden confidence is restored. The inspirational captain then makes a winning comeback, displaying leadership and an understanding of the game that few others have, (Fleming perhaps being the only other international captain to match Vaughan) and England have two wins on the bounce.

All of sudden anything is possible. The Aussies suffered a few injuries and were perhaps guilty of some complacency in the first game, but by the time of the second final, England were in ascendancy and it was the Australian's self belief that had dissipated.

The key questions are: can England maintain their self-belief? Will Australia recover their against New Zealand? Or will none of this matter as a South Asian team romps to victory?


If nothing else the results have certainly brought Australia back to the rest of the field and the World Cup looks a fairly open tournament between the major nations.

I personally think England have a chance, but they have to take the most of every opportunity. If catches start being dropped and run outs missed in the field, then England will struggle.

Come on boys!!

Full squad: MP Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt), EC Joyce (Middlesex), IR Bell (Warwickshire), AJ Strauss (Middlesex), KP Pietersen (Hampshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), A Flintoff (Lancashire), RS Bopara (Essex), PA Nixon (Leicestershire, wkt), JWM Dalrymple (Middlesex), MS Panesar (Northamptonshire), J Lewis (Gloucestershire), JM Anderson (Lancashire), LE Plunkett (Durham), SI Mahmood (Lancashire)

Picture Ravi Bopara, Guardian Unlimited. England's Wildcard