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Featured Sport News

England eye ODI success

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 20/05/2009

England will be hoping to maintain their winning momentum ahead of the Ashes later this summer when they face the West Indies in a three-match ODI series.

The first game takes place at Headingley on Thursday, with the second match of the series set for Bristol on Sunday.

A potential decider is then scheduled for Edgbaston next Tuesday, with the Windies hoping to hit back after a dismal display in the two-match Test series that has just ended.

The tourists were beaten by ten wickets at Lord's in the first Test, before stumbling to an innings loss at Chester-le-Street's Riverside ground.

However, Chris Gayle's side are usually a far more determined unit in the shorter form of the game, despite the personnel having changed little since the Test debacle.

The return to the fold of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo should provide a much-needed morale boost, with the 25-year-old a proven death bowler and an outstanding fielder, as well as being a useful middle-order batsman.

Gayle himself is no doubt looking forward to having to focus for shorter periods, following his recent disparaging comments about Test cricket.

Another addition to the Test squad with something to prove is seamer Ravi Rampaul, who is a regular in the one-day set-up despite having yet to make his Test debut.

The Windies will be hoping to reverse the outcome of England's trip to the Caribbean a matter of months ago, where the home side won the Test series but lost out in the ODI series 3-2.

England, in comparison, will go into the series in high spirits following their domination of the tourists in the Test matches and cricket betting pundits are tipping them to win comfortably.

Skipper Andrew Strauss proved to be an able leader, while a number of younger players made the most of opportunities handed out by the selectors.

Chief among those was Ravi Bopara, who scored centuries in both games and the talented right-hander is likely to open the batting in the shorter form of the game.

Another player to watch is Irishman Eoin Morgan, with the young left-hander having earned a first call-up to the England fold after impressing for the country of his birth.

The inclusion of Morgan, along with Bopara and established stars like Kevin Pietersen and Owais Shah suggests that England will adopt a more aggressive approach with the bat.

That is also likely to see their top big-hitter, Dimitri Mascarenhas, play a key role in the lower middle-order, coming in late in the innings when boundaries become a necessity.

England's bowling options also look varied, with left-armer Ryan Sidebottom back in the fold after injury, while James Anderson will be looking forward to utilising a white ball which should swing even more than the red one did.

Overall this series should be a much tighter affair than the recent Test clashes, with victory in Leeds on Thursday likely to be crucial to the outcome of the campaign.

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