Buzzin Cricket

Yet another blow has struck the hapless England squad, already beaten in the One Day International series 4-0 by the Australians but desperate to avoid an embarrassing whitewash, they now have to contend with a training injury to all rounder Luke Wright.

Wright was struck on the toe while batting against a bowling machine at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough and has had to have stitches in the wound and will now be assessed ahead of the day/night game at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

Captain Andrew Strauss who has been the only shining light with the bat during the One Day series has called upon the other England batsman to stand up and be counted, following the pitiful form that has been seen throughout the first four games.

Indeed Strauss remains the only England batsman that can look back over both the Ashes and ODI games with any sort of pride, the skipper has led from the front throughout the summer.

But questions need to be asked of the others in the England team, the selectors and management and possibly even of Strauss’s own abilities as captain as they continue to capitulate against a determined Australian side.

The absence of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff has left a massive void in the England team, both are larger than life characters who can lift those around them, something obviously not lost on the England captain, who says;

“Other people have to stand up. In a good, functioning one-day team you have got match-winners everywhere. The top six all have to be capable of getting one-day international hundreds – and hundreds generally win you games.”

In the Aussie camp meanwhile there are no such problems and stand in coach Troy Cooley is talking up the prospect a faster meaner Brett Lee featuring in the remaining games of the series. After taking 5 for 49 in a ferocious spell at Lord’s with deliveries around 95mph, Cooley says there is more to come from the pace bowler who is expected to break the 100mph mark.

Terrible news for an England attack that simply had no answer to the ferocity of Lee’s bowling and Strauss apart, had little idea of what to do with the bat!