Tag Archives: world-twenty20

• Andrew Strauss has point to prove in one-day format • ‘Our confidence is on fire,’ says England all-rounder Tomorrow’s match in Edinburgh does not have the spice of Anglo-Scottish encounters of the past at Wembley or Murrayfield. However, there is enough hanging on the contest to make it worthwhile. Scotland can measure themselves against one of the better teams in the world and England need to tune up for the five-match series against Australia. While Andrew Strauss, the experienced Test opener, is eager to remind us that he can still be an integral part of the 50-over side, Luke Wright, something of a Twenty20 specialist, would like to demonstrate he has plenty to offer the national team in the longer form of the white-ball game. Wright was an integral part of the Twenty20 side that won the World Cup in Barbados a month ago – even though he bowled only one over in the tournament. We know he is expected to play against Scotland since he was selected by the ECB to give his thoughts on the match, a task he fulfilled with due responsibility, carefully avoiding the trap of patronising England’s opponents. “It’s always a challenge every time you play against sides like Scotland, as we found out in the World Twenty20 against Ireland,” he said. “It’s a difficult challenge and you have to be at your best to beat them.” (Here his eagerness not to patronise England’s opponents was being stretched to the limit.) “And we all know what Australia are like. They always come back strong and they certainly want to put things right against us,” he added in a reference to England’s Twenty20 victory over Australia in the final in the Caribbean. “But we have a lot of confidence at the minute and hopefully we can build on that and put in some good performances. “We’ve come across quite a few challenges now as a squad and overcome them. Scotland are underdogs and it’s always difficult against teams who have nothing to lose. We have to be professional in the way we go about it. “But confidence-wise the boys are on fire right now and everyone is excited and looking forward to taking on these challenges.” The Scotland captain, Gavin Hamilton, insists this England team is the strongest the country have ever had. The former Yorkshire all-rounder picked up a solitary Test cap in 1999 and has been impressed with the new-look side. “It’s nice to see an England side performing, having an aura about them, looking like a team of athletes and like a proper international side capable of beating anyone,” he said. “I’ve played against these guys quite a lot and it’s nice to see them on top of the world, literally, in one-day cricket.” England Cricket Team Scotland Cricket Team Cricket Vic Marks guardian.co.uk

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Luke Wright wants England to hit the high notes in Scotland tune-up