England still keen to win series 3-2

England are taking the view that they can still win the National Bank Series 3-2 as they head into tomorrow's vital match at McLean Park in Napier.

One man looking to make a difference for the side as it seeks a change of fortune is Ben Hollioake who has recovered from a nagging knee injury and is hopeful of taking his place when the final selection is made.

Hollioake, who last week signed for another year with his county Surrey, said the loss in Wellington had been disappointing.

"I'm sure the boys will hold their hands up and admit to that. It's gone now and there's still three games to play here and I suppose in New Zealand a lot of people will laugh but we think we can win 3-2," he said.

"One-day cricket is strange.

"A month ago everyone was saying how brilliant New Zealand are. Two weeks ago they weren't good at all, now they're brilliant again.

"With us after India everyone was saying we're on the up and up and now, after two games, we've been written off a little bit. Yet I'm sure if we can turn it around," he said.

"We've been working very well together, there is a good team spirit, everyone likes each other, that's not the be all and end all but it does help, everyone helps each other with the work load and gets on and does the business."

Hollioake said it had been an annoying tour for him with injury coming at just the time he felt he was cementing his place in the side.

The knee injury had been looked at by specialists and revealed no serious damage but it was suggested he needed 10 days of proper rest, and not the bowling in the nets he had been doing at practice.

"It just came on in India and got worse and worse," he said.

During games it had been fine as the adrenalin did its thing but once he cooled down the problems started.

"It feels like it's gone, it feels like it's finished with now. It was a bit of a strange injury because I could run at a relatively full pace but every time I bowled and stamped my foot down I was getting a hyper-extension in my knee which was causing it to collapse," he said.

Hollioake said he was definitely available for tomorrow and was excited at the prospect of being selected, although that choice was up to the selectors ultimately.

The World Cup next year was very much in Hollioake's thinking and he felt the selectors and team management were 90% along the way in assessing which players they felt would be part of the campaign.

"I'm sure if someone performs horrendously in the next three games it will have an effect on their selection in the World Cup. I can't comment for sure but I'm pretty positive they've mainly got their mind made up," he said.

The tri-series in England next summer was another important step for him and it was part of the build-up of games that have greatly increased the number of internationals the English are playing now.

"England have been a bit slow catching that up but they're starting to do it now," he said of his feeling that around 20-25 matches in a year would be more appropriate for the side.

"If I'm selected and do well I want to get myself selected for next summer's tri-series. If I wasn't to be selected for that then my hopes of playing in the World Cup would be pretty severely dented," he said.

Hollioake said he had been very close to signing with Warwickshire for the county season but decided to stick with Surrey.