Keeping an eye on the ball, not the money

	'The one thing, after the fourth operation, then the side strain that drives you is having days like today. There have been some dark times, but I'm back in the side and determined to enjoy' © Getty Images

And so the juggernaut rolls on. Not even the rain, increasing gloom or a return to form for Hershelle Gibbs could stop England's one-day bandwagon, while an early-morning back spasm was no hindrance to Andrew Flintoff. The dizzy heights of No.2 in the world are still on the cards, but the successful run chase here was timely from another point of view. At the end of October there's a little bit of money at stake in Antigua and England were able to work on a few Twenty20 skills.

"I don't know how many shots we'd have played if we were playing for a million bucks each," said Kevin Pietersen as he reflected on another job well done. He should have 'focus' tattooed on his arm just below his other inscriptions. Pietersen is taking each individual challenge on its own, broken down into single matches and refuses to be drawn into thinking ahead beyond his quest for a whitewash.

"We just look at the cricket now, how the guys are playing and how they are training. Talking about Stanford isn't a great idea. The key is, and it will be the same on Wednesday [at Cardiff], is not to look too far ahead. It's about delivering and we did it today and will do it again on Wednesday. We'll try our hardest to win the series 5-0 because there would be no greater satisfaction than to finish at 10.30 and know we are second in the world. That's the most important thing, not Stanford."

Still, though, they wouldn't be human if minds hadn't wandered to Pietersen or Flintoff producing similar fireworks in a couple of months. Flintoff is regaining that irrepressible force that made him such a giant of the game. He has already gone back to being ranked the best one-day allrounder, and he is firmly back as the fan's favourite. When he walked to the nets for a few throw downs before the run chase he was greeted to cheers from the Compton and Edrich stands. And he had already quickly shrugged off his early-morning back problem to take a vital 3 for 21; after four ankle operations and a side strain it probably didn't feel like a problem at all.

"These hotels beds are very soft and I think I spent about 11 hours in it last night, far too long," he said. "It was a bit of a spasm but nothing serious and having not played at Lord's for so long that wasn't going to affect anything." With Ryan Sidebottom's back problems earlier this season, the country's hotels might be asked to reconsider their bed policy. Maybe they could give the soft mattresses to the Australians next summer? It's just an idea.

One of the keys to Flintoff's resurgence has been the responsibility throw his way by Pietersen. None of this hiding him at No. 7 that came on his Test return at Headingley. "When Kev asked us to bat at No. 5, I was over the moon," he said. "I've had my best times batting at five, I feel more comfortable there because you get the chance to have a look. I've managed to score a few runs and it's the manner I've scored them has probably been most pleasing."

As Flintoff charged England towards the victory line everything was finding the middle of the bat. It has been that way all series. And he has played contrasting innings, too. Aggression at Headingley, consolidation at The Oval and a freedom to swing at Lord's.

Pietersen is never one to mince his words and is taking praise to a whole-new level. "He's playing some of his best cricket," was the assessment of Flintoff, but the man himself was slightly more guarded.

"I'm doing alright," Flintoff said modestly, "but I'm not getting carried away. One of the things I said after my ankle operation was that if I didn't feel I could play as well as I had done, or better, then I probably wouldn't have gone through it. I've been on the other side before so won't get carried way.

"After the fourth operation, then the side strain, what drives you is having days like today. There have been some dark times, but I'm back in the side and determined to enjoy it. At the moment I'm having a great time."

While Flintoff may have taken the late glory, his team-mates needn't have worried about being forgotten. Pietersen has plenty of love to go around and following Samit Patel's glowing report after The Oval, it was the turn of Owais Shah, who was promoted to No. 3 at the insistence of the captain. After a slow start to the series - and his innings here - he finished with 44 off 40 balls.

"When you give a guy confidence and he knows he can come in and play his way, and he's going to be backed, then he'll come good," Pietersen said. "I knew it and he knew the players had the confidence in him. He has the stats and has done it over the years [for Middlesex]. He's delivered today and the way he was talking in the middle was a great sign. I'm very happy with everyone." Why shouldn't he be. At the moment the whole team must feel like a million dollars.