England's search for Ashes momentum
Mike Selvey, in his blog in the Guardian, believes a win against Australia could give England a slight momentum as they prepare for the forthcoming Ashes
ESPNcricinfo staff
08-Jun-2013
A victory over Australia in the 2004 Champions Trophy, their first in 15 matches, gave England a spurt of momentum for the Ashes that year. Given Australia's lack of form in recent times, it becomes even more important, according to Mike Selvey in the Guardian, that England beat their opponents. To do this, they need to understand some important lessons from the recent ODI series against New Zealand.
If the series against New Zealand teaches England anything it is that they have yet to come close to mastering the nuances of one-day cricket. In two of the three games, they were beaten with embarrassing ease and in the third survived to win only on the back of a remarkable four-over assault by Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan.
In particular they continue to struggle in the power plays where other sides do not. England might have once been favourites for this competition based largely on the premise that they know the conditions and have players suited to them.