Expectation, speculation and the English weather

Hosts England versus current World Champions Sri Lanka promises to be a fantastic contest. Last summer the aggressive Sri Lankans beat England in the final of the Emirates tri-nation series at Lords. At that stage, victory was yet another feather in their coloured, one-day caps, caps that were starting to grow wings from the unadulterated volume of feathers being accumulated by these one-day wonders. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, these caps seem to have been weighted down over the last few months. Rather than flying, they seem to have hit an air pocket that has caused a degree of turbulence within their ranks.

When they are playing at their best Atapattu, Jayasuriya, Jayawardene, Kulawitharana and Hathurusinghe are not only tricky names to pronounce, they are also very tricky players to restrain. Few batting orders in the game thrash cricket bats at the bruised and battered leather projectile - commonly known as a cricket ball - like these batting assassins. Straight drives, fierce pull and cut shots and cheeky running between the wickets makes controlling these World Champions as difficult to contain as an avalanche in a snowfield.

Without being outright "sloggers", every one of the top seven batsmen seems to turn over the run-rate as effortlessly as Michael Owen scores goals. Not many players can boast of having transformed the game as Jayasuriya and Kuliwitharana have the one-day game. Both of these batting dynamos, all five foot four of them, can rightfully claim to have made a significant mark on the changing approach to the shorter version of the game.

It was these two "thrashing machines" who arguably introduced the strategy of belting opening bowlers from Ball One of a one-day affair by capitalising on the field restrictions in the first 15 overs. By following the theory that there is more room in the air than on the ground, they revolutionised the way teams are taking advantage of the first 15 overs of one-day cricket.

The interesting question being raised before this World Cup is whether the "pinch-hitting" approach will be as effective in English conditions. One thing is for sure ... there is no way Sri Lanka will vary their style. The theory of seaming pitches and swinging new balls may well be valid, but I feel that the Lankan batsmen will counter this and cause many headaches for the opposition bowlers and captains. I admire the way Jayasuriya, Aravinda and Co. play shots which would certainly have Geoffrey Boycott shaking his head in disbelief, and if they can find early form then I feel they will be dangerous.

It is no coincidence that Sri Lanka currently holds the title as the best one-day cricketing nation in the world. Though they have struggled for consistency in recent times, their achievements are quite remarkable considering it wasn't long ago that they were considered a third-world nation in cricket prowess. It will take a mammoth effort for Sri Lanka to retain the title, especially in view of recent form, but any team boasting such exciting batting talent, and the controversial off-spinning genius of Muttiah Muralitharan, must have a chance.

For England, tomorrow is a danger game. The early games in this tournament are all like a final, with the top teams desperate to ensure a place in the second round. There is no doubt England can win their first game.

Although they also seem down in confidence, they have a team of bits-and-pieces players who can all be effective in one-day cricket. Adam Hollioake, Mark Ealham, Vince Wells, Ian Austin and Andrew Flintoff need to chip in with both bat and ball if England are to be competitive throughout this tournament.

In my view, the senior batsmen Graham Thorpe, Graeme Hick and captain Alec Stewart need to have a major influence with the bat, while Darren Gough, Alan Mullally and Angus Fraser must be vital contributors with the new ball if England are to progress. If Neil Fairbrother can fill the Michael Bevan-style role in the middle order, then the side looks fairly well balanced.

Tomorrow is very important for both teams, especially England, who are under intense pressure to perform at home. While England team management will water down this pressure, the hometown advantage is something of a double-edged sword. There is no doubting that it is beneficial playing in front of a home crowd, on familiar grounds, in customary conditions, but I get the feeling that the added pressure for success is going to be immense. How England handle this pressure will be critical to their success.

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