NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom: Ian Bell was pleased to see England seamers Stuart Broad and Steven Finn back bowling in the nets but backed county colleague Boyd Rankin to impress if given a chance in today’s third one-day international against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
England, after crushing defeats at Lord’s and Southampton, cannot win this three-match series at 2-0 down and now have just one more chance to rediscover the winning feeling ahead of the one-day Champions Trophy tournament, where they are the host nation.
Their cause against the Black Caps has not been helped by the injury-enforced absence of both Broad (bruised knee) and Finn (shin) but the two pacemen did bowl in the Trent Bridge nets yesterday.
England must now decide whether it is worth giving them a chance to prove their fitness ahead of the side’s Champions Trophy opener against Australia or, in a season featuring an Ashes series, allow them additional time to get back to top form.
“I guess I’m glad I don’t have to make those decisions,” top-order batsman Bell said yesterday.
“But it’s good to see them in the nets bowling. Having faced them both you know they are quality one-day bowlers.
“They’ve certainly been two massive performers in one-day cricket so to have them back fit - or certainly training - is a big boost. It’s always good to have a full squad and people competing for places. We’ll see what the guys who have to make those decisions do.”
Bell’s Warwickshire colleague Rankin, a former Ireland paceman, joined the squad as cover and could yet make his England debut today, even if Broad and Finn are fit, after Jade Dernbach’s 10 wicketless overs at Southampton cost 87 runs.
“It’s great for him to get in the squad. Facing him in the nets is horrible,” Bell said of Rankin. “It’s good to have him charging in in an England shirt and if an opportunity comes his way hopefully it goes well.”
England may have to re-think their Champions Trophy plans if they find themselves without Broad and Finn. After Sunday’s 86-run humbling loss at Southampton, England captain Alastair Cook was unsure whether the two seamers would be fit for Saturday’s Champions Trophy opener against Australia at Edgbaston.
England could also lose Tim Bresnan, due to leave the squad for the imminent birth of his first child and the likes of Chris Woakes and Jade Dernbach, whose 10 overs on Sunday cost 87 runs, struggling to contain New Zealand’s batsmen, the team appear to be dangerously over-reliant on James Anderson and off-spinner Graeme Swann.
However, Cook dismissed talk of England being a limited ODI side in Broad and Finn’s absence.
“I think that would be doing a disservice to the other 13 guys in the squad,” he said,
“Clearly, you take two premier bowlers out of anyone’s side, and it’s going to hurt the side. You might have to change the way you play. We might have just learnt that.”
England have played the same side in both defeats against New Zealand, which saw them give up a four-year unbeaten record in home ODI series, and Cook conceded changes, which might see the likes of James Tredwell played as a second spinner, could take place in Nottingham.
“We haven’t deserved to win these matches,” said Cook. “It would make sense to have a look at our options. We’ve stuck with the same XI, and been outplayed.”
Agencies
