Plenty at Stake For England As One Day Series Comes To a Close

England will go into the one-day international series decider knowing that even after a strenuous tour of the Caribbean they can take away with them a glimmer of hope for the future by winning this five match one-day series.

With the series evenly poised at two games each, tomorrows fifth and final match is vital if England are to take any positives from this most arduous of tours.

Loosing the test-series 1-0 has drawn plenty of criticism at home, but the side know that victory tomorrow will shield them from some of those words when they return, just like they were in 2007 after beating Australia in the Commonwealth Bank series, after that humiliating 5-0 white wash in the test series.

In what was a disappointing and controversial series, Andrew Strauss will want his side to do the talking on the pitch, and Friday’s match gives the side a chance to gather some positives for the new coach in waiting, Andy Flower.

Flower has seen his tenure as temporary England coach start pretty poorly, but the one day matches have shown England’s progress in the shorter form of the game has improved over the last 12 months.

There was a time where England couldn’t win a 50-over match , and a radical overhaul of how the side was chosen was called for after a 5-0 demolition by Sri Lanka in 2006.

The side now has a more familiar look to it, with more of the players involved in the test matches incorporate into the shorter version of the game.

The likes of Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior, Paul Collingwood, James Anderson and Strauss have consolidated themselves in both test and one-day teams, and this core of players can only help the chemistry of the team.

Areas of improvement for the side include the sometimes naïve batting make-up which at times is forced into uncertain shot selection, as was shown in the third one-day international.

The levelling up of the series seemed to be more down to the embarrassment that came from that defeat more than the poor Cricket from the hosts, Strauss’ personal knock was one of the player who was keen to set the record straight.

The West Indies, while England will be searching for a much needed positive from the tour, have very little to loose as they attempt to complete a test and one-day double to continue what is a thrilling resurgence in international Cricket.

It’s been said Cricket in this part of the world has been turned on it’s head due to the test series win and the two wins in this current one day series, with success pleaded for by the home support, who were close to loosing complete faith with the side before this current tour kicked off.

Tomorrow’s match has far more on the line than just the win in the series; it’s what the series win will do for each side as a whole.

For England instilling some belief in a dressing room that has seen little plus points on what Pietersen has called an laborious tour, and one that the entire squad want to end sooner rather than later.

Let’s not forget, while Pietersen has come across very outspoken in the press, he comes with a credible point, being away for up to eleven weeks is one hell of shift for an international sportsman, something that might be worth looking into by the ECB.

With so much at stake, both sides will obviously be keen to win and with Pietersen’s recent comments about the tour and certain members of his opponents, England could be in for an uphill struggle as there painful tour comes to a close.