All-rounders let England down

Scores of 147 against West Indies on Sunday and 101 against New Zealand on Tuesday have snapped English cricket back to reality.

Scores of 147 against West Indies on Sunday and 101 against New Zealand on Tuesday have brought English cricket back to reality after the euphoria that followed the 3-0 Test series wins over the same sides.

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An over reliance on journeymen all rounders has been highlighted by many commentators as the major reason for the successive seven-wicket defeats in the first two completed games of the one-day triangular series.

Players such as Anthony McGrath, Ian Blackwell, Rikki Clarke and Paul Collingwood have failed with the bat and given the totals their opponents chased, they also have not had the chance to showcase their bowling.

Blackwell scored four and five and Collingwood five and two while Clarke was dropped after the first match with West Indies.

"Each individual has got to look at their own performance and admit we were not good enough," captain Michael Vaughan said after Tuesday's defeat.

England, who have been weakened by the loss of Andrew Flintoff through injury, have employed several "bits and pieces" players at the last three World Cups and failed to make an impact.

The New Zealand and West Indies pace attacks deserve credit for accurate bowling in the series and England's front line batsmen must take some of the blame for the poor scores.

Marcus Trescothick played a wild shot on Tuesday and Vaughan would certainly like to improve on his one-day average of 25.

Test batsman Graham Thorpe has retired from One-Day Internationals and Mark Butcher is viewed as too slow a scorer for limited overs cricket by the selectors.

The current one-day squad includes batsman Robert Key, who made 83 in a warm-up against Wales and could make the starting line-up against West Indies at Headingley on Thursday.

Extra batting depth could be accommodated as the bowling department looks more secure with Steve Harmison again impressing on Tuesday taking three for 38.

James Anderson grabbed two for 39 and looked dangerous against West Indies at Trent Bridge while Darren Gough is a seasoned one-day bowler.