Bowling gives hosts edge

England have variety with the bounce of Harmison and Flintoff being different from the skiddy stuff that Darren Gough bowls, writes Kris Srikkanth.

In my first column for the Champions Trophy, I had written, half-in-jest to be honest, that England might win the tournament. On Saturday, they will get the chance to do so when in what can be termed as a most unexpected final match-up, England will take on the West Indies. The last time these two met in a major final was in the 1979 World Cup, with the two teams being on top of the game then, but today it’s different.

England are definitely on the way up though, with the Windies still some way from redemption. This could be their chance though and it will be interesting to see how desperate they are to set a few things right. They are a young side with a lot to prove to people who keep comparing them with their great sides of the past. It is a cross they have had to bear for a while.

Both teams are well-matched in terms of batting, even if England do hold an edge with their bowling. England have more variety with the bounce of Harmison and Flintoff being so different from the skiddy stuff that Darren Gough bowls. The option of using himself as a complement to the left-arm spin of Ashley Giles, must also please the England skipper Michael Vaughan no end. This is what teams need, the more the variety, the better. We all know how the lack of variety did the Australians in the other day.

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Vaughan's West Indies counterpart, Brian Lara is the one man who can make all the variety wasteful. I have read a few reports stating that the great man may be treated to some short-pitched stuff as a result of the Shoaib Akhtar inflicted blow on his head and, all I can say, is good luck to any such attempt.