Collingwood Backs Batting Quality

Paul Collingwood has every faith in England's one-day batting as they head into the penultimate match of the NatWest Series against New Zealand today.

England will keep the same top six at the Brit Oval today, Ian Bell's fitness permitting.

Bell is doubtful after tweaking a knee playing touch rugby yesterday which meant Alastair Cook, who was due to be released for Essex's Twenty20 contest last night, stayed with the squad as cover.

After blitzing 307 for five in the crushing victory over the Black Caps at Durham, England have misfired in subsequent matches at Edgbaston and Bristol.

But Collingwood insisted: "We have got matchwinners in there, we've got people who can go in and nudge it around, we cover all bases and certainly that top six can be a formidable unit when we all click."

Of Bell's injury, he admitted he had initially assumed it was a minor knock, adding: "I thought he was being a bit of a Drogba" - referring to Chelsea striker Didier Drogba who is frequently accused of play acting.

Collingwood continued: "That might be a bit harsh if he's not playing but I think it was just a twisted knee."

England will consider a change to their bowling attack with left-armer Ryan Sidebottom fit again following a back injury as they head into the final two matches of the campaign locked at 1-1.

They have failed to follow up what Collingwood called a 'nigh-on perfect' performance at the Riverside in the two matches since, and stringing victories together has been their biggest failing.

"It would be great if we could do that every single game but you come up against different wickets, reduced games, different conditions all the time and you have got to adapt to them, that is where we are learning as a team," Collingwood said.

"When we turn up at the ground you have to learn new skills in certain conditions.

"We're not 100% there yet, if we're all honest, we need to get a little bit more experience with that but when we're on song, we are on song.

"There is a big buzz around the side and we've got two finals pretty much."

Not since the stunning comeback Commonwealth Bank Series victory in Australia in early 2007 have England won four matches on the trot, and their liberal sprinkling of defeats among the successes - they have lost half their 22 limited-overs matches under Collingwood - has left them on the verge of slipping to seventh in the official rankings.

A repeat of New Zealand's 3-1 victory earlier this year would confirm that new position.

But Collingwood said: "The nature of one-day cricket means you are always going to have some performances not as good as others.

"We are learning and when you go to Sri Lanka and win it proves you can adapt to different conditions.

"The boys are progressing their skills in one-day cricket, we are concentrating on this form of the game and wanting to move it on a hell of a lot.

"We have made strides in this form but you have got to win as well, and if you don't win there are question marks about it. Certainly we know as a unit we are making big progress in this form of the game.

"Once we get consistency nailed down and start winning series back to back I am sure we will climb the rankings.

"We are taking on a team that is number three in the world but hopefully will go into these games as favourites, which will show us where we are."

Teams

England (from): PD Collingwood (Durham, capt), IR Bell (Warwickshire), AN Cook (Essex), LJ Wright (Sussex), KP Pietersen (Hampshire), RS Bopara (Essex), OA Shah (Middlesex), TR Ambrose (Warwickshire, wkt), GP Swann (Northamptonshire), SC Broad (Nottinghamshire), CT Tremlett (Hampshire), JM Anderson (Lancashire), RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), AD Mascarenhas (Hampshire).

New Zealand (from): DL Vettori (capt), JM How, BB McCullum (wkt), RPL Taylor, SB Styris, DR Flynn, GD Elliott, G Hopkins, KD Mills, TG Southee, MR Gillespie, MJ Mason, JDP Oram, JS Patel.

Umpires: S Davis, M Benson.

Match referee: J Srinath.