England showed signs of developing into a competitive unit during the NatWest Challenge and are an interesting outside bet to win the tournament.

Clearly any side containing Andrew Flintoff, the ICC's newly-crowned ODI Player of the Year, is capable of beating anyone on its day.

Flintoff has scored two hundreds and a 99 in his past four innings, and his return to full bowling duties against India in the NatWest Challenge immediately upped the England performance levels.

But Flintoff was not the only factor in the superiority of this England side over the one which failed to reach the final of the triangular NatWest Series against New Zealand and West Indies.

The main difference is that they are carrying fewer passengers in the side after the jettisoning of the many 'bits and pieces' players so championed by coach Duncan Fletcher.

The last remaining such player is Anthony McGrath, and in racing terms he's likely to face a swift trip to the knacker's yard before ever getting anywhere near the finish.

In contrast to McGrath, Glamorgan's Alex Wharf actually looks more than a very average county player and, though untested with the bat, has the skill and temperament to prosper down the order.

Ashley Giles could also be added to a list of the side's all-rounders being so much more assured with the bat as well as more in control than ever with the ball.

Another bonus is the return of Vikram Solanki as opener; now into his third stint as an England ODI player, he appears to have the maturity to go with his undoubted flair.

This has allowed Michael Vaughan to bat at three, where he scored 74 at Lord's on Sunday, although his overall poor ODI form remains a big worry.

Sri Lanka are coming off a run of five straight wins against South Africa, whom they also beat in the preceding Test series.

All the wins came without the injured Muralitharan and it may be heresy to think it, but his absence may have helped Sri Lankan cricket by forcing other players to step up to the mark and prove there is life beyond the great spinner.

In fact, what was striking about their wins over South Africa was the all-round team effort, with runs and wickets coming from all quarters.

Their batsmen, and in particular Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, all scored runs, and the leg-spin of Upul Chandana shone in Murali's absence.

Their seam attack has also been in superb form, led by the magnificent Chaminda Vaas, who has been well-supported by the re-emergence of another left-arm paceman, Nuwan Zoysa,

Sri Lanka then will be full of confidence going into the tournament but will need to adapt quickly to English conditions.

Their batsmen must adjust to the ball seaming more and their bowlers need to find a fuller length, which is asking a lot, especially at the Rose Bowl, where they will take on England and where the ball tends to jag around.

Zimbabwe's squad has been cobbled together from schoolboys and players in their early twenties and has no chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

Unsurprisingly, their games have not exactly set the box office alight and their participation seems sad in view of the political turmoil back home which has had such a terrible knock-on effect on their cricket.

The problems began when captain Heath Streak accused the Zimbabwe Cricket Union of making its selections on racial grounds.

The fast bowler was sacked for his criticisms and, after his colleagues went on strike to complain, 15 more white players were sacked and Zimbabwe cricket was plunged into another crisis.

Zimbabwe's Test matches for the rest of 2004 – two of which would have been against England - have been suspended, and it was only after lengthy debate by the ICC that the one-day team was allowed to continue its international participation.

Home advantage, the impetus of their wins over India, and the Flintoff Factor make England narrow favourites to defeat Sri Lanka and take on Australia or New Zealand in the semi-final.

9 Sep, 2004