England will finally get the chance to test how far they have progressed when they take on world champions Australia in Tuesday's richly anticipated semi-final at Edgbaston.

Although England's phenomenal form has mainly been in the five-day game, in which they have won 10 out of their past 11, the confidence coursing through the side finally seems to be spilling over into ODIs.

They have won three of their last four, twice against India, and then against an in-form Sri Lanka, mainly as a result of superior team selection after the belated jettisoning of their policy of picking 'bits and pieces' players.

The rejection of coach Duncan Fletcher's stubborn search for 'all-rounders' means there are fewer weak links than when they were outclassed by New Zealand and West Indies in the triangular NatWest Series three months ago.

Vikram Solanki has brought class and flair to the top of the order, Glamorgan all-rounder Alex Wharf looks the part as fifth seamer and, most importantly, Andrew Flintoff has resumed bowling duties.

Flintoff has made headlines with bat rather than ball, scoring three centuries and a 99 in his past six ODI innings, but two of the tons were in losing causes when he was unfit to make his invaluable contribution as third seamer.

The England side suddenly looks cohesive enough to end an embarrassing run of 14 ODI losses against Australia, many of the defeats a result of squandering winning positions through lack of confidence, such as when they had reduced Australia to 135-8 chasing 201 at Port Elizabeth in last year's World Cup.

The run of losses provoked Australian captain Ricky Ponting, at the pre-match press conference, to suggest England were a team with 'psychological hang-ups' to overcome ahead of the game, but it was a far less convincing claim than Vaughan's remark that Australia were under far more pressure as 'hot favourites'.

These England players are hardly characterised by their mental frailty and it would be a surprise if they took the field with the collective inferiority complex of the Black Caps in their seven-wicket loss to Australia last week.

For one thing, the England line-up has been transformed by new blood in the past 12 months and most have hardly played Australia, including Flintoff, who has only two caps against them, both in ODIs.

But more importantly, this is an England side that is more close-knit and relaxed than any in living memory, something Adam Gilchrist commented on when he saw them together at a function before the tournament

It also helps to have a man at the helm, Michael Vaughan who has scored three big Ashes' hundreds, and who commands the utmost respect from both the opposition and his own team.

Which is not to say that England are the finished article and, inevitably they have worries ahead of the game, especially the form of the top-order batsmen, particularly Vaughan, who was woefully out of touch against Sri Lanka.

But they have everything to gain by winning, unexpectedly, and planting a little seed of doubt in the Australian minds ahead of next year's Ashes series, though Ponting was right to dismiss excessive speculation about the 'significance' of this game.

The Australian captain will be without spinner Brad Hogg, which leaves the final choice between the pace of Brett Lee and the all-round skills of Shane Watson as his only selection dilemma.

Hogg has performed well since he came in for Shane Warne in the World Cup and his loss is a blow to Australia, whose bowling is their weaker suit.

Glenn McGrath proved with three wickets against New Zealand in their quarter-final at the Oval that he no spent force and Michael Kasprowicz is in the form of his life, but Jason Gillespie's ODI wickets this year have cost 52 apiece, Watson lacks pace and Lee can be wayward.

Australia will also need to cobble together a fifth bowler's overs from Darren Lehmann's left-arm lobs and Andrew Symonds' off-spin, both hittable, especially with Flintoff in the mood.

England's attack, with Steve Harmison at the helm and Ashley Giles transformed since he last played Australia, has only one potential weakness in Wharf, still largely untested and likely to be targeted by Australia's aggressive strokeplayers.

If England arguably have the edge in bowling, a comparison of the batting line-ups is less flattering, with Australia's top six a frightening prospect to bowl at, and Andrew Symonds at six capable of controlled mayhem on a Flintoff scale.

Their batting strength makes Australia favourites, but Vaughan's side will go into the game full of confidence and unburdened by the crippling fear of failure that has hamstrung so many England sides in the past.

England (probable): MP Vaughan (capt), VS Solanki, ME Trescothick, AJ Strauss, A Flintoff, PD Collingwood, GO Jones, AF Giles, AG Wharf, D Gough, SJ Harmison.

Australia: (from) RT Ponting (capt), AC Gilchrist, ML Hayden, DR Martyn, DS Lehmann, A Symonds, MJ Clarke, S Watson, MS Kasprowicz, JN Gillespie, B Lee, GD McGrath.

20 Sep, 2004