One-day squad aiming to build

Paul Collingwood led England to victory in Sri Lanka over two months ago © Getty Images

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England are facing another major examination of their progress as a one-day side when they land in New Zealand for their first part of their post-Christmas tour.

The Test series defeat in Sri Lanka in December overshadowed the stunning triumph weeks earlier by Paul Collingwood’s side, when they became the first England team ever to win a one-day series in Sri Lanka.

Given little hope of securing success, England responded to an opening-match hammering to claim the series 3-2 to give a major boost to their one-day hopes just five months after their disappointing displays in the World Cup.

But if they are to continue that progress they face another major test during two Twenty20 internationals and five one-day internationals against a strong New Zealand side rated third in the world one-day rankings.

Unfashionable they may be, but New Zealand are a highly competitive one-day side with three bowlers - captain Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond and Kyle Mills - ranked in the top 10 in the rankings while England’s highest-rated player is James Anderson at 17.

New Zealand also boast a formidable record in home one-day internationals, having won their last six successive completed matches and 12 of the last 15 on home soil.

It adds up to another major challenge for England’s emerging young squad, but if they absorb the lessons learned in Sri Lanka, they will be hopeful of making further strides towards their goal of finally winning a major one-day international tournament.

New Zealand are a formidable one-day side, particularly on their home soil © Getty Images

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The schedule of England’s tour to New Zealand, with the one-day matches being concentrated into the first month of the tour, will also give Collingwood and coach Peter Moores another chance to spend a concentrated period of time together as they search for a winning formula.

Having spent two months together for the home one-day series against India, the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa and the one-day series in Sri Lanka, the one-day squad have not been together since.

But captain Collingwood believes the break may serve them well as they attempt to claim another historic landmark by becoming the first side to win a one-day series in New Zealand since Australia beat them over three years ago.

“The way the schedule was, we had two months of one-day cricket and we were able to work on our skills and our approaches during that time,” he said.

“We got stronger and stronger as we went along, but sometimes you need a break just to get away from that form of the game, mentally refresh and come back again.”

Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, omitted for four of the five matches in Sri Lanka, has been overlooked to work on his technique with the England Lions in India.

His absence has given a further chance to off-spinning all-rounder Graeme Swann, who carried the drinks during the Test tour of Sri Lanka but was a revelation throughout the one-day series triumph.

Swann will be partnered by uncapped Kent off-spinner James Tredwell should England opt to play two spinners in any of the five one-day matches, with both players hoping to cement their places in England’s one-day future.

Other players like Alastair Cook, wicketkeepers Tim Ambrose and Phil Mustard, pace bowler Chris Tremlett and all-rounder Luke Wright are by no means established in England’s one-day line-up and will look at this tour as a major opportunity to do that.

If they all perform and the more established players contribute England could secure another major scalp and more importantly, begin to believe they do have a chance of finally lifting a major one-day trophy in next September’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.