Be funny if they won it all, now, wouldn't it ?!

Good to see England playing shorter version of the game seriously, great job Andrew Strauss.

very true. no other team has given as much joy and entertainment as england throughout this world cup.i think they are peaking at the right time and they have got the right team combination now.they sure are the favourites to win the cup.

What a load of tripe. England have been as interesting as wet paint. There have been far more exciting and interesting games in this World Cup - India's collapse against SA, Irelands brilliance against your self same England, Netherlands big scores against... oh yes, England.... Apart from the half of their team that don't even originate from Blighty's shores, the actual "Englishmen" have been abysmal! The only game they formed any form of surprise was their victory against SA on a pitch that Canada would probably have beaten Australia on batting first!

I can't agree more.They have provided excellent advertisement for the 50 over format.They have never panicked in crunch situations against strong teams and this will put them in good stead in the business end of the tournament.They have made this World Cup exciting.

Charles. seems you will never acccept no matter how better England play. The truth is they have really fought well in this edition of world cup barring two bad days. The truth is they have beaten all test ranking teams in their group. Great show from England.

Very true.England has shown character after losing important players and once in time performance of opposition players.Kevin obrien innings came after 36 years of world cup history.Bangladesh to played their best performing match against england.
By losing to minnows and winning against teams rated better than them,they have taught the lesson that if you play with courage,then in cricket nobody is favourite.
THERE MAY BE FAVOURITES IN FOOTBALL BUT BELIEVE ME IN CRICKET NOBODY IS FAVOURITE.AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN WINNING FOR ALL THESE YEARS AS TEAMS HAVE CHOKED AGAINST THEM.
England truly have brought life to this world cup......

ENGLAND are the strongest side in this WC. They defeated every team in the last 1.5 years . I do hope they win their next 3 games which is very much likely. Cricket world needs england to win one day championship at least ONCE

@derek
not exactly. They are the strongest side this WC. They murdered the aussies in tests, lost to ODI because of fatigue. They decimated every team in the last 1.5 years. The ODI series loss came after 1.5 years . England are very much deserving of this WC. They will go all the way inshallah (if god willing)

England is in the World Cup to make up numbers. Why not go on about the 1966 Football World Cup? The exciting games have always been around South Africa, India, Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

England has a superior record coming out of the group stage. The team has not lost to any side remaining in the tournament, and its experience in playing top teams in tense situations is second to none. If the World Cup is indebted to England, then payback may just come by means of the cup itself.

Amazed at how England has escaped defeats and been defeated at the death. The result against the Proteas was unfortunate, they allowed it to happen and not that SA deserved it.
Well done Strausssyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!

England is in same fiasco Pakistan been in 1992 world cup. Its a combination of potential winners but I think after six months of cricket this combination is lossing its momentum. England has to go a long way to finals and thee is no more room for any mistake or sluggishness.

What rubbish. It is typical of a country craving heroes to exult such mediocrity. In reality a team that wins the World Cup has to be the worlds best team. Not one with such inconsistency that looses to lowly ranked Ireland and Bangladesh. The all conquering Australian team which has won the last few world cups would never settle for such tripe that they are 'reinvigorating' the game by loosing to lesser teams in close ODI's. Ruthlessly destroy your opposition (if your good enough) that is a winning mentality and is expected from a professional outfit. What absolute British claptrap that they are keeping the 50 over game alive.. they are just embarrassing themselves as a so-so team that can't consistently win especially given their good result against South Africa.

Interesting aticle if somewhat romanticised! Truth is that England have not played that well - certainly not to their POTENTIAL! That they have survived is in large part to luck rather than form. Someone once said that "given the choice between being lucky and being good ..... I'll take being lucky every time"! Hopefully their luck will continue and with it their form will also improve? In my book England have played to ABOUT 60% of their ability and I hope to see this increasing if they are to progress! Whatever the outcome, England have conducted themselves well, have a classy leader and provided excitement! COME ON ENGLAND!!!

It`s only a dream to win with Srilanka in Srilanka. This is the end of british cricket 2011 WC dream.

Irrespective of the guts and hopelessness that England have shown , its hard to see them getting past Sri Lanks even on their best day

I think of you are missing the point of the article, he's not happy that England aren't playing to their potential but that every game they've played has pretty much had everything you want to see in an ODI. Excellence is an amazing thing to witness and watching two great teams play is incredible, but a close one-dayer filled equally with skill and incompetence is something else for the spectator.

hey thats quite an awesome and grt article Hope so England find that lucky luck against lanka ....best wishes

england wc team

Hope England's not done a Pakistan here by playing virtually every game against the odds?? An extra bonus may be for staying away from you family for so long???

You should not be over think .Just because you win a game or did well ,it does not mean that you are done.If England think that way, any other opposition can think the same way.Yes England you have chances of winning the WC.But other teams have much greater chance of doing it. We should live to are potential.

England have truly brought life to this World Cup with 6 close matches.They have blown hot and cold, defeating South Africa and West Indies and at the same time losing to Bangladesh and Ireland.Their mercurial tournament could well come to an end at the hands of Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals in Colombo, but we should be thankful to them for the entertainment they have provided.Who would have thought a few years back that England would be the most exciting team.

Good one. I agree that of all the teams England has provided the most entertainment in this world cup. Wether they lost or won they have managed to have the audience at the edge of their seats. Predictability can be so boring sometimes!

I also disagree with the comment posted that world cup winners are the best in the world. Yes it usually is as we saw with Australia the last few world cups but I feel world cup is an event where whoever is best on that particular day is the best team unlike in a bilateral series where the team who[plays best consistently wins and deserves to win too. So if (a big IF)n England do end up winning this world cup then they most definitely deserves to win it.

This World Cup turned out to be interesting in the group stage not because England has been great but only because England has been mediocre at best. True that they beat SA and WI but lost to Bangladesh, Ireland, almost choked against Netherlands and tied against India. Had they lost to India and if Bangladesh played a decent game aagainst WI, England would probably be out by now.

Strauss played well and is an "actual" Englishman, wheverer he was born, have you heard the bloke speak?(unless you class Ted "I say!" "Spiffing!" Dexter as an Italian?)
Or if you insist on "born" Brits, Bopara played well and is from East London but they are both foreigners when people are moaning about England's team

if englend side is the best why they depend on south africa,i think yesterday match between india and west indies run out not given to third umpire,this is tactice by all white cricketers,englend and australia they always love to see two from south asia out from the work cup.i can say both teams are playing on 2nd of april from south asia,cos they are the power house of cricket at the movement

This article doesn't say England are the best team, it says they have provided entertainment for the neutral cricket fan, essential in a tournament, which supporter only watches their own team in the World Cup?! Some people, it seems, are looking for English arrogance in these articles (so they can take offence) when it isn't there, reminds me of the joke about the old lady and the rugby players in the shower.

As an English football fan, I love this post as I know how it feels to support a team that exasperates, thrills and manages to induce both exhilaration and visceral hatred in the span of a few minutes. The English football team is like the Indian cricket team pre Ganguly/Dhoni (depending on whom you ask), filled with superstars but woefully inconsistent as a team. This English cricket team is short on superstars, with only KP (currently injured), Strauss and Swann (again Graeme come lately and more due to subcontinental pitches) being genuine MATCHWINNERS, but high on guts and the oft touted yet derided "bulldog spirit" of Britain. Can't deny they have played interesting, exciting cricket, though inconsistent. Relentless Australia can never be that interesting, as true sports fans tire of consistent winners (except Lloyd's Windians or Federer!). Winning NOT=exciting or sporting cricket! Romanticism is not a bad thing in a cynical world. Go England, go underdogs, except against India:).

england is best team in the world cup,but they lossed peterson
after that they are strugle in opening,but still we have hope they will beat pak,all the best

England should try to play positively against lanka.See off Murali & Malinga and avoid playing unneccessary sweep shots against Spin which has been their down fall over the years.Yeah,if they still stick to their basics right they could cross the line.

England do they deserve Qtr finals first thing they tied with India from winning position. In a dream pitch they won toss against SA.When they comment on bangaldesh for pitch for result same for them when it is SA. WI lost their way in last few overs even Strauss would not belived they would win when WI required 30 runs.England deserve the WC atleast once but not this episode coulde be in 2015,2019,2023,2027 and on

A very interesting article. And I agree with every word, England have given something in this WC that no other team has. Aussie, SA, India,SL, Pakistan, the Windies and NZ haven't entertained the way that a sports team should. It's not just about winning and winning well. It's also about winning and giving a good show to the audiance. Which is true for all sports, including Football and Rugby. He was right in saying it's not about 'who' or 'how many', it will always be 'how?' that is asked. England provided that. I myself asked how they lost to the minnows and how they came back and won against the stronger test playing nations. They went against the odds each game and when you thought they were down and out they won. I hope they continue to entertain us in the quaters and beyond (I'd,personally, like to see a NZ v Eng semi). Good Luck to all teams in the Quaters.

very true, england should b separately given the award of best entertaining team....each n every of their match was nail biting n unpredictable

Hi guys remember one thing. World cups held in Sub continent have always gave New WC Champinons. 1987-Aus and 1996-Srilanka. So who knows 2011 may be England

seriously how can any team ualify for the qtr finals of any league when they r beaten by sides like bangladesh and irelnd and almost struggle against netherlands

High octane matches, thanks to the ENGLAND team for making this world cup awesome

England did what they are capable of and they are the team to watch out in knockout stages. It will be great if they won this world cup.They made this tournament as an entertaining event

All credits for captain strauss and coach andy flower. Strauss is been a cool costomer in crunch situation.Even with many players injured they have done well.

I am a huge fan of Andrew Strauss.I think he is really composed in and out the field.England might lift the cup this time under his captaincy!!

Soddy English. Before the tournament I placed England ahead of India, with no chances for Pakistan with Akmal Brothers in the team. Boy, the English team really made my predictions a laughing stock.

my semi teams
England,Australia,New Zealand and West Indies

@Steve Rogers: could not have said it better. Romanticised tripe.

England has been worth watching, but world cup indebted to them? How many times more do I have to come across this joke? World cup is indebted to the pitch curators who were ridiculed by everyone in the world as makers of roads, dead and flat tracks. Without a quality pitch, England could not have done much. In reality, there are equally entertaining matches like England matches too - starting from Canada vs Pak to India vs WI. People seeing into kaleidoscopes cannot see the real world. Come into the reality people and appreciate everyone for bringing on this beautiful world cup and do not praise only England to hide their lopsided performances. Please.

my semi teams
india,sri lanka,packiatan and south africa

Very nicely written piece. Sometimes in the frenzy and hype about the cup and results we forget that the "how" is the most important aspect of sport. Who wins or how many really doesn't matter. Good idea for all indian fans to take home as sometimes we can get obsessed about the idea of winning whereas all this while we overlook the sheer spectacle that the team providess:).

Mohinder Amarnath said that England is the only team, which has not lost a single game against the other test playing nations in this world cup. Rest all have lost it -
SA lost against Eng, WI lost against Ind, Ind lost against SA, Pak lost vs NZ, NZ lost vs SL, Aus lost vs Pak.
So 'English'men should take a lot of inspiration from this performance.

people just be honest ! would you expect england to emerge to the semis .....passing sri lanka?in sri lanka ?with all their fan support?with their dominance in their pitches?
certainly not ! but england had given the WC the topsy turvy feeling throughout.and just crawling to the quarters.i guess we all wish england a big farewell and wish ti perform better next time

Supporters of every nation are entertained and praised English performance in this World cup, except Aussies who cant see and accept any other nation's power. At this time and from the form so far in this world cup, England looks very much capable of winning this tournament. I wish at some time in knockouts England meet Australia and everyone can see the real potential of English team and a media hyped Australia