Collingwood: formidable unit

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Ahead of their penultimate one-day match against New Zealand on Wednesday, Paul Collingwood is confident England's batsmen can help deliver a NatWest series win.

England have named the same top six for the match at the Brit Oval, although Ian Bell is doubtful after tweaking a knee playing touch rugby on Tuesday.

Alastair Cook, who was due to be released for Essex's Twenty20 contest last night, has therefore stayed with the squad as cover.

England's batting order fired on all cylinders in the opening match of the series at Chester-le-Street as they made 307-5 in an eventual 114-run win over the Black Caps.

However, they have misfired in subsequent matches at Edgbaston and, in particular, at Bristol on Saturday when, chasing 183 for victory, they were dismissed for 160.

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."

With the series currently poised at 1-1, England will nevertheless consider a change to their bowling attack as left-armer Ryan Sidebottom returns following a back injury.

Failing

England's inability to follow up a performance in Durham described by Collingwood as 'nigh on perfect' highlights their biggest failing of recent times.

"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," he continued.

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

"We're not 100 percent 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."

England have not won four matches on the trot since they won the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia early last year.

A number of defeats - 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, with a repeat of New Zealand's 3-1 victory earlier this year confirming 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."

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.