England are learning - these are the World Cup issues they need to solve

ByMatthew Henry

BBC Sport writer astatine The Oval

The astir astonishing infinitesimal of England's thumping triumph implicit Sri Lanka astatine The Oval was not Jofra Archer's nonstop deed run-out, nor Tom Banton's archetypal planetary century.

It came successful an reply that manager Brendon McCullum gave afterwards.

"We are besides trying to see a fig of warm-up games arsenic well," McCullum told BBC Test Match Special of his wintertime plans.

That is McCullum, the manager whose broadside had lone 1 in-house warm-up earlier past winter's Ashes, talking astir arranging 50-over signifier matches - thing England person not had connected a circuit extracurricular World Cups for six years successful the longest white-ball format.

"A batch of these guys conscionable haven't played a batch of white-ball cricket," McCullum said.

It was an eyebrow-raising, yet encouraging, reply which hints astatine a alteration successful McCullum, who has besides had a beefed-up backroom unit this summertime and spoke connected much than 1 juncture astir fittingness successful the Oval aftermath.

And a squad that mislaid six of 7 ODI bid betwixt their last lucifer of a dismal 2023 World Cup and the extremity of past twelvemonth - exiting the Champions Trophy without winning a crippled successful betwixt - person won each 3 of their 50-over bid this year.

With the adjacent World Cup a twelvemonth away, England whitethorn not beryllium the champion 50-over broadside successful the world, but they are nary longer the format's biggest underachievers.

"I deliberation they mightiness beryllium successful with a shout, with a spot of luck connected their side," said erstwhile England spinner Phil Tufnell.

There is anticipation again, albeit with immoderate issues to solve…

In the astir bizarre of cricketing summers, Ben Duckett has had a bizarre summertime of his own.

The lone Englishman to compile a Test ton, and the scorer of 141 against India successful a one-day planetary astatine Lord's, ends with 9 scores beneath 20 from his different 15 innings.

He was talked astir arsenic the world's champion all-format batter aft his 149 against India past summertime but has averaged 27.15 since past crossed formats.

It is close that England are reticent to driblet a batter who has deed specified highs, particularly arsenic a elder subordinate and 1 with important List A acquisition - a full of 111 matches - down him successful a squad inactive lacking successful 50-over matches.

Duckett and Jacob Bethell besides shared an opening basal of 192 successful the bid decider against India astatine Lord's.

But, dissimilar the Test broadside wherever Emilio Gay's spot arsenic Duckett's spouse is not afloat secure, ne'er caput a replacement waiting successful the wings, Tom Banton and Bethell person shown determination could beryllium different satellite without the diminutive left-hander.

Bethell, who scored 91 successful the 3rd ODI against India earlier missing the Sri Lanka bid with a genu injury, is talked of arsenic a elder subordinate successful the group, contempt inactive being conscionable 22, portion Banton's archetypal England period connected Sunday was superb.

The mode Banton hits the shot astatine the apical of the bounce looks suited to the bouncy pitches of South Africa, wherever the bulk of the World Cup volition beryllium played.

Duckett, successful contrast, averages 23.4 connected surfaces deemed arsenic 'high bouncing' since the commencement of 2023. This winter's Test bid successful South Africa whitethorn shed immoderate much light.

This was expected to beryllium the bid Rehan Ahmed got his long-awaited accidental arsenic England's leg-spinner with Adil Rashid injured. That the 22-year-old was dropped for the bid decider is of evident concern.

Ahmed bowled amended than figures of 1-46 suggested successful the archetypal ODI, but was flattered by a instrumentality of 2-48 from 8 overs successful the second.

In his spot astatine The Oval, Liam Dawson - 14 years his elder - took 3-26.

Dawson was helped by the operation of crook and bounce connected connection from the surface, thing Ahmed was not afforded earlier successful the series.

But helium besides landed 39% of deliveries connected a spinner's 'good' length, compared to the 22% from Ahmed successful the erstwhile 2 games.

Ahmed is intelligibly talented but has not progressed arsenic an planetary cricketer. A sloppy run-out successful Durham and a five-ball duck successful the Headingley pursuit did not assistance his cause.

It leaves Rashid, who volition beryllium 39 astatine the World Cup, arsenic important arsenic ever.

While the alarming statistic that England person won lone 1 of their past 9 ODIs successful which neither skipper Harry Brook nor fig 3 Joe Root made 50 remains, Sunday's triumph was important fixed the cardinal contributions from different names.

Banton laid the level of their 355-7 and Jordan Cox's 52-ball 76 pushed the crippled beyond Sri Lanka.

Cox's accidental came aft an wounded to Jos Buttler successful the 2nd ODI. The mode helium took down the Sri Lanka bowling was an perfect imitation of England's top white-ball player.

Buttler is facing a spell connected the sidelines with his hamstring wounded but connected this grounds England person a susceptible understudy. Again, acquisition volition travel into the equation if Cox's signifier suggests a much drastic determination indispensable beryllium made.

Buttler's superb boundary-hitting earlier being chopped down by wounded successful the 2nd ODI showed his champion days are not needfully each down him. Equally, the 36-year-old's wounded reminded no-one tin spell connected forever.

With Cox having made a breakout summertime crossed formats and Banton apt to get much opportunities earlier Bethell returns, England are opening to physique promising depth.

The impending instrumentality of Sam Curran from a groin wounded - who remains important arsenic a left-handed batter and seam-bowling enactment successful the apical 7 - could besides make a compression for places.

At his best, the all-rounder would amended the equilibrium which was somewhat bowling-heavy successful this bid but would apt permission England needing to permission retired 2 of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue and Sonny Baker from their first-choice XI.

Despite a quiescent bid astatine the extremity of a agelong summer, Archer remains England's trump card. Atkinson has been the astir close - 49% of his powerplay deliveries person deed a bully magnitude - and economical new-ball bowler, portion Overton appears to person been fixed the middle-over enforcer role.

Most intriguing was Baker's opening spell astatine The Oval.

McCullum said helium was brought successful to supply immoderate new-ball "X-Factor", with lone Atkinson (five) having taken much than 1 wicket successful the powerplay crossed England's ODIs this summer.

With a swinging, rising transportation that nicked disconnected Pathum Nissanka, Baker took his archetypal with his 2nd transportation and, albeit aft lone 2 ODIs, is 1 of lone 5 bowlers to mean much than 85mph and implicit 1 grade of plaything wrong the powerplay successful the format.

India's Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, West Indies Alzarri Joseph and Australia's Mitchell Starc are the others.

He is simply a wildcard England indispensable see erstwhile completing the jigsaw implicit the 20-or-so ODIs earlier the World Cup begins.