BIRMINGHAM, England - Australia is likely to be boosted by the return of batsman Michael Clarke for tomorrow morning's (NZ time) day-night cricket match against England at Edgbaston.
Clarke has missed the past two matches due to back pain and stiffness, but he joined his teammates for a sharp and
strong training session yesterday and showed he had responded well to treatment.
With this match to ultimately count for nothing in the triangular one-day series, as Australia and England have already booked their places in Saturday's final at Lord's, both sides have another attempt to sharpen their games in the lead-up to the Ashes.
"We're feeling more confident that we're getting to the standards of play that we expect or our ourselves," said Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist of his side's successive wins after four straight losses early on this tour.
"There's no doubt there was a rustiness there early and we got caught out and exposed there.
"We're feeling like we're easing into our work well, the intensity's up at training and I think we've shown that in the last couple of performances that we're getting back to the levels we know we can hit."
England posted a handsome, six-wicket win over Australia the last times the teams met at Edgbaston, in the semi-final of last September's Champions Trophy.
But Gilchrist denied the Australians sought revenge.
"It's gone, it's forgotten and I do think that's the strength of this team - even the defeats of 10, 11 days ago are forgotten about really, you just move on," he said.
"We maintain that mindset even with our victories too, so we're not lingering or carrying on too long about a victory and getting caught up in it. We're very quick to assess where we're at, make judgment and deal with it then."
Instead Gilchrist believed England's victory nine months ago reinforced the view that the old enemy had become a force in world cricket again.
"A few individuals would have walked away from that day thinking 'Right, we're certainly bridging the gap'," he said.
Clarke will be assessed before the match, as will England captain Michael Vaughan, who hopes to return from a groin strain.
- AAP
