There I was hitting the winning run for England in the 1948 Ashes series at Lord's, with Don Bradman coming up to shake my hand, when the alarm clock ruined my dream. It was time to watch England against New Zealand at Hamilton in the second ODI.

Talk about a nightmare. Shivering and barely awake, I saw the Black Caps needed 165 on the DL method so I was well set for a good contest. Suffice to say, the way England are playing these days I was at work well on time.

The way Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum sent the England attack packing was awesome, 19 fours and seven sixes out of 165 is some going, and this against a highly-rated attack. It took the openers around half the time it took England to make the runs and in doing so they beat the previous best opening stand against England.

'To look at Ryder you might think he should be up on the oche with a deafening Hawaian shirt, rings like milk-bottle tops and sweating buckets. But, make no mistake, this portly lad is a real talent'


Paul Collingwood, the England one-day captain, is a good-hearted soul, a solid piece of the north who gives his all. But he is no one-day guru. The body language of the England team was aggressive but in the wrong way. There was plenty being said with a lot of chirping but all of that is no good if you don't hold catches - step forward (that's the problem, they should have dived forward) keeper Phil Mustard and Owais Shah.

So any chance England may have had of restricting New Zealand were gone early. From then on, the run rate was hovering around nine to 10 an over and England eventually went down to only their fourth 10-wicket defeat in ODIs. Experienced bowlers like James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom should know better than to allow a marauding McCullum to advance down the wicket as if they were second XI trundlers from the village team. File under 'not good enough', Peter Moores.

This England ODI team drive the fans crazy. This time last year, they were down and out of the Commonwealth Bank tri-series only to come back and win it, then they got mauled at the World Cup. And in New Zealand they murder the hosts in both Twenty20s only for the tables to be turned in the first two ODIs.

Ryder is an interesting young cricketer. To look at him you might think he should be up on the oche with a deafening Hawaian shirt, rings like milk-bottle tops and sweating buckets. But, make no mistake, this portly lad is a real talent. His hand-eye co-ordination and bottom-hand work in unison to produce thumping shots and with a career first-class double ton tucked under his expansive waistline, he knows how to hold a bat. And he's no mug with the ball, either - in short, a real find for the Black Caps.

Dare I suggest that England could take a leaf out of the Aussies book and bring back Michael Vaughan to captain the one-day squad as well. Collingwood is simply out of his depth. What's good for parochial Durham is lacking in the international arena. Collingwood is a decent chap, he'll never let the side down and you won't find him on the front pages bowling maidens over. Unfortunately, his attack in Hamilton could not do the same.

Fortunately, as the England batting collapsed through the night I was hitting my quadruple century at Lord's. If only I had slept through the alarm, I would have surely had my six-for with the ball, including bowling Bradman third ball through the gate. Like England's cricketers, I shall dream on.

Is Paul Collingwood the right man to lead England's one-day team - or do you agree that Michael Vaughan should be recalled? Post your comments below.