England require Twenty20 vision

It's easy not to read too much into England's narrowly fought two-run win over Ireland, with only four players from the victorious Oval test taking part, but it's symptomatic of the team's ongoing struggle to make their mark in the fledgling format.
Test hero Trott and the disposed Bopara both scored ducks and if debutant Denly hadn't hung around 111 balls for his 67, there could have been red faces all round. Perhaps most worryingly, they only hit three sixes all innings.England's Twenty20 challenge, much like in the Test arena, is to establish an effective middle order, finding players who won't just crack 20 or 30 but a quickfire 50 and push totals towards the region of 250 plus.
They face a bruised Australia on Sunday which is probably the last team they need on current form.
I'm still not convinced Collingwood, who's under scrutiny to keep his Test place, is the best player to take the team forward. He may be a great fielder, adept at working the field with the bat and handy bowler but you feel England needs a more fearless figurehead to compete successfully.

Techno trial could be game changer

Does the use of technology support or undermine umpiring decisions? That's really what the debate over the increased use of TV replays boils down to.
The forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa in September will strike a blow for the advocates' camp, with umpires able to consult with the third umpire over any marginal calls, although he will still adjudicate over line decisions, hit wicket and boundary referrals.
The genie is now out of the bottle with technology, and given the high stakes of games these days, it's becoming increasingly difficult to justify the pick-and-mix approach. You either use it or you don't.
Which brings us to the pivotal relationship between man and machine. Providing umpires have confidence in their own ability, and see the referral as a valuable aide, I can't see the problem of having it, but equally we can't get into a scenario where every nick or LBW shout is referred upstairs. Decisions must also be made quickly to keep the game flowing.

Absorbing Ashes matches 05

Some say the 2009 Ashes didn't live up to 2005 for its nail-biting drama. It might not have had any thrilling finishes like Edgbaston four years ago, but it was every bit absorbing.
From Collingwood's obdurate knock and the unlikely rearguard action of Anderson and Panesar at Cardiff - and English fans must be looking back at that in a new, appreciative light - Flintoff's heroics at Lord's, Australian supremacy at Headingley, and then England's Broad-side at the Oval, the summer has been one long tale of the unexpected.
Right to the last day drama. There was a moment when Ponting and Hussey were well set that some England fans, despite the statistical improbability, would have feared the worst. Even when Haddin was playing his natural game, you wondered if we were set for one last twist.
Now England must come up with a strategy to avoid these Ashes peaks-and-troughs and strive for more consistency by the time they head Down Under in 2011.
For if there's one certainty, just like after 2005, the Aussies will come back hard.