Poms keen to stop Aussies

BIRMINGHAM: England''s dream summer might run into rough weather when they take on Australia in the first Champions Trophy semifinal here at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
They have enjoyed glorious sunshine on the field, surging forward on the path to resurgence with gusto and enthusiasm. After a long time, they are also looking like a world-class team that can take on the best on their terms.
They have been riding high on the pace and bounce of Steve Harmison and flying on the verve and spirit of Andrew Flintoff; they have swept past virtually every opponent in recent times to revive some interest in cricket even as football fever rages across the country.
England found themselves in a dark corner in their earlier clash against Sri Lanka but emerged out of it unscathed as Flintoff launched a stunning assault in the late overs.
They now face their biggest challenge and, probably, a bigger mind-block. The clash is already being billed as a precursor to the Ashes, even though they are almost a year away; the locals feel that if they can somehow find a way past the Aussies on Tuesday, they will have at least an outside chance later.
But they are up against a formidable opponent, and an even more formidable record: they haven''t beaten Australia for almost five years now, losing in as many as 14 games.
They won''t find the going easy. Australia, on the other hand, are brimming with confidence and skimming on determination: they haven''t won the Champions Trophy ever and are eager, almost anxious, to rectify that record; they, of course, become even more dangerous when they seem the Poms in the other corner.
They have had an easy ride so far, even sweeping aside New Zealand in their march to the semifinals. The weather promises to hold and if the last two matches are any indication, runs will flow if somebody takes the trouble of staying at the wicket.
Australia will again think hard before deciding to drop Brett Lee. They might be tempted to come out blazing, with four fast bowlers, but eventually they might settle for something more conservative and sensible. The Ashes can wait.