Are England finally improving in ODI cricket?
What a difference three weeks makes. At the end of June, a dark cloud hung over the England camp, with Test captain Ben Stokes retiring
What a difference three weeks makes. At the end of June, a dark cloud hung over the England camp, with Test captain Ben Stokes retiring after a 2-1 series defeat by New Zealand. That campaign brought an end to coach Brendon McCullum's time in charge of the red-ball side, and plenty of questions remain about the future of the Test team, but the New Zealander has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in July, with his limited-overs outfit beating India 4-0 in a T20 series and 2-1 in one-day internationals. Defeating the world number one side in both formats, and overtaking them at the top of the rankings in the 20-over game, is no mean feat and England may feel they are now beginning to show the sort of momentum they last displayed in the build-up to their World Cup victory in 2019. With the next edition of the tournament a little over a year away, BBC Sport takes a look at whether England's 50-over team is finally tracking in the right direction.
The BriefWire