ODI / Andy Morris / 01 February 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Despite a mounting casualty list, Andy Morris encourages England to soldier on and try to end their one-day international series on a high note.

Going into the sixth ODI on Wednesday at the SCG, England will almost certainly be without both Chris Tremlett and Ajmal Shazhad. Tremlett missed the fifth ODI in Brisbane with a side strain, then Shazhad picked up a hamstring injury while bowling.

Liam Plunkett, the Durham pace bowler, has been called up from the Lions tour of the West Indies, but won't arrive in Australia in time for the Sydney game. He will be introduced in the seventh and final ODI in Perth on Sunday.

Plunkett has played 28 one-day internationals, having taken 37 wickets at 34.37 and played for England at the 2007 World Cup.

"Liam Plunkett has been part of the England performance programme and England Lions squad this winter so we are confident that he will be ready to play a role for England should the need arise," Andy Flower, the England team director, said.

"We are waiting for an update on the injuries to Ajmal Shahzad and Chris Tremlett but with our preparations for the World Cup starting in less than a fortnight we need to prioritise getting our World Cup squad members fit and ready for the start of the tournament."

England had already been badly affected by injuries before the weekend, with Tim Bresnan (calf) and Graeme Swann (back) flying home, while Stuart Broad is still recovering from his abdominal injury.

Andrew Strauss has warned his players that they need to start raising their game, with the World Cup on the horizon.

Once again on Saturday, England suffered a batting collapse after being in a fairly strong situation. They bowled Australia out for 249, which was a reachable target, but ended up losing by 51 runs at the Gabba.

One bright spark from the Brisbane game was the performance of Chris Woakes, who returned the best bowling figures of any England player on foreign soil in ODIs, with 6-45. His delivery to remove Cameron White was a pearler, angling the ball in off a good length and getting it to straighten as White edged it to Matt Prior.

Australia's stand-in captain Michael Clarke will have been boosted by the way he responded to criticism - including boos from the crowd as he walked to the crease at the Gabba. He made a battling half century before becoming Woakes' fourth wicket.

Normally, with two dead matches to come, you'd back the side who had the series in the bag as their opponents have only pride to play for. But that's not the situation here - England really need to boost their confidence ahead of the World Cup, so they will have every incentive to do well at the SCG.

It should be tight, but England may be the team to back in match odds betting.