The two pre-tournament favourites meet not in the final that many predicted, but in a repeat of their famous 1999 semi-final. Australia and South Africa have reached the last four in contrasting fashion and the Aussies' total efficiency in qualification sees them trade at 1.4 to reach their fourth consecutive World Cup Final.

While Australia take an unblemished tournament record into this clash, the Proteas have had a mixed time, suffering heavy defeats to Australia and New Zealand and slipping up against Bangladesh.

They were more impressive in demolishing the West Indies and went some way to discarding their 'chokers' tag with a narrow win over Sri Lanka and a hammering of England in what was effectively a quarter-final. South Africa trade at 3.4 to overcome their fiercest rivals and reach their first ever final.

Australia really have been in a class of their own so far. They have overcome each of the other semi-finalists with ease and look a different team from the one that struggled against England and New Zealand in the run-up to the tournament. They trade at 1.99 to win their fourth World Cup.

The Aussies have the majority of their players in good form. Four of their batsmen average over 70 in the tournament and their four frontline bowlers have taken 74 wickets between them. Only Michael Hussey has under-performed, but the management will not be too concerned as he came into the tournament as the top-ranked batsman in the world and has been starved of proper opportunities so far.

The Baggy Green batting unit has taken its lead from the opening partnership of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. The rejuvenated Hayden has hit 580 runs at an average of 82.85 and seems sure to maintain his lead in the run-scoring charts. He trades as the 1.32 favourite in that market.

Gilchrist has been less prolific but has played an important supporting role. Australia have lost just two wickets in the opening 10 overs of the Super Eight matches, at an average of 142 and run rate of 5.62.

South Africa have scored at 4.22 runs per over and lost seven wickets at a cost of 36.85, which represents the second best opening partnership figures amongst the Super Eight teams. However, before punters check on the highest 10-over total or opening partnership markets, they should be aware that Graeme Smith and AB De Villiers put on 160 in the group phase clash between these two.

The Aussie left-handers have been the only openers to prosper against the new ball and the likes of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have not wasted that momentum. In fact there will be plenty of in-form stroke-makers on show - this match will feature four of the five highest One Day runscorers since January 2006.

It is therefore unsurprising that recent ODIs between these two have been full of runs. Their last six meetings, in South Africa last year and in the group stage of this tournament, have produced three wins apiece and average totals of 284 for South Africa and 272.3 for Australia.

This difference is due mainly to Australia's humbling at Cape Town, when they were dismissed for just 93. They have otherwise scored heavily, including a total of 377 at St Kitts that resulted in an 83-run winning margin.

That result made a mockery of South Africa's position at the top of the world rankings and, although Australia have since reclaimed it, the gap between the two did not seem as narrow as some had previously thought.

Having been matched previously at a high of 3.9 to small stakes, the Aussies' impressive showing in the Caribbean to date has seen them supported in to 1.99. They are clearly the more consistent outfit, but those who recall South Africa's amazing Johannesburg win last March might be tempted by their current odds of 5.9. The Proteas had been matched at a low of 4 prior to the tournament, due to the two teams' contrasting World Cup preparations.

Those hoping for a run feast might be disappointed that this match is being played at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia. It was the venue for the Group C matches and offered a low, slow wicket that was not conducive to fluent strokeplay.

Spinners did find some turn on it, which is likely to suit Australia. The Proteas' lack of a frontline slow bowler has been one of their major weaknesses, which was confirmed when they were strangled by Bangladesh's trio of left-arm spinners in that 67-run defeat in Guyana. Smith only had his own occasional offspin to call upon.

Australia have Brad Hogg, who has been a revelation in the World Cup. He was not assured of a place in the squad for this tournament after falling behind Cameron White in the pecking order during a lean spell in the Commonwealth Bank Series, but he has responded with 19 wickets at an average of 15.21 and economy rate of 4.13.

Hogg has three less tournament victims than Glenn McGrath and is level with Muttiah Muralitharan and Shaun Tait. The Aussie spinner only had one wicket to show from his four previous appearances in the Caribbean but has flourished this time around. He is available at 10 to finish as the tournament's top wicket taker and at 3.95 to top the Australian bowling charts, with McGrath odds-on in both markets.

The South African bowling unit has struggled in comparison. Their seam bowling was their supposed strength, as Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini came into the tournament ranked first and third in the world. They have only 13 wickets between them and average 40 and 48.83 respectively.

They came in for some heavy punishment from Hayden during his record-breaking ton and the Proteas' back-up pacemen might have to continue shouldering the burden. Only three five wicket hauls have been taken in this tournament and all have been picked up by South Africans: Charl Langeveldt against Sri Lanka, Andre Nel against Bangladesh and Andrew Hall against England.

Ntini was dropped for the England game but might earn a recall, with Langeveldt the most likely to make way. Their only injury concern is Smith, who missed training on Saturday after suffering a knock to his knee against England. The Aussies are full strength and were buoyed by Shane Watson's emphatic proof of fitness in his outing against the Kiwis.

The first semi final sees a clash between two of the tournament's dark horses. Both of these sides were expected to do well and they will play off for the honour of facing in the final the winner of the meeting of the two pre-tournament favourites, Australia and South Africa.

Sri Lanka eased to victory in the Super 8 meeting between the two, winning by six wickets with nearly five overs to spare. New Zealand were hammered by Australia in their last match and go into this one as slight outsiders, trading at 2.24. Sri Lanka qualified for the last four in second place - thanks to the Kiwi's heavy Aussie defeat - and they are available at 1.75 to advance.

Mahela Jayawardene's men will head into this one with confidence, as they have a decent recent record against the Kiwis. As well as last week's win, they cruised to a seven wicket victory in the Champions Trophy and shared a series played in New Zealand at the turn of the year.

That series was played in very different, Black Cap-friendly conditions, and the Sri Lankans signed off with a massive 189 run triumph at Auckland. The home side were dismissed for just 73, in a performance that drew attention to the ability of the Sri Lankans to prosper in different conditions.

The Caribbean has made them feel more at home and they have taken full advantage of pitches that have suited their impressive bowling unit. Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga and Chaminda Vaas have shared 46 wickets, with the former two receiving plenty of support in the top wicket taker market.

Murali has 19, three less than current leader Glenn McGrath, and trades at 5.1. He has 14 wickets from his last six ODI appearances against the Black Caps, including figures of three for 32 in the Super 8 meeting.

'Malinga the slinger' has missed the last three matches with an ankle problem, although he is expected to be available for this clash. His lack of action has seen him slip to seven wickets adrift of McGrath in the wicket taking charts and to 36 in that market.

In fact all three Sri Lankan star bowlers were rested against Australia in their penultimate Super 8 match, making their heavy seven wicket defeat to the favourites difficult to gauge ahead of a possible meeting in the final. They will certainly have to perform if Sri Lanka are to go one better than their last four appearance in 2003.

Sri Lanka of course went all the way in 1996, whilst New Zealand have never advanced beyond the semi-final stage. Stephen Fleming's men trade as outsiders of the four contenders, at 6.8, whilst Sri Lanka are available at 5.3. The Aussies are in ominous form and look extremely tough to beat in their bid for a third consecutive World Cup. They are currently on offer at 2.02.

The Black Caps have won three of the six World Cup meetings against their semi-final opponents, but have the slight upper hand in overall head to head clashes. They have won 34 and lost 29 ODI encounters, although 19 of those wins came in the first 23 meetings between the two. Sri Lanka have won seven of the last nine ODI's played at neutral venues.

The venue for this one is Sabina Park in Jamaica, where the tournament began on March 13th. Sri Lanka have never played at the Kingston ground and New Zealand's only completed ODI ended in defeat 11 years ago. The six matches played there in this tournament have produced three wins for the chasing team, two for the defending side with one tie.

Stephen Fleming is the only survivor from that Sabina Park defeat and the Kiwi skipper has had a solid tournament so far. He has hit one ton and three fifties, and although he has never threatened in a top runscorer market, which Matthew Hayden has dominated, his canny captaincy has been as responsible for his team's run to this stage as his runs have.

Fleming has had various opening partners in this tournament due to Kiwi injury problems, but Peter Fulton has taken advantage of Lou Vincent's broken wrist and made the spot his own. He played a lone hand with a battling 62 against Australia and his partnership with Fleming might appeal in the opening partnership market.

The evergreen Sanath Jayasuriya has found some of his explosive hitting form, but Upal Tharanga has struggled. He has not passed 12 in five of his six knocks in the Super 8's. However, he does know how to score against the Black Caps attack, having hit a crucial 56 in the Champions Trophy clash between the two.

Both these sides have struggled with injury problems in this tournament. As well as strike bowler Malinga, Sri Lanka have doubts over Dilhara Fernando, the hero with the ball in his side's narrow and crucial win over England.

The Black Caps have been even worse off, with Jacob Oram, Ross Taylor, James Franklin and Mark Gillespie all suffering with knocks, as well as the departed Vincent. Oram was rested as a precaution against Australia with a bruised heel but the key all-rounder should be fit for this one.

Oram is one of three in-form New Zealanders. He averages 40.5 with the bat and 21.33 with the ball in the tournament and gives much needed balance to the line-up. Fellow allrounder Scott Styris has been a revelation, hitting 462 runs and taking nine wickets.

The Black Caps' main man is undoubtedly Shane Bond. The paceman has been handled gently by the Black Caps management, aware that his back problems can flare up at any time.

Although he has only 12 wickets, they have come at a cost of just 12.83 each and his remarkable economy rate of 2.58 is by far the best in the tournament. Sri Lanka have got away lightly recently, as Bond has taken just three wickets in their last four meetings. His fitness will be a big boost for Fleming as he knows that his star bowler is not only capable of firing the Black Caps to the final, but also of winning it: he averages just 13.88 with the ball against the Aussies.

After suffering some meaningless Super 8 games and the well-documented sparse crowds, this tournament can look forward to two mouth-watering semi finals. The Aussies are clearly the team to beat, but the winner of this clash would love the chance to take the first finalist's spot and prove the favourites can be beaten - should they dispose of the Proteas.

A lot has happened since these two sides last met. New Zealand eased to a 3-0 win in the Chappell-Hadlee trophy that preceded the tournament, but Australia have since dispelled suggestions that they are in decline. They go into this clash protecting a 100 per cent record and are now unbeaten in 26 World Cup matches. The defending champions trade as clear favourites to win their third consecutive World Cup, at 2.16.

The Black Caps have been highly efficient, kicking off their campaign with a win over England and losing just once since, to Sri Lanka. They are available as 6.2 outsiders in the winner's market, due perhaps to the convincing manner of that defeat by the Sri Lankans.

New Zealand did dispatch South Africa just as easily and the fact that none of the Aussies' rivals have made a clear break from the challenging group, suggests the favourites are streets ahead of the rest of the field.

South Africa and Sri Lanka were brushed aside with ease by Ricky Ponting's men and a good showing from the Black Caps in this clash would certainly earn the respect of their trans-Tasmin neighbours and lay a marker for the final should both sides progress.

Landing a psychological blow is about as much as either side can achieve, as the qualification places are all but decided. Australia are two points clear of the Kiwis and Sri Lanka and four ahead of South Africa.

The Aussies' vastly superior net run rate means that top spot is effectively out of New Zealand's reach, even if they win this clash. Scoring 300 from 50 overs and restricting Australia to 200 from 50 overs would still not be enough to overhaul the Aussies in the Super 8's table.

Australia will therefore plan for a semi final date with fierce rivals South Africa in St Lucia, whilst the Kiwis will face Sri Lanka in Jamaica. The Aussies trade at 1.47 to reach the final - which takes place in Barbados next Saturday - with New Zealand available at 2.16.

Both these well-drilled outfits will not be thinking beyond this particular Barbados clash though. Stephen Fleming's men have not played there yet and although Australia have, their swift win over Ireland did not enable them to have a close look at the Kensington Oval pitch.

There has been a suggestion that the toss winning captain might want to bat first and hope the pitch deteriorates, despite a trend for choosing to chase developing in the tournament. England failed to post a decent score against South Africa on Tuesday, but these sides are better equipped to put runs on the board.

However, chasing teams have been successful in 12 of the 23 One Dayers to be played on this ground and both teams will be aware of the manner in which the Kiwis achieved the targets set by the Aussies in their meetings in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

They achieved two of the three highest ever run chases as well as a 10 wicket mauling when in pursuit of 148. Ponting might therefore have second thoughts of batting first if the coin favours him, and if the Baggy Green batsmen do get going, punters might not rule out a Kiwi win as easily as they might once have done.

Those three wins certainly went against the form book. Before that Australia had lost just two of 22 ODI meetings between the two and have an overall win percentage of 69.44%, the highest of their records against any of the major Test playing nations. An Aussie win this time around is currently on offer at 1.5, with the Kiwis available at 2.98.

The World Cup record between these two is representative of their overall head-to-head history, with Australia winning four matches to the Black Caps' two. Their last meeting came in a Super 6 clash in Port Elizabeth in 2003 and there are likely to be as many as 11 survivors from that match, which Australia won by 96 runs.

Shane Bond took six for 23 that day in a man-of-the-match performance that exemplifies his penchant for facing the Aussies. He has taken 34 wickets in 11 appearances against them, at an average of 13.88.

The Black Caps' spearhead has the best economy rate and average of anyone bowling 100 or more balls in the tournament, although he is seemingly out of the running to top the wicket taking charts. Bond has 12 wickets, eight less than current leader Glenn McGrath and trades at 40 in the top wicket taker market.

This market is perhaps now a two horse race, between McGrath (2.12) and Muttiah Muralitharan (3.85). There is a three wicket gap between Murali and third placed Shaun Tait (12), who has taken three wickets for 150 runs from his three appearances against New Zealand.

The runscoring charts are also dominated by players from the teams who will comprise the semi finalists - there are two Australians, South Africans and Sri Lankans and one Kiwi in the collection of players to have scored more than 400 runs.

77 runs separate Jacques Kallis and Sanath Jayasuriya, but Matthew Hayden, Ponting and Scott Styris have a game in hand on their competition. Punters see Hayden as the man in form, as he is available at 2.44.

The big lefthander has passed 40 in seven of his last eight ODIs and started that run with an unbeaten 181 against the Black Caps, the highest ever ODI score by an Australian. That ton was his third in eight innings against New Zealand and Hayden for one will hope he gets to play them again in the final - he now averages 52.8 against New Zealand. An Aussie-Kiwi final trades at 2.7.

Just as this World Cup looks like becoming predictable, another shock comes along, although the Aussies will not agree with the sentiment that the tournament needs another upset. They are on course for a fourth World Cup win and do not want to lose momentum against New Zealand.

The first ever Caribbean World Cup was expected to be a celebration of the game and a chance to regenerate local interest in the sport. A smoothly run tournament and a good showing by the home team would have helped to achieve this, but unfortunately we have seen the opposite.

There have been criticisms of the ticket prices, security restrictions and inaccessibility of the new stadiums, which has resulted in low attendances and a lack of atmosphere. Unfortunately neither local cricket fans nor visiting supporters seem likely to remember a tournament, which will be forever associated with the death of Bob Woolmer with much fondness.

The West Indies have been given a lifeline by South Africa's shock defeat to Bangladesh, but the insipid displays served up by Brian Lara's men since their group stage wins suggests they are ill-equipped to take advantage.

The hosts have been wracked by familiar selection rows, which have forced the captain to make another public apology, although many local commentators, outside of Trinidad at least, continue to call for his resignation.

The hosts have not been helped by a demanding schedule that resulted in them playing on three successive days at the start of the Super Eights, but they have so many players out of form that a semi final place looks to be beyond their reach.

The West Indies have not been the only team to underperform. Pakistan and India crashed out early, which was terrible news for the tournament organisers. The rivals' prospective Super Eight clash was to be one of the tournament highlights, but whilst Ireland and Bangladesh's progress was good news for the game's development, sponsorship and TV revenue has been lost. India's absence in particular has further contributed to the small crowds at Super Eight matches.

The format for this tournament was designed to create as many high profile clashes between the major teams as possible. The ICC was mindful that events conspired to prevent this happening in England in 1999 and in South Africa in 2003, and hopes were high that the Super Eights would be just that: a battle for the semi finals between the 'big' eight Test playing nations.

Ireland and Bangladesh took advantage of the fact that they only needed to win one game against a big gun to progress, giving us an unexpected Super Eight line-up. However, neither team have proved to be whipping boys in the second phase and the Tigers' win over South Africa revitalised an ailing tournament.

The Super Eights looked like it would become a 'Super Six', in which England and the West Indies appeared to be the weak links. The semi final line-up was in danger of being decided early, leaving us with numerous 'dead' games that would further drive away spectators.

Bangladesh have ensured that the Super Eights will remain competitive and the style in which they overcame the Proteas suggests they might have a further say. England are the only major team not to have beaten another big gun and they must be alert so as not to go the same way as India and South Africa.

The Proteas' indifferent form has made a mockery of their number one ranking - although the Aussies claimed it back by beating England on Sunday - but it is the captain who holds aloft the trophy on April 28th who will have the last laugh.

Australia have been in imperious form, thrashing South Africa in their group meeting and cruising past England and the West Indies in the Super Eights. Their meetings with New Zealand and Sri Lanka will provide a measure for how improved those two outfits are.

Players and commentators were keen to point out at the tournament's outset that any number of the big guns could win it, but the holders seem as dominant as ever. Their run of defeats at the hands of England and the Kiwis seem a long time ago and Australia are the hot favourites to win their third consecutive World Cup, currently trading at 2.26 in the winner's market.

Neutrals will hope that the knockout matches at least prove to be competitive this time around. Australia cruised past Sri Lanka in a rain affected 2003 semi final and thrashed India by 125 runs in the final after amassing 359.

The Aussies have been in fine runscoring form in this tournament. Matthew Hayden hit the fastest ever World Cup ton in his side's 377 for six against South Africa and he and Ricky Ponting look to be the likeliest contenders to top the runscoring charts.

Other individual performances to have lit up the tournament include Herschelle Gibbs' six sixes in an over against the Netherlands (although this as much as anything highlighted the gulf in class between the big teams and some of the associate nations) and Lasith Malinga's four wickets in four balls against South Africa.

There has clearly been plenty to enjoy on the field - with England's narrow defeat to Sri Lanka being the most exciting game - it has just been unfortunate that so few people have been able to share that enjoyment.

The tournament organisers clearly needed to recoup the vast investment made in building and redeveloping grounds, but the inflated ticket prices have left stadiums empty. Cheaper tickets would fill seats as well as the ICC coffers.

There at least seems to be recognition that this situation is unacceptable, as ticket prices seem set to be reduced at Barbados' Kensington Oval. Restrictions on food, drink and music also look like being lifted - pending ICC approval - which would help to recapture the calypso atmosphere that has so far been missing.

The next tournament, in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2011 will surely not be blighted by propitiatory ticket prices as lessons will have been learned. It must also be hoped that tourists will not be put off by misleading stories about unavailability of tickets and accommodation, as they have been on this occasion.

The defeat has seen England's price rise to 32 to win the competition for the first time, and they are as long as 6.2 even to make the final four, with the likely need to beat at least one of Australia and South Africa, and then finish off with wins over the West Indies and Bangladesh as well.

But it is Sunday's game that we will concentrate on here, as England go in search of revenge for the wide-margin pre-tournament defeat and seek a return to the form they showed at the end of the Ashes series, when they completed a shock whitewash victory in the final of the Commonwealth Bank Series.

Michael Vaughan's men, although they have won three times since the Caribbean event started, and once in the warm-ups, have yet to beat a Division One rival, with Ireland, Kenya, Canada and Bermuda all games they should have won anyway - defeats by New Zealand and, albeit narrowly, by Sri Lanka are somewhat disheartening.

Although they have competed in all of the games - remember they had New Zealand in serious trouble before Scott Styris and Jacob Oram took control and put on 138 runs in a winning fifth-wicket stand - there are enough problem areas to look at to suggest that the 4.4 on offer for an England win is realistic.

The main problem has to be England's top order batting, which again failed to shine in the two-run defeat by Sri Lanka, and it appears unlikely to be solved by the possible addition of Andrew Strauss, if he is brought into the side at the expense of Ed Joyce, the luckless Ian Bell or in more extreme circumstances Vaughan himself.

Apart from the 101-run opening partnership against Canada, England have been in positions of 12-1, 11-2, 23-2 and 30-2 in their other four games, and it makes no difference whether you are setting a target or chasing one about the pressure it puts on the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, however solid form they are in.

You would imagine one of the top three in the England order is due for a big knock, but for punters who have backed them outright, it would be handy if it came in this game, in which defeat would leave absolutely no room for manoeuvre for the rest of the Super 8 phase.

But it seems unlikely that Joyce or Vaughan would be favoured to the improving middle order in the top England batsman market, where both Paul Nixon and Ravi Bopara could be worth noting in case they are required to perform another rescue mission over the closing overs.

As it has transpired, England have given Australia their closest game so far since arriving in the Caribbean, but knowing that Ricky Ponting's side chased down a target of only 198 to win with nine overs to spare shows just how dominant they have been, a long way from the CB Series final defeat and the proceeding 3-0 whitewash in the Chappell-Hadlee series against their rivals from across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand.

Since the start of the tournament proper they have racked up over 300 against Scotland, the Netherlands, the West Indies and most impressively South Africa before chasing down Bangladesh's 104 in a rain-affected clash in only 13 overs.

They have five players averaging over 50 with the bat and the tournament-leading run-scorer in Matthew Hayden, who needs only five more runs to reach 400 - he is a 2.4 favourite to top the run-scoring charts at the end of the tournament. Together with Ponting, Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist, they form an incredible top four, and with Andrew Symonds and Brad Hodge also there to add to the excitement, even the loss of Shane Watson to injury should not affect them too adversely.

They should certainly be strongly favoured in the opening partnership market, with their Hayden-Gilchrist combination among the best in the world, and in completely different form to their England counterparts Joyce and Vaughan - if both are selected.

The bowling has been just as good, even in the absence of Shane Warne and Brett Lee, with Glenn McGrath among the leading wicket-takers on 12 and Brad Hogg providing some surprisingly strong spin bowling, while Shaun Tait's raw pace has enabled him to take eight wickets, although not at quite as good an average as McGrath, Hogg and Nathan Bracken.

And although they will have been happy enough to beat their Ashes rivals in the pre-tourney 'friendly', there is still a deal of revenge on the cards for Australia for the way England turned around their form in claiming victory on home soil back in February - the price of 1.28 reflects the superiority they had built during the Ashes Tests and early part of the CB Series.

England did take three successive wins at the end of the series, and did so without anything from their undoubted star Pietersen, who had been taken out of action earlier in the programme when a jagging leg-cutter from McGrath broke one of his ribs.

They will need plenty from the likes of Collingwood and Sajid Mahmood, who has apparently taken over from CB Series hero Liam Plunkett as the preferred option opening the bowling, mainly because he has a bit more pace and hits the surface harder - he certainly enjoyed this Antigua surface when taking 4-50 against the Sri Lankans, and could be a lively outsider in top wicket taker markets for this match.

'Malinga the slinger' has 13 wickets to his name and trades at 5.1 to finish as top wicket taker, although he does have some familiar names for company. Compatriot Muttiah Muralitharan is trading at 5.3 with 11 scalps so far and Glenn McGrath, who is the all-time World Cup top wicket taker, is available at 5.7. Both he and Charl Langeveldt, the other surprise package in this market, have claimed 12 victims.

This tournament was tipped to be high scoring and the bowlers have had to work hard for their wickets. Six of the 10 highest ever World Cup totals have come in the current tournament and whilst the 'minnows' bowling attacks were on the receiving end of most of those hammerings, the small boundaries and decent wickets have favoured the batsmen in contests between the major teams.

Whilst the lesser teams have struggled in the field, it appears that they have made progress with the bat. The 2003 tournament in South Africa saw 12 five-wicket hauls- one every 4.5 games. This time around only Langeveldt, with 5-39 against Sri Lanka, has claimed a 'five-for', after 32 matches.

Individual bowlers have not run through batting line-ups with ease and there have been no returns like McGrath's 7-15 versus Namibia, or Chaminda Vaas' 6-25 against Bangladesh that we saw in 2003.

Vaas ended the 2003 event as top wicket taker with 23 but, despite possessing the second best economy rate in the West Indies, he is virtually out of the running to repeat the feat this time around. The Sri Lankan seamer has seven wickets so far and trades at 46.

Vaas is fourth on the all-time World Cup wicket taker's list that is now led by McGrath. The Aussie legend overtook Wasim Akram in his man-of-the-match performance against Bangladesh and will bow out of international cricket at the end of the tournament with a record that will take some beating.

McGrath took 21 victims in South Africa, at an average of 1.91 per game, a figure which was distorted by his performance against the hapless Namibians. He is averaging 2.4 wickets per game this time around and is fancied in this market partly because his team look guaranteed of a semi-final place - Sri Lanka are the fourth most fancied team to reach the semi-finals, trading at 1.24.

'Pigeon' also looks like getting the better of another of his rivals in one of the head-to-head markets. He must have been considered the outsider against Shaun Pollock, who came into the tournament on the back of 19 wickets in nine games against India and Pakistan and as the world's number one ranked bowler.

Whilst McGrath has prospered in a series of improved Australian bowling displays, Pollock has been flayed by opposing opening batsmen who usually find him so hard to attack. He bowled 18 wicket-less overs against Australia and Sri Lanka, at a cost of 129 runs and now trades at 4.3 in the head-to-head with McGrath, who punters must now ask for in this market.

Pollock clearly does not relish bowling in the Caribbean, as he has only taken more than two wickets in an innings once, and now averages 40 from 16 appearances. He has taken four wickets in this tournament and has slipped to 34 in the top wicket taker market, having started it fourth in the betting at 14.5.

Makhaya Ntini is another Proteas' paceman who has struggled. Pollock's new ball partner has claimed three scalps from four matches and is available at 42 in the top wicket taker market.

It has been something of a surprise that South Africa's main bowling threats have been Langeveldt - 12 wickets at 19.33 - and Andrew Hall, who has claimed nine victims at 21.44. South Africa's title challenge is relying on an all-pace attack and these two trade at 10 and 15 respectively to continue to upstage their compatriots and top the wicket taking charts.

One man who has not disappointed is Shane Bond. The Kiwi speedster has not quite been in the explosive form he showed in 2003, when he took 17 wickets in eight matches, including a memorable 6-23 against Australia, but his four appearances so far have brought him eight wickets.

Bond has been the tightest bowler on show, with an economy rate of just 2.29 and has conceded less than 20 runs in three of his four matches. He is available at 15.5. Bond thrives on playing against the best, averaging less than 14 against Australia, and looks assured of extra games as the in-form Kiwis have nearly booked their semi-final berth already. They trade at 1.07 to do so and have shortened to 5.9 in the winner's market.

The Black Caps' star man would have been proud of Malinga's record-breaking burst of four wickets in four balls against South Africa. The Sri Lankan was hit for 18 from his opening two overs but bounced back to prove that he can be as effective with the old ball as he was with the new in decimating the top orders of Bangladesh and Bermuda.

Malinga's unconventional action might have caught opposing batsmen by surprise, but he has been showing promise for some time. He now has taken 52 wickets in 33 matches at an average of 23.38. His strike rate of 29.2 is the fourth best ever of any player to have bowled more than 1,000 balls in ODIs.

The ninth match of the Super 8 stage might prove a pivotal one in the process of deciding the tournament's semi-finalists. Defeat for England would mean they had lost both of their matches played against the six 'big' teams left in, having lost to New Zealand in the group phase.

The Kiwis, along with Australia, are in a strong position, having won both their clashes against the other major contenders, whilst Sri Lanka and South Africa have one such win under their belts. England and the West Indies only have a win each against Ireland to show for their efforts so far, and the final four could decided early on in the Super 8 stage.

This is reflected in the betting to reach the semi-finals. Punters must ask to back Australia, whilst New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka trade at 1.06, 1.08 and 1.18 respectively. England follow their clash with the 1996 winners with a meeting against familiar foes Australia and trade at 3.05 to reach the last four.

Sri Lanka are back on track after their narrow defeat to South Africa in their opening Super 8 clash. They have been touted as tournament dark horses but, despite carrying through points against Bangladesh, they needed a win against the West Indies on Sunday.

They responded with a crushing 113 run success over the hosts and will be confident of further improving their qualification hopes against a team they whitewashed in their last meeting. Sri Lanka trade at 1.45 to win this one, with England available at 2.98.

England's 5-0 home defeat to Sri Lanka last summer was perhaps the lowest they sunk during their recent travails in the one-day arena. They have won eight and lost nine since ending that series with a humiliating eight-wicket defeat at Headingley.

Sri Lanka knocked off their target of 322 with more than 12 overs to spare, thanks largely to Sanath Jayasuriya's brutal 152 from 99 balls. The dashing left-hander is approaching his 38th birthday but is still going strong.

He already has two tons and Man of the Match awards to his name in this tournament and is in the top three in both the runscoring and six hitter's charts. He trades at 18 in the top runscorer's market.

Jayasuriya needs 24 runs to become the ninth player to score more than 1,000 World Cup runs and England certainly do not need reminding of his liking for batting on the big stage.

He bludgeoned 82 runs from 44 balls in the 1996 quarter-final between the two sides in a characteristic display of aggressive opening batting that was instrumental in his team's success that year. Jayasuriya averages 44.87 against England and has three tons and a 99 from his last nine innings against them.

Sri Lanka led a batting revolution in winning the 1996 trophy, proving that aggression at the top of the order was as useful as attacking later in the innings. That template remains in place 11 years on as Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith et al have proved, although England seem to have chosen a different path.

Despite three of their four games being against 'minnows', England's top three of Ed Joyce, Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell have an average strike rate of 60.42, compared with Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene scoring at an average of 81.1 runs per 100 balls.

England admittedly miss the weighty strokeplay of Marcus Trescothick and would be ill-advised to expose Kevin Pietersen or Andrew Flintoff to the new ball, but their plan of laying solid foundations for their two big guns to build on has simply puts more pressure on them to score quickly.

They have instead relied on the in-form Paul Collingwood, who has hit 201 runs in the tournament at an average of 100.5 and strike rate of 100. The Durham man is one of the first names on the team sheet and has risen to 23rd place in the ODI batting world rankings with his highest ever rating.

Despite their humbling last summer, England hold a narrow advantage in the previous meetings between the two, winning 19 ODIs to Sri Lanka's 18. That defeat in Faisalabad in 1996 was England's only defeat in seven World Cup meetings.

Away from their home grounds these two sides have only met at venues in Australia and on the sub-continent, with England winning 10 of those 14 clashes. Their meeting on Wednesday will therefore be on unfamiliar territory, not least because it will be only the fourth game to be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

Despite the poor performances of the hosts, it has so far looked like being a run-friendly wicket. Australia hit the West Indies for 322 in the opening Super 8 fixture and New Zealand followed up by cruising their way to a target of 178 against the same opponents, with nearly 11 overs to spare.

A high-scoring encounter would seem to suit Sri Lanka - they have batted first in each of their five matches in the tournament so far and have posted an average target of 282. They also have two bowlers in the running to top the wicket taking charts.

Lasith Malinga has 13 wickets at an average of 12.61, closely followed by Muttiah Muralitharan, with 11 at 16.09. Glenn McGrath separates the pair, who trade at 4.2 and 5.5 respectively in the top wicket taker market. Both men have better bowling records against England than they do in their overall careers.

England might decide to make changes to their bowling unit. Sajid Mahmood has taken only one wicket in two games, so Liam Plunkett might earn a recall, although Jon Lewis is on standby to make his first appearance of the tournament.

Andrew Strauss has also been on drinks duty so far but might feature instead of Ed Joyce, who has failed to convince despite hitting two half-centuries. Sri Lanka must choose between bowlers Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof in their only selection dilemma.

England begin their Super 8 campaign with a clash against the tournament's major surprise package. Their defeat to New Zealand in the group stage means that they face a real battle to reach their first World Cup semi-final since 1992.

England trade at 1.41 to be eliminated in the second phase and cannot afford a slip-up against the Irish if they are to progress further. An England win is available at 1.09, with Ireland currently on offer at 12.

Ireland's win over Pakistan will prevent the big guns from facing them with complacency, and England in particular must be on the ball as they were far from convincing in beating an even weaker Canadian outfit. They were more impressive in booking their Super 8 spot with a win over Kenya, and will undoubtedly have one eye on the sterner challenges that follow.

After Ireland, England face the tournament's form teams, Sri Lanka and Australia, and it seems likely that they must win at least one of those matches to maintain serious hopes of qualification. They now trade at 16.5 to win the trophy, having begun the tournament on offer at 11.5.

The Aussies and New Zealand are particularly well placed to advance, having reached this phase with wins against two of their main rivals (South Africa and England). Sri Lanka and the West Indies carried forward points from wins over Bangladesh and Ireland and they must hope that the minnows prove that their first-round performances were not a fluke.

Ireland battled to a low scoring tie with a disappointing Zimbabwe side and made heavy going of a small target after routing Pakistan for 132. The West Indies had nearly 10 overs and eight wickets to spare in overhauling Ireland's 183 for eight, and the lack of firepower in the Irish batting line-up is the major obstacle to further success against the top teams.

Only three Irishmen have passed 50 runs in the tournament, led by Jeremy Bray, who has scored 159 runs so far, at an average of 79.5. The Aussie expatriate was the only man to hold up the hosts in their group clash, making 41, and he once again represents the most likely man to help Ireland to a respectable total.

England have hardly been prolific with the bat, but they for once might appeal in the highest opening partnership market. Ed Joyce and Michael Vaughan have averaged 38 for the first wicket so far, compared to Ireland's opening pair recording a total of 10 runs from their three opening stands.

William Porterfield has two ducks to his name and his form will deter punters from backing Ireland in this market. They are currently on offer at 3, with England available at 1.21.

Joyce's position at the top of the England order looks assured after he recovered form a second ball duck against the Kiwis. He hit contrasting half centuries against Canada and Kenya and now leads his team's runscoring charts. He trades at 3.4 to finish the tournament as England's top runscorer.

Ireland's presence at this World Cup is due in no small part to Joyce's runs. He made two tons and two half centuries in his five innings at the 2005 qualification tournament before completing his residency qualification for England.

Ironically he made his England One Day International debut against his former team-mates - including his younger brother - but made just 10. He trades at 2.84 to make between 50 and 99 runs, something that he has done in three of his last 8 ODI innings.

England won that Belfast clash by 38 runs, in slightly unconvincing fashion. They failed to bowl Ireland out, letting them recover from 135 for 6 to 263 for nine. England's cushion was provided by Marcus Trescothick's century and his absence from the team is being felt more than ever.

Joyce, Vaughan and Ian Bell invariably get England off to a sedate start, out of place in a tournament full of big hitting opening batsmen and inventive strokeplay. Trescothick scored his runs at a strike rate of 85.21 and his 12 ODI tons are just one less than the total scored by the whole of the current team.

England do have the world's number one ranked batsman in Kevin Pietersen, who has eased himself into form with two half centuries, scored at a slower pace than Joyce has managed. England's batting hopes seem to rest on their number four, who has slipped to 40 in the tournament's top runscorer market.

Since that defeat to England last June, Ireland have generally struggled. They won just once in the World Cricket League in Kenya, losing to Scotland, Canada, Kenya and the Netherlands, suggesting they would not be the minnows to fear in this tournament.

They have proved otherwise due to their economical bowling - only one front line bowler has conceded more than five an over - and above average fielding. They will want to mark their presence in the Super 8 stage with at least one win, and would surely love to achieve that against England.

England have never lost an ODI against a non Test playing nation and will hope Guyana's recent rainy weather subsides. Ireland took full advantage of seamer friendly conditions against Pakistan in Jamaica and a damp Providence Stadium wicket would add to England's nerves.

A total washout would surely ruin England's qualification hopes, although a reserve day can be used for any matches not finishing at the first attempt. Nonetheless, punters might want to keep an eye on the completed match market, as rain is forecast in the region until the weekend.

Ireland's progression at the expense of Pakistan has been the major shock, but just as notable is the absence of India in the second stage. As long as Bangladesh cope with the unfamiliar favourites tag against Bermuda - who lost their opening two games by an average of 250 runs - there will be no Indian or Pakistani involvement in a World Cup second phase for the first time ever.

As well as learning that a smaller nation is capable of upsetting a big one, we have also found out that in general terms the gulf in class remains as big as ever. Scotland and the Netherlands were on the on receiving end of hammerings from Australia and South Africa, although the Dutch were nearly as convincing in thrashing their European rivals in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon in Group A.

Bermuda's two defeats to date have been among the three largest in World Cup history by a team batting second, as the minnows tried to exploit any favourable bowling conditions by generally fielding first when they won the toss. On the plus side, Canada and Kenya's batting was far from overawed in Group C, whilst Ireland proved their Pakistan win was not a fluke by battling to a crucial draw against Zimbabwe.

Despite Ireland and Bangladesh's heroics, perhaps the most notable performance came from Australia on Sunday. This tournament was deemed to be wide-open, but the Aussies head into the second phase as the hot favourites that they were prior to having their preparations derailed by England and New Zealand. They trade at 2.58 to lift their fourth World Cup crown.

The Baggy Greens' 83-run win over South Africa was in many ways as brutal as their victories over the group minnows. Matthew Hayden struck the fastest ever World Cup ton, inspiring his side to their highest ever total in the competition. It is significant that it came against their biggest rivals - totals of 334 for six against Scotland and 358 for five against the Netherlands were mere warm ups.

In defending their record total of 377 for six with ease, Australia also answered those who had suggested they struggle when bowling second. The four biggest ever successful run chases have all come against the Aussies, and all since December 2005. South Africa couldn't maintain their early scoring rate and ended up well short in the battle to take points through to the Super Eights.

The significance of the outcomes of the games between each group's qualifiers has grown due to the early exits of Pakistan and India. A second phase containing Bangladesh and Ireland will seemingly reduce the Super Eight stage to effectively a 'Super Six' - and those teams who have already lost one of their five matches against a big gun face an uphill struggle.

The surprise qualifiers can of course secure another giantkilling, but it seems likely that we have had all the shocks in the tournament already. The six major nations have had plenty of acclimatisation and will not take the Irish lightly, whilst Bangladesh have only won five of their 97 clashes against the major eight Test playing nations.

It therefore seems that the four in-form teams - Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the West Indies - are well placed to make up the semi final positions. England and South Africa will have no room for leeway and must rediscover their form quickly in respective Guyana clashes with Ireland and Sri Lanka.

The small Caribbean grounds always seemed likely to be conducive to high scoring, and the big hitters have not disappointed. Australia made the boundaries at the smallest venue of all, Warner Park in St Kitts, seem very small indeed. They shared 11 sixes and all seven batsmen scored at more than a run all a ball, just the second ever instance of this happening in ODIs.

Australia hit the tournament's 10th score in excess of 300, which surpasses the nine that were recorded in South Africa in 2003. The Aussies proved that these don't just come against the minnows, so expect more fireworks in the Super Eight stage.

Unsurprisingly the Baggy Green batsmen lead the way in the runscoring charts. Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden all feature in the top four, behind the in-form Graeme Smith. Ponting is trading at 4.8 in the top runscorer market and is sure to be in with a shout when the tournament finishes at Barbados on April 28.

The high scoring nature of the matches has obviously made life difficult for bowlers. Most of the big guns have been able to rest their star pacemen, but the top of the wicket taking charts still contains some surprising names.

Muttiah Muralitharan and Glenn McGrath are not surprisingly in contention in this market with six wickets apiece - the latter needs another half dozen to break Wasim Akram's World Cup record - but few will have expected Brad Hogg to lead the way at the tournament's halfway stage.

The spinning postman has eight wickets at an average of 13, and punters have recognised his suitability for the West Indian wickets - he trades as current second favourite, at 7.4. McGrath is available at a tasty 9.6.

The West Indies will kick off the second phase, just as they did the group stage. Their opening day win over Pakistan was put into context by Ireland, but a win against Australia in Guyana on Tuesday would certainly make the rest of the field take notice.

The hosts shared one win apiece with the World Cup holders in the Champions Trophy and have won five of their last 10 completed matches. The West Indies trade at 9.8 to become the first sole hosts to lift the trophy.

Any lingering suggestions that the lesser teams should not be at the World Cup were blown away by Ireland on Saturday. Their remarkable St Patrick's Day victory over Pakistan all but secured their progress to the Super Eight stage and also condemned the 1992 winners to a humiliating early exit.

With India slipping up against Bangladesh, the second stage might have a different look to what was expected at the tournament's outset. Some commentators expected the group stage to be a formality, a chance for the big guns to enjoy match practice against minnows who were simply happy to make up the numbers.

Ireland have proved that the associate teams can mix it with the Test-playing nations, although this tournament has already had its share of mismatches. Scotland, Bermuda and the Netherlands have all been on the receiving end of hammerings that suggested that the gap between the elite and the second tier was as wide as ever.

Three of the four largest World Cup winning margins have come this week, but any complacency among the big guns would have been banished by Pakistan's humbling. The England players who were involved in late-night drunken antics two days before they face Canada were surely sobered up by the mauling Pakistan received in their press, as much as the fines they received from the England management.

World Cups often make stars of players, but few can have expected the likes of Jeremy Bray, Niall O'Brien and Boyd Rankin to be the headline makers. Bray hit an unbeaten ton in his side's thrilling tied match with Zimbabwe, while O'Brien and Rankin starred with bat and ball respectively against Pakistan.

Those players represent the blend of players that have made Ireland a successful unit. Bray is a combative left hander who brings experience and Australian competitiveness to the side - he, like fellow Aussies Trent Johnston and Dave Langford-Smith, qualifies for Ireland through residency. Bray represented New South Wales and Australia under-19s and is clearly enjoying his belated chance to play on the biggest stage in the twilight of his career.

Youngster Rankin is on Derbyshire's books for the coming season and he announced himself in emphatic style by claiming three for 32 on Saturday. Wicketkeeper O'Brien is already established on the County circuit and his match-winning 72 against Pakistan was the perfect answer to Kent, who released him at the end of last season due to Geraint Jones' return from the England team. Northamptonshire will benefit from O'Brien's services this season.

Ireland now trade at 13 to record another upset against a West Indies team that is as prone to collapses and inconsistency as Pakistan are. An Irish win would see them progress to the Super Eights as Group D winners.

Zimbabwe's tie with the Irish looked like being the closest we'd get to a shock, but they themselves now have a chance of progression - they trade at 40 to win the group and will relish the chance to face a Pakistan team that is already out of the tournament.

Like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh cannot be considered minnows, although their win over India was still a major surprise. The 14 previous One Day meetings with their subcontinent rivals had brought just one win, but they entered the tournament with plenty of confidence after handing out some thrashings to the minnows and beating New Zealand in a warm-up fixture.

India must now beat an in-form Sri Lanka outfit to guarantee qualification for the second phase. Rahul Dravid's men nonetheless trade at 3.15 to win Group B and at 15.5 to go the distance. Bangladesh are available at 3.8 to win the group and they will look for further inspiration from Mashrafe Mortaza, whose four for 38 lifted him to 12th in the ODI rankings list, and 17-year-old Tamim Iqbal, who smashed a quickfire half century.

Ireland and Bangladesh's heroics have been offset by some heavy defeats for the other lesser teams. Australia outclassed Scotland in the tournament's second match, whilst Bermuda were routed for just 78 by Sri Lanka's attack.

Bermuda and Scotland fared better in the field than the Netherlands did against South Africa. While Ireland's players will return home as heroes, Daan van Bunge will be remembered as the first man in ODIs to concede six sixes in one over.

Records tumbled in that St Kitts clash, as South Africa hit the most ever sixes in an ODI innings and Mark Boucher joined in the fun with Herschelle Gibbs by recording the fastest ever World Cup half century. Jacques Kallis hit a dashing ton and now trades at 10 in the top runscorer market.

The spectacle of the Proteas batsmen flaying the Dutch attack in front of a sparse crowd supports the suggestion that the minnows should not be part of the World Cup. Ireland answered those critics in impressive style and also proved the value of the high performance programme that sought to improve the game worldwide.

The minnows who qualified for the last World Cup, Kenya, Namibia, Canada and the United Arab Emirates were given funding and expert coaching by the ICC to develop their teams and cricketing structures.

Kenya, fortuitous semi-finalists last time around, seem to be the success story of that group, as they pushed the West Indies close in a warm up match and cruised past Canada in their Group C clash.

Punters looking for another upset in the group stages might look towards Kenya's clash with England next Saturday. England were pretty dismal in losing to New Zealand and they will have to be on their guard against Kenya, who are well marshalled by skipper Steve Tikolo, the veteran of four World Cups.

The Tigers are now in position qualify for the Super Eights, standing in second place in Pool B behind Sri Lanka on run rate.

But Dav Whatmore's side beat New Zealand in the warm-ups and have served warning that they have the ability to cause another upset on the turning surface at Port Of Spain's Queens Park Oval.

India, on the other hand, must win both of their remaining matches - against Bermuda and Sri Lanka - to keep the hopes of a billion cricket fans alive.

Tamim Iqbal's stunning 51 from 53 balls, featuring two sixes, proved to be the decisive knock but it was new-ball bowler Mashrafe Mortaza who set Bangladesh on their way with the early strikes to dismiss Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa.

India's innings was steadied by Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh who shared a partnership of 85 after skipper Rahul Dravid, who had earlier won the toss and chosen to bat, fell in the 25th over at 72-4.

But a late flurry of wickets saw the total kept the total down to 192, which was surpassed with nine balls and five wickets remaining as three of Bangladesh's prodigious teenagers made mature half centuries.
Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar said: "Tamim Iqbal batted really well - hope he continues like this.

"Rahim did a brilliant job. He has a good technique and plays the new ball well. This win has given a fair chance to qualify to second round.

Bangladesh's famous win was also tinged with sadness and Bashar paid tribute to Tigers all-rounder Manjural Islam who was killed in a road accident on Friday at the age of 22.

"This is a great day for Bangladesh cricket. We would like to dedicate this win to our friend Manjural Islam," he said.

Bangladesh (6.2) remain outsiders to repeat the opening victory in their next Group B match against Sri Lanka (1.18) on Wednesday.

This tournament is the biggest and longest ever, with 16 teams participating in a competition that lasts for a month and a half. The teams have been split into four groups and seeded according to their world ranking when the schedule was announced. Consequently, recently-installed world number ones South Africa, who have made great strides on the one-day game recently, are seeded fifth and find themselves in a group with Australia.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Eight stage (level teams will be divided by applying the number of wins and then net run rate) where each of the qualifiers play the others, apart from the team that they faced in the group stage.

Points are carried forward from the group stage, meaning each of the early games is important, and the top four placed teams after this phase will become semi finalists. The top placed team will play the fourth and the second will face the third at that stage before the last two surviving teams face off at Bridgetown, Barbados on April 28th.

If the new format has become a little long-winded, due to the inclusion of six associate teams, it is at least less complicated than recent tournaments. The 1999 and 2003 tournaments were so ill-conceived that non-cricketing factors played a huge part in deciding who would contest the Super Six stage.

Teams carried forward group points won only against fellow qualifiers, so in 1999 Zimbabwe progressed as group winners because their defeats came against eliminated teams. Washed out matches also skewed the groups last time around, which were also affected by various teams boycotting their matches in Zimbabwe.

This unnecessarily complicated format has been tweaked, so the second round qualifiers will be there on merit this time around. If one of the minnows makes it through, like Kenya did in 2003 by reaching the semi-finals, it will be because they have upset one of the big boys.

The lesser teams will undoubtedly be desperate to cause a tournament upset, with Ireland pushing South Africa in a warm-up match and Bangladesh upsetting New Zealand in another. The Tigers are of course a Test playing nation, but it will nonetheless be a surprise if the 'big eight' were not the teams who did battle in round two.

The associate teams will want to justify their inclusion and prove doubters like Michael Holding wrong. The West Indian legend questioned the involvement of debutants Bermuda, who managed just one win in the associates' recent World Cricket League.

They face a Sri Lanka team that bowled out Canada for just 36 in 2003, and despite some of the minnows showing improvement since the last tournament, punters can expect some one-sided fare to be served up. Sri Lanka trade at 1.01 to beat Bermuda in that group B clash.

Each group's matches are played at one venue. The teams who reach the Super Eights will have played three matches on one ground and will have to adjust to new conditions as they island hop in the second phase and latter stages.

England are based in St Lucia for the group stage, where they have lost on both previous visits, while the West Indies will play their group D fixtures at Sabina Park, where they have lost five of their last six one dayers.

The hosts were hammered by India in a warm up match at the new Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica on Friday, and they will hope that the curse of the hosts does not strike again. Local supporters and commentators have been talking up the West Indies' chances, but another defeat against Pakistan in the curtain-raiser on Tuesday would seriously harm their hopes of becoming the first outright host nation to lift the trophy.

Many of the eight venues have been recently built or refurbished, so there is some speculation about how the pitches will play. Spin has been highlighted as an important factor, although England are unlikely to find a pitch as sluggish as the one that they used in St Vincent for their preparations.

The warm up matches have been relatively low scoring, with India's 300 for nine against the Netherlands being the highest total to have been posted. Players might have taken a more sedate approach in adjusting to conditions, but the mammoth scores that have been predicted might not materialise.

The players will not have to contend with floodlights in this tournament, as all of the matches are played during the day. Matches were first played under lights in 1992 - a revolutionary tournament that also introduced coloured clothing and a white ball - and it is something of a throwback to see this tournament contested in daylight.

This will help nullify any perceived advantage in winning the toss, and it also makes the tournament easier to follow for English fans at home. All matches start at either 13.30 or 14.30 GMT and supporters also have the advantage of knowing the Super Eight schedule in advance.

The second round seeding is the same as that used in the group phase, with no notice taken of whether a team finishes first or second in their group. For example, England will remain team C2 in the Super Eight fixture list, even if they beat New Zealand to the top in that group.

Should Kenya or Canada qualify from group C instead of England, they will take England's place as team C2 in the second round. The final and perhaps crucial Super Eight match, at Barbados on April 21st, will therefore be between the West Indies and England, as long as they progress from their groups.

Weather problems should not hit this tournament, but there is a reserve day for every match in case rain does appear. A match is deemed complete if 20 overs have been played in each innings, but should this not happen, the game will be completed the next day.

Rahul Dravid and his men have been in good form in the run-up to the tournament, and their one-day series win (albeit at home) against a talented Sri Lankan side was enough to see former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga hail them as his tournament favourites.

The level of talent in their squad is undoubted, but the fact remains that most of their best cricket in recent years has been played on home soil, apart from a fine tour of Australia in 2003/4, and that results on tour have not been as positive.

One needs only to look over the last year or so to see that India will need to improve to challenge the likes of Australia and South Africa unless they find a quick cure for the home sickness that has seen them lose away series against the Proteas and West Indies.

Their ICC Champions Trophy campaign on home soil was also a disappointment as they managed only to beat a poor England side in their group before losses to the West Indies and Australia saw them fail to reach the semi-finals.

But the fact remains that at their best India can give any side present in the Caribbean a run for their money. The depth they possess in their batting line-up should give them the chance to consistently post big totals if they get the opportunity to bat first on the friendlier pitches being used in the World Cup.

The clear star of the team is vice-captain and national hero Sachin Tendulkar, whose 14,783 runs in one-day cricket make him the world leader - the average of 44.12 is also among the best in the world and should he hit form in the West Indies he has to be a threat in the leading run scorer markets, both overall and match-by-match.

Tendulkar has also had a measure of success on Caribbean pitches, although only six of his 381 ODI matches have been played there - he has averaged 54.50, although two unbeaten knocks have deflated that somewhat with his top score of 65 reached twice.

He and Brian Lara will both probably make this World Cup their swansong, certainly in this competition, and they are the leading competitors for the best batsman of this generation - if either could end their career with the legacy of a major trophy like this it would tip the balance in his respective favour.

But, unlike Lara, who probably boasts only two support acts, there are five more top batsmen India and Tendulkar can rely on if he fails to trouble the scorers with a big innings - his recent form is encouraging with a century and two half-centuries in his last four ODI innings.

Captain Dravid is a much more patient player who has made Test cricket his priority - an amazing average of 57.33 in the longer game bears that out - but he should not be underestimated in one-dayers especially when he comes in to rescue the side from early troubles.

Dravid's patience should be a big advantage in the pressure-packed atmosphere of tournament cricket and it should not be forgotten that he has recently passed the 10,000 run level and boasts an average of a shade over 40.

'The Wall' has also had success in the Caribbean before, guiding India to a Test series victory in 2006 before the one-day disappointments and his mix of belligerence and stroke-play should ensure plenty of runs to be scored in what is also likely to be his last chance at World Cup glory.

The new golden boy at the top of the India order is Robin Uthappa, a far more attacking batsman who is seen as a potential match-winner if he can overcome the rushes of blood to his head and keep off the challenge of the more-experienced Virender Sehwag for a place in the side.

But he has only played eight international matches so far, and it may be asking a lot of him to perform at such a high level on what amounts to his first real tour of duty outside of India - he did tour the West Indies with them last spring but made a duck in his only outing in Port Of Spain when the series had already been lost.

Based on the Sri Lanka series, India appear likely to offer Sehwag one final chance to prove that his fantastic early career can be prolonged in one-day cricket as well as in Tests, where most of his recent success has come - most likely there will only be three places for Uthappa, Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly and Dinesh Karthik, with the latter most likely to miss out.

Sehwag's ODI average of 31 does not match well against the 49 he averages in Test cricket, and he has regularly been dropped from the one-day side recently not only for a lack of form but a lack of fitness as well - any such trouble in the Caribbean would see him sent to the sidelines again.

But he did twice hit scores in the 90's in their last one-day series in the West Indies and it is likely to be that experience of unique conditions that keeps him in the side ahead of Karthik - his place in the squad was only confirmed when Dravid told selectors that he wanted Sehwag alongside him, so with the captain on side, a starting place is not impossible as well.

Ganguly, meanwhile, will be on his final World Cup tour of duty after capping an amazing recall to the international side with four 50's on the tour of South Africa last year - he seems likely to open the batting, most likely with Uthappa or Sehwag depending on pitch conditions and whether they are setting or chasing a target.

If the top five was not enough for India, they also boast a fine option at six where the destructive Yuvraj Singh has a penchant for mixing sloppy mistakes with demolishing attacks just when they are starting to get tired. To have a player with seven ODI centuries and 26 half-centuries coming in at six just shows the depth India have.

Wicket-keeper is also not a problem for them as they can use Dravid and Karthik as well as regular starter Mahendra Singh Dhoni, another exciting player who has had some spectacular innings in his brief one-day career so far.

The swash-buckling Dhoni averages over 46 in his 58 innings so far, but it his scoring rate that marks him out as a special talent as he has scored his 1,958 runs at nearly a run a ball and his 183 not out against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005 (off 145 balls) is the highest ever ODI score by a wicket-keeper. He could also be used in a pinch-hitting role if required and is worth keeping an eye on in individual match markets.

The bowling options are maybe not as spectacular for the Indians but they should not be seen as a weakness, even though two of their main options are spinners playing on pitches not always known to aid slow bowling a lot.

Indeed it seems unlikely that India will be able to find places for both Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble now, with the latter most likely to make way after only recently returning to one-day cricket having previously been written off as only a Test player.

Fortunately for India they are currently blessed with some very solid pace bowling options, headlined by left-armer Irfan Pathan if he is over the control problems that saw him sent home from the tour of South Africa to play some domestic cricket and get his game back in order.

Pathan has taken his wickets at a fine average of under 26 runs and is also a good enough batsman to be considered a true all-rounder who could prove to be one of the better No 8's playing in the Caribbean if the selectors have complete faith in him. Before his troubles in 2006 he had been one of their most reliable pace options.

If he does not play, or more likely is not preferred, Zaheer Khan provides another left-arm option to open the bowling and his seven wickets in the final two games against Sri Lanka could well prove the difference in his battle for selection.

Ajit Agarkar seems likely to keep his place in the side as the right-arm opening bowler and his consistency will come in handy when the pressure is on - he may look fairly innocuous running in to bowl, but he has more wickets (272 at 27.55 runs per) than any of the other options on offer.

If Pathan is completely over-looked chances are that Sri Sreesanth and Munaf Patel will come in for consideration, with preference for the former despite some less than sparkling figures when he played in three of the four ODIs against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

As mentioned spin is well covered in the squad by Harbhajan and Kumble, but pundits are less than certain how important slow bowling is going to be in the Caribbean - at least India know they have two excellent options if spin is served well despite some poor recent form from both of them.

Harbhajan has had success in the West Indies before, although his two five-wicket hauls came in Test matches, and his haul of only 11 wickets in his last 14 one-day international innings has to be of some concern - enough for Kumble to return anyway to press him for a place in the side.

The 36-year-old has more wickets than any other bowler in the Indian squad (334 at 31 runs) but he has taken only five wickets in six games since returning from the one-day wilderness in South Africa and India have to be worried that one area they look upon as a strength still has the potential to turn sour.

Those hoping that Michael Vaughan's men will go the distance will be alarmed by the team's record in the big tournaments. The last two World Cup campaigns have ended in first-round exits and England remain the only major Test playing nation never to have won a World Cup or Champions Trophy.

The revamped tournament format should see England progress to the Super Eight stage - they can expect to join New Zealand in coming through a group that also contains Canada and Kenya - but punters don't foresee a long cup run. They trade at 1.51 to be eliminated in the second round.

A glance at England's recent record against their main competitors does not bode well for them. Of the seven other teams that are expected to contest the Super Eight stage, England have only had the better of recent meetings against Australia and Pakistan.

They have won three of their last five one-dayers against those two, but have lost at least three of their last five against India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indies.

Apart from the world's number one rankled team, South Africa, England have faced each of those teams at least once over the last 12 months, suggesting they must raise their game in order to secure the four wins from seven that they will probably need as a minimum to reach the semi-finals.

England of course ended their disappointing tour down under in style, winning their last
four ODIs, and the Barmy Army will hope that their team has turned the corner as those victories followed a run of just seven wins - one of which came against Ireland - from 26 matches.

Those triumphs that secured the Commonwealth Bank trophy came without Kevin Pietersen and James Anderson, who had returned to England with injury problems. Both started well in Australia - Pietersen hit 82 in his one appearance and Anderson took eight wickets in four matches - and they are expected to be the key men in the batting and bowling departments respectively.

Pietersen, ranked fourth in the world in limited-overs batting, made a blistering start to his ODI career, hitting three tons and three half-centuries in his first 10 knocks. He has been less prolific since then, but remains England's most consistent and destructive performer - only Shahid Afridi, Mahendra Dhoni, Virender Sehwag and Adam Gilchrist go into the tournament with better strike rates than Pietersen's 94.9.

Anderson burst onto the world stage in South Africa at the World Cup four year's ago, taking 10 wickets in five matches. He looked to have rediscovered his ability to swing the ball both ways at pace before his latest injury setback and his fitness is crucial to a bowling unit that is lacking experience.

In fact England are short of experience in all areas. Doubts must surround their ability to handle the pressure situations, as only Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood have more than a century of ODI appearances. Australia's five most seasoned players have over 1,000 caps between them.

The calming influence of Michael Vaughan is therefore crucial to England's hopes, as his injury problems coincided with the team's poor form and he did not play a ODI in 2006. Stand-in skippers Flintoff and Andrew Strauss have enjoyed win ratios of 28.6% and 33.3% respectively, whilst England have won 57.4% of matches played under Vaughan.

That record compares favourably with England's overall win percentage of 49.9% and Graham Gooch's 51.1%. Gooch led England to the brink of glory in 1992 and those that criticise Vaughan's ODI batting average of 27.7 will acknowledge his importance to England if they achieve something similar this time around.

The return of Vaughan, Pietersen and Anderson is huge boost, but England's key man will surely be Flintoff. The big all-rounder gives the team much needed balance, enabling England to field a wicket keeper that might well bat in the bottom four.

'Freddie' has struggled with the bat recently, hitting just one half-century in his last 21 ODI innings, but if he finds form in the Caribbean his boundary hitting will energise a line-up that contains the equally swashbuckling Pietersen.

To his own displeasure, bowling is becoming Flintoff's stronger suit, as 122 wickets at 26.41 suggests. He was back to his economical best in the Commonwealth Bank series, conceding more than 50 runs just once.

He had the best economy rate of any bowler who delivered at least 10 overs in the 2003 tournament, sending down his 48.4 overs at a cost of only 2.87 each, and will need to produce similar form in the Caribbean, where he has not flourished in his four appearances. Flintoff made 121 runs and took five wickets on England's tour there two years ago.

England as a team have struggled in the Caribbean, winning just six of their 27 ODIs played in the West Indies. They shared a 2-2 draw with the hosts in early 2004, with their two defeats coming at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia. England play all their group matches on that ground and will hope for a change of fortune when they play their crucial opener against the Kiwis on March 16th.

South Africa are the tournament's form team, and they arrive in the Caribbean having won eight and lost two of their last 10 ODIs. In fact they are the only side amongst the main contenders to have a positive win ratio from their last 10 matches.

The length of the tournament - 51 matches spread over a month and a half - means there is plenty of time for the big guns to find form and momentum, but a win for an England team ranked seventh in the world would nonetheless be a surprise, on a par with Sri Lanka's triumph in 1996.