Since the tournament first took place in 1998, England have not won an edition of the Champions Trophy. They were runners up in 2004 and would certainly be looking to get their name on the list of winners.

(1 Jun 2013)

England come into this tournament ranked third in the ICC ODI Rankings, placed behind India and Australia. Since the tournament first took place in 1998, England have not won an edition of the Champions Trophy. They were runners up in 2004 and would certainly be looking to get their name on the list of winners. Generally speaking, England don't have the greatest history in winning ICC Tournaments, but home grounds, conditions, and crowds will certainly add to their chances this time around.

Strengths

Overall, both batting and bowling can be listed as being strengths for England.

Looking at England's batting, if rankings were to be used as a guide, England have two batsmen in the top 10 of the ODI Rankings. Jonathan Trott is ranked fifth and captain Alastair Cook seventh.

As for the bowling department, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Steven Finn will certainly take advantage of home conditions and naturally England's bowling can be expected to do well, if not outperform other teams.

Weaknesses


In general the weakness of this English side would be their middle order. Looking back at the 1st ODI vs New Zealand, the middle order failed to score big. Perhaps this can be linked to the inexperienced middle order that many have referred to, especially in the absence of Kevin Pietersen.


Players to Watch Out For:

James Anderson

These are ideal conditions for James Anderson to flourish in. Any surface that offers even a little assistance to the bowlers will make Jimmy more than a handful to deal with. In the 1st ODI vs New Zealand, he led the bowling taking 3 wickets for 31 runs in his 9 overs.

Joe Root

The 22-year old has already shown in his so far brief stint with England what he is capable of. Averaging over 71 in the 9 ODIs he's played, Joe Root will certainly play a major role in the English middle order. If his innings of 79* off 56 balls against New Zealand earlier in the year at Napier is anything to go by, it is almost certain he will take a lot of bowling attacks by surprise in this tournament.

How Far Can They Go?

With eight of the top teams playing this tournament, each one has a good chance at winning the trophy. Playing at home will certainly help England's chances. The last time the Champions Trophy was played in England was in 2004, when West Indies defeated them in the final by two wickets. England will certainly be looking at going one-better this time around and lifting the trophy.