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- THE NATWEST SERIES PREVIEW
 The mouth-watering prospect of the last two World Cup finalists going head-to-head with England becomes reality as The NatWest Series swings into life at Edgbaston.
The England team will have to play well for they are without Caddick and White of their regular line up as well as missing skipper Hussain and star batsman Thorpe.
England and Pakistan kick-off the three-way tournament in a day/night encounter with world champions Australia entering the fray when they take on the host nation at Bristol on Saturday.
The event takes in nine venues across England and Wales and will feature some of the world's finest players.
Australia bring with them the panache of Adam Gilchrist and magic of Shane Warne and Pakistan the brilliance of Wasim Akram and sheer excitement of Shoaib Akhtar. England, of course, have plenty to offer too as they begin the build-up towards the next World Cup with the likes of Alec Stewart and Darren Gough again at the top of their game.
Tickets for the competition have sold like hot cakes and those who remember the excitement of the World Cup the last time Pakistan and Australia were in England will doubtless be keen to see more of the same.
Each side will play each other three times before the Competition's top two sides face other in the final at Lord's.
Further games will also be played at Cardiff, Old Trafford, Headingley, Trent Bridge, The Oval, Edgbaston, Chester-le-Street and Bristol. Three of the games at Edgbaston, Old Trafford and Trent Bridge will be floodlit affairs.
The NatWest Series made its debut last summer when England battled it out with Zimbabwe and the West Indies.
England eventually won the event with a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe,thanks mainly to a magnificent 97 by Stewart. The ever-reliable Surrey wicketkeeper enjoyed a particularly prolific tournament, also hitting two centuries in the earlier round-robin games, and he will again hope to get the sparks flying for England.
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Waqar and Wasim eager to maintain their winning ways in the NatWest Series and avenge defeat by Australia in the 1999 final |
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- Competition Fixtures
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June 7 England v Pakistan (Edgbaston, floodlit)
June 9 Pakistan v Australia (Cardiff)
June 10 England v Australia (Bristol)
June 12 England v Pakistan (Lord's)
June 14 England v Australia (Old Trafford, floodlit)
June 16 Pakistan v Australia (Chester-le-Street)
June 17 England v Pakistan (Headingley)
June 19 Pakistan v Australia (Trent Bridge, floodlit)
June 21 England v Australia (The Oval)
June 23 FINAL (Lord's)
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- *********GUIDE TO COMPETITION MATCH GROUNDS*********
OLD TRAFFORD
Capacity: 20,000
Address: Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Talbot Road, Manchester, M16
OPX.
Tel: 0161 282 4000
Directions: M62 then M60 ring road west, come off at A56 (signposted Stretford). Turn left at lights and follow signs to Stretford and then signs to Old Trafford cricket ground. By rail: To Manchester Piccadilly or Victoria then Metro link to Old Trafford (station alongside ground).
RIVERSIDE GROUND
Capacity: 15,000
Address: County Ground, Riverside, Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, DH3
3QR.
Tel: 0191 387 1717
Directions: Easily accessible from A1(M) by car. Nearby car parking on match days and nearest train station is Chester-le-Street (approximately five minutes away by taxi). Nearest airport is Newcastle Airport (approximately 20-25 minutes away by taxi).
HEADINGLEY
Capacity: 14,000
Address: Headingley Cricket Ground, St Michael's Lane, Leeds, West
Yorkshire, LS6 3BR.
Tel: 0113 278 7394
Directions: Leave M621 at junction 2, join A643 and then join A65 to Kirkstall. At traffic lights turn right onto B6157. Nearest train station is Headingley (approximately five minutes away by foot).
TRENT BRIDGE
Capacity: 15,000
Address: Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 6AG.
Tel: 0115 982 1525
Directions: Follow signs from ring road, towards city centre and then follow signs for Trent Bridge. The nearest train station is Nottingham Midland, a short walk from the ground.
EDGBASTON
Capacity: 17,500
Address: County Cricket Ground, Edgbaston Road, Edgbaston,
Birmingham, West Midlands, B5 7QU.
Tel: 0121 446 4422
Directions: Leave M6 at A38M to city centre. On A88 from south west, follow signs to County Ground. Nearest train station is Birmingham New Street.
THE FOSTER'S OVAL
Capacity: 16,500
Address: The Oval Cricket Ground, Kennington, London, SE11 5BS.
Tel: 020 7582 6660
Directions: Situated on A202 near junction of A24 and A3 south of Vauxhall Bridge. By underground, northern line to the Oval station 100 yards away from ground. Vauxhall on Victoria Line is five minutes away. By rail, Vauxhall on SouthWest line is five minutes away.
LORD'S
Capacity: 28,000
Address: Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood, London, NW8 8QN.
Tel: 020 7286 8011
Directions: By rail, nearest tube station is St John's Wood on the Jubilee line (five minutes away)and also Warwick Avenue on the Bakerloo line. By bus, 13, 82, 113 stop alongside east side of ground. 130 at south west corner and 274 at top of Regent's Park.
BRISTOL
Capacity: 10,500
Address: Sun Alliance Ground, Nevil Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7
9EJ.
Tel: 0117 924 5216
DIRECTIONS: M6, M4, M33 into Bristol off at second exit
(Fishponds/Horfield). Off at third exit onto Muller Road. Almost at end of Muller Road (bus station on right) turn left at Ralph Road. To the top, turn left and then right almost immediately into Kennington Avenue.
CARDIFF
Capacity: 9,500
Address: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, CF11 9XR.
Tel: 029 2040 9380
DIRECTIONS: From north, A470 to Cardiff then A48 to Port Talbot and city centre. Cathedral Road is situated off A48 for Sophia Gardens.
From east, M4 junction 29 than A48, then as north. From west, M4 junction 33 to city centre then left off Cowbridge Road East to Cathedral Road. By rail, Cardiff central station is one mile from ground.
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