Vaughan happy with steady starts

By Martin Gough

As soon as you get to the semi-final stage anything could happen and that's what we're trying to do Michael Vaughan

Captain Michael Vaughan says England will not be swayed into changing their World Cup batting approach, for now.

They have resisted moving Andrew Flintoff or Kevin Pietersen up the order to copy Australian opening pair Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden.

Vaughan said: "We don't have a Sanath Jayasuriya or a Gilchrist but we haven't been bogged down.

"If we feel we need to use the first 20 overs more there are players in our team we feel could do that."

Vaughan, who has been opening the batting with Ed Joyce, explained: "We've tried to pick to where our strengths are. At the moment we're happy with the way we're playing.

"We think, on these wickets, the middle overs are just as important with the way you knock it around."

Vaughan believes England's approach is well-suited to the "subcontinental-type" wicket England will bat on against Ireland on Friday.

On Wednesday, in the opening match at Guyana National Stadium, he watched Sri Lanka and South Africa both lose early wickets to a swinging new ball.

But his collapse-prone middle order will have to avoid the sort of crash suffered by South Africa when Lasith Malinga took four wickets in as many balls.

Meanwhile, Australia demonstrated their return to form with impressive victories over South Africa and West Indies over the weekend.

But Vaughan has not revised his opinion that there are still several candidates to lift the World Cup in Barbados on 28 April.

"I still think it's open but Australia are looking very strong. They beat a big team in South Africa then the hosts the other day.

"But as soon as you get to the semi-final stage anything could happen and that's what we're trying to do."