ENGLAND will be looking to complete a milestone that just eluded them in the winter.

A record breaking knock from Brian Lara denied England a complete winning series in the final Test of the Caribbean series, but they are now well placed to go a step further at home and skipper Michael Vaughan will want his side to notch a 4-0 series win.

His side are certainly in a position to achieve that as the West Indies are becoming ever more reliant on skipper Lara making a big score to spare them embarrassment.

In fact Lara seems to be spending most of his time with his head in his hands as the Windies bowling has been shocking with far too many bad balls being bowled.

However, his young side do seem to be up against an England side who have worked out how to play Test cricket.

It is not too long ago that if one wicket went down three or four followed, but England seem to have taken on the Australian mentality and they are not only scoring runs but they are scoring them quickly.

They seem to have latched on to the Aussie tactic that not only do runs matter, but if you get enough quickly then the game is yours because your opponent's view of the Test is merely damage limitation where a draw is their best outcome.

But it is not just the batsmen who have been catching the eye - Ashley Giles has worked extremely hard to rid himself of an unwanted image.

The spinner has been seen as merely a one-day bowler who can tie up an end for a while, but he is now making his detractors eat their words.

Ashley has found that he can frustrate batsmen into giving away their wickets and having taken 20-odd victims, and notching a few match-winning sets of five, he is beginning to get the credit for his hard work.

Lancashire's fans are on to a winner

LANCASHIRE have got the toughest draw possible for the Twenty20 finale - but it might just suit them.

They have drawn holders and the competition's's one unbeaten side in Surrey Lions, but if the Lightning can strike then they will to well set for an assault on the final.

The great thing about the semis and finals day at Edgbaston is that form, despite Surrey's record, still counts for little and one match-winning performance can turn a game in next to no time.

And Warren Hegg's side certainly has the personnel to produce that kind of telling display.

Having been tipped to win just about every cup going before the season, the Red Rose side will be aware that this is now their best chance to put some silverware in the trophy cabinet this term.

Hopefully that will be the case and it would go a long way to redressing the balance after the County Championship slipped away when they failed to beat Warwickshire.

But the real winners will be the Lancashire fans who travel down to Birmingham for the finals.

Three top class matches which guarantee plenty of big-hitting action - how can they go wrong?