Peter Moores Diary 03/09/2008
England coach Peter Moores reflects on an outstanding NatWest series

Q: We had a soggy start in Durham and a soggy finish in Cardiff but in between England have played some magnificent cricket.

We are all a bit disappointed here that we couldn't finish the series on a high note with a win. We all knew it was a big game because we had a chance to go second in the world. But we have played some great cricket through out the series and we've really enjoyed it. Winning has become a bit of a habit for this team and we are going to try and take that into the winter.

What was the personal highlight for you of this NatWest series?

There have been several. As a coach you get very excited watching people do well. Seeing a new player like Samit Patel coming into the side and flourish straight away and do well was very exciting. Seeing Freddie back to his best; bowling, batting and fielding and taking real responsibility in the side was great. Kevin Pietersen as a new captain was very driven and gave clear messages. And to watch us field as unite was very exciting because we looked fit and athletic and we threw ourselves around. We were fully committed and that's nice to see from any England team.

The relationship between coach and captain is very important - have you been feeling each other out over these past few weeks of the NatWest series?

Not really no. You just get stuck in and go for it. I know Kevin anyway because we have been around together as player and coach for the last 12 months. But once we got into the NatWest series there was so much going on and there were so many decisions to make and picking sides - we just got stuck in and that was a good way of getting to know each other better.

When Stephen Harmison returned out of the blue - did that give the squad a boost?

It was very quick. We phoned him the day before and came straight to Headingley and got straight up and running and did a great job. It was a real boost because we know Steve at his best is a fantastic guy to have in any team. What's happened over the NatWest series is that the team has emerged and they have played some very strong cricket on the field.

What are you going to do for the next couple of weeks - are you going to watch some county cricket?

A little bit. The first thing we'll be doing is wrapping up the season. We have programmes to set for players in between now and the Stanford. Some lads go back to county cricket and some lads will have a break. But they don't really get a break because they will have to do some physical work for when they get back into their cricket work. We will be planning during the next week and then hopefully grab some time to recharge my own batteries and then we'll be back and off into the winter.

Peter Moores Diary 02/09/2008
England coach Peter Moores on the player that has exceeded his expectations during the NatWest series

NatWest's commitment to cricket isn't just at the top end they are out in Cardiff city centre today with Speed King looking for the next generation of fast bowlers. This is where Simon Jones came from so if they could find another one that would be useful.

It would be fantastic. We all know that in international cricket pace and spin hold sway and have done for a quite a while. It's an exciting time for any youngster out there - they will have seen people on the television - bowlers like Steve Harmison and Brett Lee - let's hope they can find a new talent that will emerge in the next few years.

Q: Do you think when you have a had a period of reflection that this NatWest series against South Africa will come to be seen as a watershed in England's recent one day history?

If we can win the NatWest series 5-0 that will be a phenomenal effort - it will be the first time England will have won 5-0 against a major playing nation - it will be a significant moment if we can do that and it will be a fantastic platform to build on for the next few months. We have a really good test coming up in India - seven one-days which is known as one of the toughest tours because of all the travelling and in some ways exciting tours because you are playing in front of big crowds in different conditions. We have the challenge of winning in Cardiff and carrying that form into India away. If we could - and I think this side is good enough - then we will be in a great position to move this side forward.

How much easier is it to go into games with a settled side?

It is easier because people know their roles. When they have done it a few times and it's worked it makes a big difference. And those roles vary. As a bowler you might know that you have five or six overs up front, two in the middle and two at the end. But when you have done it and see it work everybody gets confidence and the side stays settled and calm even when they are under pressure. Plans are always changing but if it has a shape it certainly helps.

Can I ask you to pick out one player who has performed above your expectations in this NatWest series, someone who's maybe surprised you a little bit?

In some ways nobody has surprised me because when you pick them you expect them to play well because they are good players but I think Samit Patel has done exceptionally well. Coming in as a young man at the start of the series he’s done well because he's done all three facets well. He had an opportunity to bat with Freddie Flintoff at the Oval and he played really well. He's bowled nicely, he's got wickets and put them under pressure but he's also fielded very well. Samit has made a really good effort. Slightly more experienced in international terms is Stuart Broad. He has emerged as a really fine one day cricketer. It's exciting times because you mix some of those younger players with Harmison and Flintoff and the captain Kevin Pietersen it’s a nice mix and something is starting. And Paul Collingwood - we haven't called on him as much as we used to but when he's in the middle we have a very mature outstanding cricketer.

Peter Moores Diary 31/08/2008
England coach Peter Moores on another excellent performance in the NatWest series

Peter, another very good victory in the NatWest series

Yeah it was a great win. We won the toss – it was a good toss to win – but the ball didn't do as much as we thought it would. To be fair to Herschelle Gibbs and Hashim Amnla they played beautifully up front. So we had to work very hard to keep the target chaseable.

Were South Africa a little bit unlucky with the Duckworth/Lewis target?

Yes, Duckworth Lewis can be hard work. I think we got that target because we bowled so well in the second half of their innings. Andrew Flintoff’s figures of 3-21 off seven overs in a 32 over game were outstanding and Samit Patel and Paul Collingwood also did a good job. So we pulled it back and with Stuart Broad coming back at the end and bowling well we kept them down to 180 instead of 200 or 220. Then with the weather around that often helps the batting side.

Was it useful having 20 overs of batting ahead of the game in the West Indies that everybody is talking about.

It gives you another insight. We didn’t change our order we decided to stay with what we’ve got because we have a lot of striking batters in our top order. It was slightly different to a Twenty20 game because the power plays were different. It was nice to know what the target was which is always the advantage for the side batting second.

Do you read the papers and watch television regarding reporting about England. There is a feelgood factor around the team at the moment is that reflected in the press comment?

I don't really read the press much at all. In general it's just not my style. Doing this job you get lots of opinions. There are lots of experienced people around both inside and outside the dressing room. A lot of the commentators and pundits will tell you what they think but I think it's important to formulate your own view. Reading the press is fine as we all follow other sports but one of the things we try to control is that the players don't get sucked into it because they need to make their own decisions.

Q: 5-0 is still on with Cardiff the last of the NatWest series games

There’s a lot of incentive for us because if we win that one we will go second in the world rankings and that would be fantastic for the lads. We've all been on the other end so when you have a chance to be dominant and play good cricket we want to carry that on so the lads are up to going to Cardiff and finishing off this NatWest series with a win.

Peter Moores Diary 30/08/2008
England coach Peter Moores tells us why he wants to beat South Africa 5-0 in the NatWest series and what it was like for an 18 year old from Macclesfield joining the MCC ground staff at Lord's

Peter, you have had 12 hours or so to reflect on not just the great win at the Oval but also on the two previous NatWest games; what are your thoughts this morning?

It’s sometimes nice when you wake up after you have had a good game because as much as it hurts when you have lost a game you wake up and you come to and you suddenly remember what happened the day before and it was a fantastic day because we dominated the game from start to finish and that was the lovely part of it. The first game was tight, the second game we dominated and the third we dominated so it was a fantastic NatWest series win for us.

Could you have asked for much more from the lads?

No I don't think so. We got off to as great start and then we lost a few wickets and we needed to rebuild and Freddie (Flintoff) did that. He did a great job and had great support from Samit Patel who then went on to get five wickets and rightly become NatWest man of the match. We saw the effectiveness of this team when we started with the new ball then Steve Harmison and Flintoff coming on in that middle period and making it very difficult for the South Africans to score at any rate.

You do though have a problem. You have two more games – clearly the boys are highly motivated – but you also have a couple of lads that haven't played yet

Yes we do. At the moment we are highly motivated because we are winning and we want to win 5-0 and we make no bones about that. We will put out our strongest side. It's a big fixture at Lord's and it's a fantastic place to play. It's the home of cricket and we want to keep this roll in the NatWest series going. Every time we play well it moves us further forward and higher up the cricketing tree.

Lord’s is a place you are familiar with. You were a young lad from Macclesfield when you joined the MCC ground staff. Were they good times for you?

Yes they were great. When I first came down I was signed by Don Wilson who was then the coach – a left arm spinner for Yorkshire and England. He had fantastic enthusiasm for the game. I got in there, had three and half months there, loved it and was then lucky enough to be signed by Worcestershire. I spent the rest of the season there and then came back to the ground staff to finish the season off. I stayed a Worcester for a couple of years and then moved to Sussex and stayed there for the rest of my career.

Macclesfield – with respect- isn’t the biggest town in the world – what was it like coming from that environment to the big city?

I was 18 years old and it was a little bit of an eye opener! We stayed at a place called the High Elm hostel and it was great fun for a young man. We did some things right and lots of things wrong! But we learnt quickly and you move forward in the game. It was great.

Do you ever think back and reflect on how far you have come since those days?

You know you have changed but I have a lot of family back in Macclesfield and it's lovely going back and reconnecting with where you came from. London is a fantastic city but how I saw it at 18 is slightly different to how I see it now!

Peter Moores Diary 29/08/2008
England coach Peter Moores reflects on a another terrific performance and a highly satisfying NatWest series victory

You have just congratulated the NatWest man of the match Samit Patel as he came up the stairs – it proves that this is a team game in which everybody contributes

Yes it proves it is a team game and it also proves there is some great talent out there in county cricket. Samit has come in, it's his first series, he played well for the Lions and has performed really well with the bat and ball and he's fielded well and today he is rightly man of the match.

Couldn't have been easy for him; coming into an England team full of superstars but he's settled in really well. Is that a testament to yourself, the coaching staff and the players making him welcome?

I think he has come through a really good system. Firstly credit for Samit for getting stuck in but the two Lions games helped. He had a chance to settle, we had a chance to talk to him. He's come in, he has a clear role which he’s taken on but in many ways credit to him because he's got stuck in and had a go and that’s all you can ask of any player. When they are picked it’s because they are talented but you don’t know how they are going to react when they are on the big stage but Samit’s come out there and played really good cricket. When he was batting with Fred (Flintoff) he took the right options, knocked it around and waited until near the end of the innings before he tried to increase the rate and made sure we had a score. He then bowled beautifully in what was a good situation created by the seamers.

So 3-0 up in the Nat West series with two to play. How do you keep the boys motivated?

There’s a great incentive really. We have worked very hard to get to this point. The boys have trained physically very hard and we have got our side together. We have Freddie back and Steve Harmison has come out of retirement. Samit's fitted in. We have people like Graeme Swann who's bowling beautifully at the moment but hasn’t played. We know we have a great squad and we have a great incentive to go out there and keep winning. We have waited a long time to get this sort of team together so the boys are very keen to drive that home. Two more games and hopefully they want two more wins for a 5-0 if they can.

Is this the kind of intensity you will have to play at next summer?

Well, this is the kind of intensity that we have to try and play at all the time because it's habit forming but you have to also play with real skill and that’s the balance we have struck in this series. We have posted a score when it's bee tough. At Headingley we managed to get 275 and defend it and in this game here I thought the 296 was always going to be a very competitive score but there were a couple of times when we lost quick wickets and we had to rebuild which we did. And with our four heavy seamers it can be quite difficult for the opposition to get away.

Is this one of the most satisfying moments of your England career?

It is really satisfying to win a series against South Africa who are a very good team. The lads have made them look not as good as they are. They are a good side but we have played really good cricket. As a coach you are excited when players are playing well, we are playing well and long may it continue.

Peter Moores Diary 28/08/2008
Ahead of the third game of the NatWest series coach Peter Moores tells us how baseball has helped England improve their fielding

Here we are at the Oval for the third game in the NatWest Series. Does each ground have its own unique atmosphere?

Very much so. The Oval is a special ground because it's steeped in history but it's changed quite a bit in recent years. We are stood in the shadow of the OCS stand which has really added to the character. We've all watched games here as kids so when we play here it is special.

What about the wicket. How does that differ from Trent Bridge or Headingley?

The pitch here normally has bounce and pace. It’s a good batting track. We had a fantastic game here last year against India. We batted first got somewhere near 320 and we chased them off in the last over. So it's a very good cricket wicket. It will have something for the new ball early on but if you don't get wickets early on it could be hard work for the bowler.

So it might be quite similar to Trent Bridge

Yes, Trent Bridge had a bit of pace and bounce and it did a little bit. I don't think we will get quite as much movement off the seam here but it depends on the over head conditions but the big difference between here and Trent Bridge is this game is a day game and not a day nighter.

Another long training session in which the boys enjoyed themselves – that comes with winning doesn’t it?

It does but to be fair to the lads they've worked hard for the last 12 to 18 months. But it's nice when you put the work in to get some reward. Fielding-wise they've all been working hard with Richard Halsall again with out throwing at the stumps and we are starting to get some benefit from that. Our lads are looking athletic out there and it's making a difference in each NatWest series game.

You mention the fielding coach there; all the coaches use baseball gloves and there was one fielding drill where it looked like you were trying – in baseball parlance- to turn a double play. Do you borrow a lot from other sports and in particular from baseball?

We look at every sport but baseball is probably the most similar to cricket in that the batters are looking to strike the ball and we have had a change in our game with Twenty20 cricket which takes it even closer to something like baseball. But the power with which they throw the ball, the movement in the field and the angle in which they approach things we look at all those things and see if we can add them to our own game.

Certainly from a fielding point of view baseball has offered us quite a few insights into ways to go forward.

Do you like watching baseball?

You watch little bits but at the moment when you get any free time it's taken up with watching cricket. We're either watching teams we're going to play or watching our own lads. But the great thing about baseball is the clinical way in which they do things. They also need mental strength. The batters especially – however good they are they still fail a lot for those successes. Sometimes we look at cricket and the players who get a hundred hundreds play a long time so there are a lot of bad days as well.

I don't know if you've had time to read the newspapers but in the Daily Mail there is an interview with West Indies legend Michael Holding in which he says he becoming disillusioned with the game and that the popularity of Twenty 20 means Test cricket will wither and die. Is that a commonly held view in cricket?

No I don't think so. The view in cricket at the moment is that it is on the up and growing. Certainly in England we have had a massive increase in participation both with boys and girls and men and women which I great. The game has changed to a degree in that the Twenty20 format has come along and it is a different format. But Test cricket is still strong. We have the carrot of the Ashes coming up in the next 12 to 18 months. There is room for everything. The key is that we all look after game – the players, coaches, managers commentators. We have to look after it, keep its spirit and keep it the special game that it is.

Peter Moores Diary 26/08/2008
England coach Peter Moores reflects on a stunning performance in the second NatWest series game and looks forward to finishing the job in London

Did you see that performance coming?

I don't think you can ever think you are going to win with 36 overs to spare. I think you get a feeling that the side is in a good place. Over the last few days we have seen our team look very confident and on paper it looks a very strong side with everybody playing well. We went into this second NatWest series game feeling very confident and we didn’t really mind if we batted or bowled first but you cannot really predict that you are going to have a performance like that because they are very rare however well you play.

Was it a good toss to lose?

Yes and no. I think we did a little bit! The most striking thing was the pace our bowlers bowled at which was around 90 miles an hour and they put the ball in the right place. That created a lot South African batters and everybody had a good day. Some days they nick them and Matty Prior had a great day behind the stumps with six catches.

He did indeed but the NatWest man of the match was Stuart Broad. He bowled quickly and accurately - he was a real handful today.

Yes he was. It was his accuracy to go with the pace that made the difference. He started well and then just got better and better. And to be bowling in the high 80's having bowled 10 overs straight off the reel was outstanding but the consistency of putting the ball in the right area was fantastic for a young man.

At what stage do you go from fast medium to fast – how many miles an hour is fast?

When you start getting above 85 miles an hour and getting close towards 90 that’s quick bowling and the thing with Stuart is he’s tall so he gets bounce. Pace through the air is important but it’s also about bounce and lateral movement and that's what creates pace in the batsman's eye and that was what Stuart had today. He bowled quickly but with bounce and movement and the combination of the three caused real problems for the South African batters.

To an outsider it looks like England are much hungrier – is that a fair assessment?

I think we are getting results for some of the hard work that we have done. Kevin (Pietersen) has come in with a real injection but I think we have a very fit set of blokes out there who have worked very hard over the last 12 to 18 months and are getting their rewards. I think this side is excited by themselves, we know we have some players. Steve Harmison coming back from retirement gives us that extra bit of firepower. But we saw Jimmy Anderson go wicketless today but he bowled with real pace and go the ball to swing. It's is very exciting.

Three NatWest games to go , two of them in London do you want to get the job done next one up?

Of course we do! To win this series would be a fantastic achievement if we could do that. South Africa have been the form side over the last two years. Australia are number one but only just. Before they came into this series they had been very consistent over the last 18 months so to win would be a real feather in our cap. We know they will come back hard. They will be hurting there is no doubt about that. They are a good team so we will have to play very well. There's a chance to put our boots up tomorrow and then train hard Thursday with a view to coming back on Friday and trying to wrap the NatWest series up.

Peter Moores Diary 25/08/2008
England coach Peter Moores looks ahead to the second NatWest series game at Trent Bridge and tells us how he copes with all the travelling involved in international cricket

Despite winning the first game of the Nat West Series on Friday and putting in a pretty useful performance you still have decisions to make - players coming back, players to leave out. Is that a tough part of the job?

It's a nice position to have. To have someone like Paul Collingwood who’s back and available now and to be able to play him - Paul is an outstanding player and will be in that team. He's played some exceptional one day cricket over the last 12 months and is key member of the side. It's a nice position to have someone of his quality coming back into the squad. Obviously he had to serve his ban because we were slow on over-rate but that will make us a stronger side when we play this second NatWest series game here at Trent Bridge.

He says he was burdened by the captaincy and that he was starting to not enjoy his cricket. That's not like him at all is it?

No it's not. One of the great strengths of Paul Collingwood is that he has been a great lieutenant to various captains – he a man in the trenches - he does everything; bats, bowls and fields and he has the ability to raise his game and other people's as well when needed. He will be an important person for Kevin Pietersen out there both in the field and also with the bat and ball and in many ways it will be nice to have him back for that because Kevin's new to the captaincy. He has clear views but you always need good men around you to help make clear decisions especially in tight games.

People earn their own luck but at the moment Kevin Pietersen can do no wrong – he wins the toss, a great batting performance, great bowling performance.

He played really, really well. To win the toss and bat was a bold decision. I think it was the right one but it was set up by (Matt) Prior and (Ian) Bell because the ball moved around early one and they got us through it. Then we saw a great partnership between two senior players - the captain and Freddie (Flintoff). That was great and what was really nice was his decision making in the field was good. He bowled well, good run out and there were other performances. Bell, who was involved in the run out was outstanding in the inner circle and created huge pressure on their batters and great energy for us as a team.

It's another ground and another match. Reading in the programme how much travelling you guys do is staggering. Away from home for 257 days of the year, 40 different hotels, countless flights - how do you cope?

It’s a big schedule at the moment but the lads have got an unexpected break coming up with the ICC Champions Trophy being postponed so that's something they can take advantage of. It's all part of the territory and it's great fun. At times it can be wearing because travelling is tiring but all the lads appreciate it's a very special honour to play for your country. We're at home at the moment in England and playing a Trent Bridge which for me personally is one of my favourite grounds. They have done lots of work to it, the pitch looks good, the forecast looks good and we are set fair for a cracking second NatWest game.

Peter Moores Diary 22/08/2008
England coach Peter Moores reflects on victory in the opening match of the NatWest Series

What pleased you most about this evening’s performance?

A few things actually. I think we scrapped out a score for starters which has been a big thing. We talked about as a batting unit being able to put something on the board in this first game of the NatWest series. We won the toss and made 275 and it was a very competitive score on that wicket. I thought they bowled well up front and we found it hard work but we kept wickets in hand and then the key partnership between two of senior men in the captain Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff was a fantastic partnership because they got themselves in, they knocked it around and when the opportunity came to score at the end they really accelerated at the right rate and gave us a competitive score on that wicket.

As the coach were you happy with the all round team performance?

Often you judge a team by it's commitment to fielding and I thought we fielded outstandingly well today. We had a couple of key performances – Ian Bell was terrific in the inner circle – but everybody threw themselves around. It was a great run out between Belly and KP. That shows how much the lads were up for the game. I think with the ball we have probably bowled better up front but I thought Gibbs and Smith played well. Then we saw a key spell when Harmison came back towards the end of the innings and bowled four very tight overs that created pressure and with Flintoff to follow that put them under a lot of pressure.

On the fielding front; I know you put the hard yards in and it's down to you and your backroom staff isn't it?

We have worked really hard but at the end of the day the lads go out and do their stuff. They've worked hard on their fielding, fitness and all aspects of their game and it’s nice to see it make a difference in a game like tonight. We employed Richard Halsall (as fielding coach) seven or eight months ago and he works not just with the England team but also with the under 19's and the women so he spreads his net. But certainly during the NatWest Series we have Richard with us. He has a big influence and it’s pleasing to put in a good fielding performance in what was a tight game.

We are just coming up to 11 o'clock at night – how long does it take you switch off after a night like this?

It takes a while because you get here early and you are normally on a high or a low but we've won the game and everybody will be buzzing for a while yet. Some of the lads will go back to the hotel and relax a bit. Some of the others will go home if they live close enough and get a chance to relax a little bit but it's a pretty quick turn around before we play the next NatWest Series game at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

Do the boys get a couple of days off?

We try and snatch what time we can because we want them to work hard but also if it fits with them to pop home and see families. They are all in different positions – some have children – we try to balance that as well where we can so we can keep everybody fresh to come back and play what will be a very competitive game on Tuesday.

Peter Moores Diary 21/08/2008
England coach Peter Moores looks ahead to the opening game of the NatWest series at Headingley

Watching England practise you as the coach get stuck in – you don't just stand and watch.

No it's good. It varies from time to time what you are going to do and we have all the coaches there as well. We have had a few days in the hotels so in some ways it's nice to get involved with the lads, get a bit of sweat on and work with them. Today we did a bit of fielding upfront just trying to recreate some pressure because we know that tomorrow - providing the weather allows us - we are going to start a very competitive NatWest series against South Africa.

What's the difference between practising indoors and outdoors? Who benefits and who suffers?

Well, the challenge is space. When we are outside we can create the feeling of space for the players which is important. You can bat inside of a net but it's nothing like batting in the middle so we can't do that inside. The surface tends to be a little bit quicker and it's a bit further from the real thing so what we try and do is put the players under some sort of pressure because tomorrow it will be for real; if you are at backward point or cover someone like Herschelle Gibbs will be whacking it at you at about 85 miles an hour you have to be ready to go. There will be lads having to bowl with people trying to whack them out of the park; we'll have bowlers trying to take wickets up front so we have to put ourselves mentally there. Delivering under pressure is about being calm so that will be one of they key things. They'll be excited to play but they must be clam to deliver their skill.

How much a part of your coaching philosophy is psychology because it sounds like a lot of it is gearing the guys to get mentally ready?

They are good players there's no doubt about that. So many people talk about the game being played in the mind and it's true. To deliver under pressure you need clarity of mind - you need to be clear in what you are doing and you need to be calm, very committed and able to think under pressure. We'll do drills with the lads sometimes to help them get there but more importantly it's up to the player to do the mental rehearsal so when he pitches up there are no shocks he knows what he's about, he knows what he has got to do and he delivers that in a team framework to try to win the game.

How important is it to start this five match NatWest series with a victory?

It would be great for us to start with a victory. I think both sides are going to go at it really hard because they have both been sat around hotel rooms desperately keen to play as it's been quite a long time since the end of the Test series. You are going to see a very competitive game. Both will want to get off to a flyer. I expect a good game. We have Freddie Flintoff back which is a good boost for us and it balances our team and gives us an extra option at the death. It's exciting and our lads want to go out and prove that we are an improving one day side and that we have learnt things from the NatWest series against New Zealand.

Is Headingley a good place to start the NatWest series - there's a vociferous crowd and they like to get into it don't they?

Well, the NatWest series is always great fun and Headingley is a great place to start. The Western Terrace is going to be buzzing. One of the keys for our lads is not to get too overexcited. It will be a great atmosphere, a full house and it will be a fantastic occasion. We are all hoping the weather holds - the forecast is better - and we should have a great game of cricket.

Are the lads are champing at the bit?

They are ready. They are definitely ready and looking forward to it.

Peter Moores Diary 19/08/2008
Peter talks about the cancelled NatWest Twenty20 game at Durham.

Peter, hugely disappointing with the weather and the game being called off.

Yes, we had a frustrating time in Scotland before here as well we go half a game in but didn't have a chance to bat and we’ve come here to Durham, practised indoors and we've just heard the news that they are going to have to call the game off. It's a real shame because you can see how much hard work has gone into preparing it all. The players were desperately keen to get out and play so unfortunately we now all have to move on to Leeds and hopefully get the Nat West one day series underway there.

And such a disappointment for the fans because they do not see too much international cricket up here do they?

No they don't and Twenty20 has been the buzzword in cricket for the last 12 to 18 months so I'm sure there will be a lot of disappointed fans out there but the players are disappointed as well because we have had a week or so since the Test matches finished and both teams wanted to get underway and play some one day cricket.

Is it a problem for you that this was the last Twenty20 game before the Stanford Challenge and you had a good chance to look at some players?

I don’t see it as a major problem. We’ll be judging through the one day cricket and domestic cricket what goes on. But realistically we would like to have played the game because we don’t get many chances to play Twenty20 cricket internationally so it would have been opportunity instead we’ll do some more preparation and we’ll concentrate on the 50 over Nat West games and get ready for those starting on Friday.

Are you a fan of Twenty20?

Yes I am. There been a lot talked about fitting it all in but I think there is room for all cricket. The fans have voted with their feet and the players enjoy it - it’s very exciting and challenging for a player because you have to stay very calm under what is often extreme pressure, you have to make a lot of decisions quickly which is a challenge.

From a coach’s point of view does the decision making process in Twenty20 rest with those on the field rather than yourself?

I think the decision making always rests with the player in any form of the game because often decisions have to be made instantly. Like most things you have a plan but you are only as good as the captain and the players can adapt those plans. The one thing with Twenty20 cricket is there is not so much time and things happen very quickly so it’s really key for players to remain calm and clear and look to make positive decisions. If they get confused or get sucked into the pace of the game they can make mistakes.

How’s it going with Kevin Pieteresen as captain?

Kevin started really well. It’s obviously very early but I thought he did a great job in the Test match which we won which was great. He did a couple of things that I thought were really important - he kept it very simple, was patient when he needed to be. If he can do that in the one day format - he had a little practise yesterday in Scotland when he moved the bowlers around well - then I think he’s going to do really well both tactically and in leading people which is obviously a key part of the job.

How much would a win the one-days compensate for the Test series defeat?

It would be great to win the one-dayers. We’ve worked very hard at one day cricket but have still been inconsistent over the last 12 months so we are trying to get come consistency in our one day performance. We know we are playing arguably the form side in world cricket in South Africa at the moment. They have won a lot of their games over the last 18 months and shown they have real versatility with both the bat and the ball. It’s a good challenge for us but we are playing in England so we know the conditions. We have some good players and some new faces around as well. People like Samit Patel coming into the squad and Tim Bresnan. It’s exciting for everybody and we’ll see how we go.

As it stands we don’t know what’s going to happen with the ICC Trophy (in Pakistan) later in the year. What’s your view as the coach would you like to go?

I think at the moment we are waiting - quite rightly - the board have said they are going to make that decision whether we have to go or not. We had a meeting a couple of days ago with Haroon Lorgat and the ICC who gave all the information they know to date in Pakistan but things have moved again with Musharraf and whatever. So at the moment we are all waiting to see what the board say and have some trust in the board that they will take all that information and take a decision. Once they have decided whether we go or not and if they decide to go then we are in the position of looking at it a bit harder.

But at the moment we have to see if that decision will be made and we’ll be put in that position. All I have heard from the ECB is that they are going to look at it very carefully and that would not send an England team there if they didn’t think it safe.

So what are you going to do tomorrow?

Good question! Not quite sure. We might have one to two who want to come and practise at the facility here. We would like to have gone to Leeds early but unfortunately we can’t because that is also wet. It’s a chance for the lads to get a bit of down time which will be good. They will probably use the gym and the swimming pool and have a bit of time away from cricket to recharge ready to train Thursday and get ready for Friday.

Peter Moores Diary 28/06/2008
Peter looks back at the NatWest Series loss to New Zealand, hoping for better things to come against the South Africans.

Peter, how do you assess this NatWest Series?

Disappointing because I think we had opportunities to have won the series. That's taking nothing away from New Zealand but we got ourselves in good positions and never quite managed to drive it home. After starting well in Durham I think the game in Edgbaston was very close, I think 160 was a pretty competitive score but obviously the rain spoiled that one. But Bristol, 180 odd, we know we should have chased that down although New Zealand bowled well. And today, here, you know we'll look at it and we'll still be disappointed we didn't get the 266 in the end.

A word that Kevin Pietersen has used is ‘consistency' and the one-day side is still struggling for that.

Yeah it is. It's quite a young team in many ways because we've had a lot of changes over the last 12 to 14 months. That's not to make excused but we've seen players mature within that team. Through this series someone like Stuart Broad has had an excellent series and shown how he's growing as a cricketer. But we have to get that obviously within the whole team. I think in many ways the bowlers can take credit that they've managed to restrict New Zealand's top order in most of the games. 266 today was the top score they got in the series so they've done a pretty good job. Batting-wise, we've got to say we batted really well in the Twenty20 and in the first ODI at Durham, pretty solidly at Edgbaston but towards the end of the series we'll be disappointed in the scores we've got.

What will you as a coach concentrate on ahead of the NatWest Series against South Africa?

That NatWest Series against South Africa is a fantastic series because they're currently number one in the world - that makes it a real challenge. In that interim we've got Test matches on, we've got some lads who aren't involved in the Test matches and they'll be working on specific skills we've identified with them that they have to get better. And we'll work very hard to get all areas more consistent - from the fielding to the batting or whatever and keep trying to move forward as a team. I think the important thing is that we look to do that. We know it's a bit of a journey, sport is that. You don't make great teams overnight. We're very keen to show that we are developing a good one-day unit and we have to be very disappointed that we've had a setback over the last NatWest Series.

Peter Moores Diary 27/06/2008
Peter gives his thoughts and opinions ahead of the final NatWest Series one-day internationat against New Zealand at Lord's.

Peter, we're at Lord's - a wonderful setting to try and make sure we square this NatWest Series.

Yeah, it's a big game. We knew when we came into these last two games that they were going to be crucial in deciding who was going to win this NatWest Series. We can't win it any more but it's a great chance obviously to tie a series that's been very competitive all the way through.

How have the squad taken to Kevin Pietersen's captaincy?

They're going to get behind Kevin. Kevin's a great character and stuff like that. He's obviously very excited; it's a great challenge for him with a big day tomorrow. So we've had a good chat this morning, Kev's said what he wants and the players will get behind him and we'll all have a red-hot go tomorrow.

A challenge for KP and an opportunity for someone else to come into the side...

Yeah there is. Obviously with Paul not being there, when anything happens it always creates an opportunity for somebody else - which is exciting. We've got to get our plans clear and ready. We're going to have to play well, we know that. But there's no better place to come for a deciding game than Lord's. We had a similar big game here against India last year and played well in that game. So let's hope we can do the same tomorrow.

Peter Moores Diary 25/06/2008
The England coach reflects on a tight defeat in the fourth NatWest Series international against New Zealand.

Peter, I guess there are two moments we have to reflect on first - the final ball of the match and the run out of Grant Elliott…

Yeah, I'd focus on the fact that it was a fantastic game of cricket. Everybody here had a brilliant day with New Zealand just coming home on top. It was a great game. The Elliott incident - it was mentioned by Paul [Collingwood] that in the heat of the moment he thought was the right decision to go for and upheld his appeal and the umpires gave him out. But don't take it away; it was a fantastic game of cricket.

Do you think England, having fought back more than once during both innings really, had done enough to win the game?

It was always tight all the way through. I thought both sides lost wickets at key times so never quite nailed the game down. We were hoping to push on and get slightly more than 245. I think with Owais Shah, when he got run out that was a crucial time so we didn't have a finish. And similarly they had Jacob Oram going very well - a key partnership and he got out at a key moment and we managed to claw it back and stay in the game. But all the way through it was nip and tuck and going down to that last over, when you would probably have backed New Zealand even though they were nine down. But Luke Wright bowled a good over and it obviously went down to the last ball.

It was a good over from Luke Wright at the end there, and others before him. What other positives can you take out of this match and take into the last match of this NatWest Series?

It was a scrappy game by both sides. Everybody got stuck in and went for it, so it's not an effort thing. Neither side produced quite the quality of cricket that they'd want. But both sides have been playing against each other for a long time, desperately wanted to win the game and that was shown by how the game was played. Everybody really went at it hard and New Zealand just came out on top. You look at it as an entertainment spectacle for the people who came here on a beautiful sunny day it was a great, competitive game of cricket.

With all this talk of Twenty20 that there has been in recent weeks and months, it's great to see a one-day game like this in the NatWest Series provide such superb entertainment to a sell-out crowd.

Yeah, it is. We've had some great cricket against these guys and the NatWest Series now we've got to go to Lord's and try and square it. I feel pretty positive we can do that, we've got good players. And as I say every game we've had against these fellas has been a good scrap. We would have liked to have posted a slightly bigger score today - I think par was probably more like 270. But all credit to them, they kept us down and a couple of key partnerships just scraped them home. But what a great game of cricket.

Peter Moores Diary 24/06/2008
England coach Peter Moores gives his latest views and opinions ahead of the fourth NatWest Series one-day international against New Zealand at the Brit Oval.

Peter, this NatWest Series is nicely balanced at one game all. But presumably you'd like to see it made 2-1 quite soon?

We would. It's a very tight NatWest Series now with New Zealand bowling us out in Bristol. So we're looking forward to it. We're at the Oval now, the ground looks great, and the forecast is set fair so it should be a cracking game. Realistically it's sort of two finals now because we need to win both games to win the series, as do New Zealand. So I'm expecting some really good cricket and we'll have a red-hot go.

Were you disappointed with the way the game ultimately ended up in Bristol?

Of course you're disappointed when you lose but we make no complaints about that. New Zealand came back and fought hard and bowled well. We lost wickets at key times and we came out on the wrong side. We've talked about where we are as a team. We know we've played some dominant cricket during the series and we need to go back to that at the Oval. It will be a good batting track, I expect there will be a lot of runs scored and we have to go and play the best cricket we can - and if we do I think we've got a great chance.

How are the squad doing and can we expect any changes?

We're selecting from a full squad. Ryan Sidebottom is back fully fit so there's a chance he'll feature. We'll have a look tomorrow at the conditions but as I say the weather looks like it's going to be set fair, it looks a good pitch so it should be a good game.

Always a big crowd at the Oval, you'd expect they're going to get behind England and hopefully see you take a lead in this NatWest Series.

Yeah, we hope so. As I say, New Zealand are a good team. They'll be out there to scrap hard to get themselves ahead with two to play. But we're confident, we're playing good cricket we've got batters in good nick who are very confident. I think bowling-wise we've formed a very good unit. So the key for us is to concentrate on ourselves, make sure we play the sort of cricket we know we can, and if we do we've got a great chance of a win.

Peter Moores Diary 21/06/2008
Peter looks back at England's first defeat against New Zealand this summer, in the 3rd NatWest Series match at Bristol.

Q: Peter, funny old match that on, one way or another?

Peter: Yes it was, because I don't think that either side batted as well as they would have liked. What the par was for the wicket, I'm not sure, but I think it was over 180, so we're disappointed we didn't chase the target down. I think we bowled pretty well and got early wickets, but then they did the same to us and obviously just sneaked home.

Q: Given you had them at 49 for 5, are you a bit disappointed you let them get up to the 182?

Peter: I thought they did pretty well, but was disappointed that they got away right at the end in those last 5 overs, when Mills came in and did the damage. We'd have liked to have kept them more at about 150 or 160, but I think it was still very doable if we'd batted well, and we didn't bat well enough and we have to take that on the chin.

Q: Strange times too when England went from 62 for 2 to 64 for 6 - can you put your finger on exactly what happened there?

Peter: We lost wickets! The pitch was bouncy, but no excuses really we just didn't play well enough, and I think that as a batting unit, the lads know 180 was very gettable on that wicket. You had to get in, and you had to see off the new ball because it bounced, but later it was going to get easier. Unfortunately we lost wickets at key times and we left too much to do for the lower order and we came up just short.

Q: Was it frustrating in that you did get a couple of partnerships going - Bell and Bopara got in, and then Collingwood and Swann looked as though they might get to the finish line?

Peter: Yes, we had a couple of partnerships, but once you've lost 5 or 6 wickets early, you only need the slightest mistake and give New Zealand some credit - they bowled pretty well and got the wickets. I thought Paul Collingwood's was a key wicket, but it was a good ball - it just slid back at him - but really the damage was done earlier on. We've no complaints about that - we're just disappointed we didn't play better.

Q: It's been a bit of a juggernaut for England this summer, and this is the first stumble if you like. Does that change the way you now approach the next match?

Peter: I don't think we'll change the way we go about it, but we'll be very up for it. This result has made the NatWest series very alive - one all with two to play - both those matches in London at The Oval and Lord's. They should be good pitches so we'll do our preparation. We've got a little bit of a longer gap between games this time, so the lads can train tomorrow physically and then we meet up again on Tuesday morning to do some work ready for the first match. We'll be up for the challenge by then and we can review this game and move it all forward.

Q: I guess for the neutral having the NatWest series going down to the final two matches is good, but I'm guessing as England coach you'd rather be two up with two to play!

Peter: Well obviously if we'd gone two up, we couldn't have lost the NatWest series which is a great position to be in! But as I say, give New Zealand their due, they are fighters, they're scrappers and always have been, and they came out today and defended 182 so all credit to them.

Peter Moores Diary 20/06/2008
Peter talks about the fallout following the rain-hit 2nd NatWest Series match against New Zealand at Edgbaston and looks ahead of the third match at Bristol.

Q: Peter, they were accusations of time-wasting at the end of the Edgbaston match, what are your thoughts on that?

Peter: Yes, we've heard a lot of talk about it. I think that we did it right and we've been backed by the referee and the umpires that we were doing it right. Our over-rate was OK, and it was unfortunate as we wanted a result as well. It was a very tight game of cricket and we didn't know which way it was going to go and we still don't now. Seven off the last over is no gimme. We played at Napier where 340 played 340 and New Zealand only needed 6 off the last over and didn't get it, so when the pressure is on, the game is different. This time they needed 7 off the last over and if we'd got a wicket we would have had a great chance of winning the game and if we hadn't it still would have been tight. But that's the nature of one-day cricket and the pressure of performance under pressure is slightly different from any other stage.

Q: You must be pleased the ICC has made such a quick decision and now we can have shortened intervals in rain affected matches.

Peter: Give credit to the ECB, Alan Fordham and David Collier moved very quickly to make sure that was changed round. They put a recommendation in and that has been moved, which is great because we play another NatWest match here tomorrow, and should we be in a similar situation we can now be flexible. Both sides assumed they would have a short interval at Edgbaston - we certainly did - but then the umpires' hands were tied and they told us that the minimum we could have was 30 minutes, so we had to go with that, and unfortunately that was one of the factors that meant we couldn't play to a conclusion at the end. I'm impressed with the ECB management giving them a bit of a shove and making sure it happened quickly and during a series, rather than waiting for the end, so credit to the ICC and credit to the ECB.

Q: How is Ryan Sidebottom? Has he recovered from his injury?

Peter: Ryan had a small injection during the game at Edgbaston. It's OK, he’s bowled today without a reaction, but we’ve got to wait till tomorrow to find out exactly where he's at, but at the moment all things look well.

Q: Are you concerned about Alistair Cook? His should injury isn't clearing up quickly?

Peter: It's dragged on a bit longer than we would have liked, that's for sure. It looks like an impingement - he's had another injection which seems to have settled it down, so while he won't be ready for this match, he should be available for the next two NatWest series matches in London. But yes, always concerned when any player suffers an injury that goes on longer than a week so hopefully that will settle down in the next few days.

Q: Apart from the injuries, how are the preparations going for this next NatWest series match in Bristol?

Peter: Yes, it's going well. We've had a lovely day down here today, but the slight frustration is that the forecast is a little bit iffy for tomorrow, so we are hoping that will be alright. But the lads are in a good place at the moment - we've played good cricket and there's plenty of energy in the squad which is important and so we're hopefully looking forward to a decent day and taking on New Zealand again.

Q: Now we talked about Ryan Sidebottom, but Dimi Mascharanas came in and did OK in Birmingham, didn't he?

Peter: Yes, Dimi did really well and we use him in the shorter format of the one-day game and we also use Dimi in the longer format. Looking at the wicket, we'll make a decision tomorrow. So we will come here in the morning, have another look and check when the groundsman's finished his final preparations in the pitch and then we'll make the call then.

Peter Moores Diary 18/06/2008
Peter reflects on the 2nd NatWest Series match against New Zealand at Edgbaston that ended without a result because of rain.

Q: Peter, a frustrating afternoon for everyone....

Peter: Yes it was, because if you take in the preparation of the day before – both teams do their work, they have their meetings, they do their training – and then they come to the day and they are 6 balls off finishing the game, it is frustrating for everybody in what was a very tight game.

Q: New Zealand perhaps the more upset of the two teams, can you understand why they are?

Peter: Yes, the fact that they had only lost two wickets gave them a slight advantage, but I think if you looked at the Duckworth-Lewis equation it was still pretty tight. So we knew if we got a couple of quick wickets that would have put them under pressure, especially with a little bit of inexperience in the middle order. But they would have been disappointed as they would have backed themselves, particularly with McCullum still at the crease, and Styris, a very experienced cricketer to get them home. But unfortunately it had been dark for a long time and the weather won out in the end.

Q: It’s funny though, we’re sitting here 45 minutes after it was called off, and you could play now couldn’t you?

Peter: Yes, it’s the lightest it’s been for about two hours which is the law of sod I think! But to be fair to the umpires, they gave it every possible chance – they have an extra hour to play with, which they took and it was half past seven when it started to rain again. So for everybody who tried so hard to get the game on, unfortunately it couldn’t happen today.

Q: Now I know a lot of attention will be on be on the fact that the New Zealanders got to 19 overs, and you need at least 20 to make a game in the NatWest series, but England had had their own frustrations – thinking it was a 29 over match and then seeing that cut to 24 because of the with rain – so difficult for you as well?

Peter: Yes, and I do think you suffer a little bit on those circumstances. For the first 4 or 5 overs of their innings, New Zealand went a bit harder than we did because we thought it was a 29 over game at that stage. I think we then picked up with Luke Wright playing some very aggressive shots. It’s always nice to know exactly what your target is with the permutation of overs TO that target, so New Zealand had a slight advantage with that. But take nothing away from them, McCullum played very well, Taylor’s a dangerous striker of the ball so they put themselves in a good position, but it ends up with a no result so we got to Bristol to carry on the battle in the NatWest series.

Q: A quick word on that Luke Wright innings?

Peter: Yes, he played really well, I’m really pleased for him because he’s worked very hard. He opened up areas of the field which I think he’s very good at, hitting through the off-side and he looked nice and relaxed and struck the ball like we know he can. So nice for him to get a score up there, it’ll relax him a little bit and it’ll set him up nicely for Bristol.

Q: And your skipper’s having a pretty good NatWest series as well?

Peter: Yes he is, and he’s getting involved in everything! I thought he batted beautifully and took the game to them. Vettori’s been a real challenge to get away, and he was brave, came down the wicket and put him over mid-on, and generally got the scoreboard ticking in what was a tricky situation straight after the rain. Bowling-wise he got stuck in and did his stuff and he’s always been an outstanding backward point in the field.

Q: And still one up in the series, that’s nice!

Peter: Still one up, yes, still one up with three to play. So we’ll cling onto that lead with everything and hopefully we can extend it at Bristol.

Peter Moores Diary 15/06/2008
Peter talks about THAT shot by Kevin Pietersen and looks ahead to the second NatWest Series match against New Zealand at Edgbaston.

Q: Peter, a lot has been talked about the Kevin Pietersen switch from right-handed to left-handed shot, and a few people have talked about tweaking the laws slightly – perhaps with wides being changed to allow for the change of stance – what are you feelings about that?

Peter: The MCC are going to consider it. It’s something we haven’t seen much of in the game, but if it’s going to be the start of it, well......But I don’t think you can underestimate how hard a skill it is to be able to swap round and hit the ball an extremely long way, remember the second one went over mid-on. Any slight mistake and that’s out, and the fact that it worked – great – but I think Kevin knew you take a risk with that, and that’s what one-day cricket’s all about – you take percentage risks and the entertainment it’s already provided for people should be the main factor we concentrate on.

Q: I hear one or two players have been attempting it in the nets and found it’s rather harder to do than Kevin Pietersen made it look!

Peter: Yes, it’s been around for a while and I think we’ve seen KP do it before against the spinners. So I think players have been aware of it for a while, and the fact that it hasn’t come into the game straight away means that it’s a tough skill. There’s lots you need to concentrate on to get yourself into a situation when you can attempt a shot like that – one, when you’re in like KP was at Durham, and two to hit it as cleanly as that. You’ve still got to beat the field, you’ve still got to be able to position it, and it takes a special talent to be able to do that.

Q: Well let’s concentrate now on the second NatWest series match – what’s the feeling in the camp going into this one?

Peter: Well, the feeling in the camp is one of being really eager to get stuck in and have another go. We know we played very well in the last NatWest game at Durham, and what’s been nice this morning is that we’ve trained a little bit like we lost that game – which is good because that’s what you’re looking for, a real hunger to go on and establish a really good lead and win the NatWest series. So a very positive mood in the camp, obviously, and we want to back up that win in Durham with another one here at Edgbaston.

Q: When you were appointed as coach, one of the things you were charged with was improving the one-day record of the team. How pleased are you with the way things are going at the moment?

Peter: Very pleased, because we are improving. We’re playing a good New Zealand side – third in the world because they’ve played good one-day cricket for the last four or five years. So the fact that we’ve started well – if we can win this NatWest series at home – that would be a really good achievement. We’ve moved up the rankings a little bit – I think we started at eighth and we’re up to sixth, so we’re moving in the right direction. But the lads are buying into the fact that they are improving their skills, bat, bowl and field – and they’re asking, ‘Can we get better at some of those special skills for one-day cricket?’. If we do and we keep the levels of commitment right, they are going to win some big games.

Q: A final thought, and it comes out of that last answer. You now have a specialist fielding coach, what’s he brought to the team?

Peter: Well Richard’s role is mainly to get people excited about fielding, make people realise it’s a key area of the game, and we’ve seen the lads buy into that straight away and Richard’s done a great job so far. It’s early days, but when you start to enjoy something and practice it with some kind of energy, life and athleticism, that’s going to translate into the field when you play and I think we’ve seen that in the two displays so far. We’ve got areas to get better – we’re playing against New Zealand, who are arguably one of the better fielding sides in world cricket, so it’s a good time to be working and trying to benchmark ourselves and feel better than New Zealand because that’s one of their key strengths.

Peter Moores Diary 15/06/2008
Peter enjoys victory in the first NatWest Series match against New Zealand at The Riverside.

Q: Peter, what was the secret of today's victory?

Peter: Well, runs on the board really. We were over par and I think we batted really well. Ian Bell started us off, playing very positively up front and put them under pressure. Then Kevin Pietersen became the mainstay of the innings with a fantastic hundred - hundreds in one-day cricket are difficult to come by, especially in England - and it was a fantastic knock, backed up very well by the captain Paul Collingwood and some fantastic hitting by Owais Shah towards the end, to give us a total that was always going to be difficult for them to chase.

Q: Now, a few of us were saying that batting coaches at our schools would have had our guts for garters if we'd changed from a right handed to a left handed stance in the middle of the bowler's run up. But that's what Kevin Pietersen did twice to hit Scott Styris for six! What does HIS coach have to say on the matter?

Peter: Well, they were amazing shots, weren't they? They were struck to a long boundary and they were hit so cleanly, and I think that the beauty of that is that it's non-coachable, isn't it! Shot making of that sort is fantastic - it's fantastic for the crowd, but it was put within a framework of some really solid batting as well. And that's why I was really pleased with the way KP batted today, because he played some good, normal cricket shots which got him in and set the foundation of his innings. He also rotated the strike and then those shots came at the end, but as I say, it was built on a very solid piece of batting all the way through.

Q: Now you mentioned your captain. Many people were wondering whether splitting the captaincy between test and one-day cricket would work - but it seems to be, doesn't it?

Peter: Yes, at the moment we're going OK. What's been nice is that, one, obviously Paul's taken over the captaincy, but there's also been an injection of five new members in the one-day squad and they've come in with a real buzz about them that's lifted everybody. The lads are in a good place at the moment - they're working very hard on all aspects of their game. Richard Housal has joined us as well to help the fielding so we've had some additional input into that, so some of those things are coming to fruition, which is nice. We're going to have to keep playing well though, as we know what they're like. New Zealand will come back very hard I'm sure at Edgbaston on Wednesday so we're going to keep that momentum going and play some good cricket still.

Q: Now let's look at Owais Shah. He came so close to making the test team in the winter, didn't bat the other night - it must have been a frustrating time for him, but he looked as though he took out some of that frustration today.

Peter: It was really clinical hitting - great shape to the shots, with no slogging at all, just really quality shots. And as I say, it was clinical, executed brilliantly, and it was really the icing on the cake because in the last 5 or so overs we scored 70 runs of which Owais got the bulk of them. So rather than getting 270 or 280, we got passed the 300 mark, which was always going to make it difficult for New Zealand.

Q: Finally, do the players get a day off tomorrow, a bit of a break?

Peter: Well, in the NatWest series it doesn't really work like that! You tend to travel, re-generate and then do a bit of light training. Then we'll train again on Tuesday morning which will basically be skill work and then we play on Wednesday. So there's no such thing as a day off in cricket terms - there are always things to be done to get ready for the next match!

Peter Moores Diary 14/06/2008
Peter looks ahead to the first NatWest Series match against New Zealand at The Riverside.

Q: Peter, firstly your thoughts on Chester-le-Street - the Riverside - as far as you and your team are concerned.

Peter: It's obviously one of the newer grounds, and it's a lovely place to play. It's quite a big surface to cover, so it's one of those grounds where you have to be very aware of the boundaries - covering the chance of 2 runs when you're fielding - and the lads have been out practicing that, just getting a feeling for it and getting ready for tomorrow.

Q: Have you had any time at all to recover from Friday night?

Peter: yes, it all comes pretty quick doesn't it? The lads travelled up this morning and they've had a good stretch and a good practice actually. It's been up to the players a little bit here to get themselves ready. We're having a meeting just to clarify the plans for tomorrow and we know that in the first game in any NatWest series it's very important to get off to a good start and we'll be looking for that tomorrow.

Q: Do you find practice goes slightly better if the team have won? Or is it when they've lost and got something to prove?

Peter: I think winning's the great feeling because it means you can look back and you can really be quite critical about the areas where you still want to get better without anybody worrying. If you lose, it always becomes a bit more sensitive. So today we can talk about areas where we want to get a little bit better - we've now seen the New Zealanders in action so now there's a bit more time for the players who have just joined the squad from county cricket to gel and get themselves in there.

Q: We've talked about momentum before - but 2 wins in the tests, a victory in the 20:20 - that's the right momentum for the NatWest series I guess?

Peter: Yes, really good momentum and the lads are buoyant. But New Zealand got to third in the world one-day rankings and are third in the world still, because they're a good one-day side and they've got some very talented, striking batters. People like McCullum and Taylor at the top of the order are players we're going to have to bowl very well at - Jamie How has shown he's a very fine cricketer - and bowling-wise the variation of people like Vettori in there,who's shown with his variations of pace just what a tough competitor he is - so we're going to have to play really well. But the lads are in a good place at the moment - they're working very hard, they're enjoying their cricket, so we'll go into tomorrow confident and ready to have a proper go at it.

Q: Final thought on the McCullum-Taylor thing - over a five match NatWest series do you almost have to expect them to come off at least once?

Peter: Yes, you expect them to play well, and all the lads factor in the fact that if you bowl early there's a chance that someone like McCullum's going to put you out of the park, and you have to take that. If it's in his zone and he decides to go, he's a strong man and if he connects it's going to go a long way. You've just got to make sure you come back with something - so that's important. We're ready for that and we expect there will be some fireworks, as there always are, and hopefully at the end of the day we get one more run than them and that will be enough!

Peter Moores Diary 13/06/2008
Peter looks back at the 9 wicket victory in the NatWest 20:20 between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford

Q: Peter, I guess it doesn't get much better than a 9 wicket victory with 2 and a half overs to spare does it?

Peter: No, it was a really, really good performance because it featured all three facets of the game. We bowled, batted and fielded really well and a great start for us - great momentum for us to take into the NatWest 50 over games starting on Sunday.

Q: You won the toss and bowled tightly, and the first 5 wickets were shared around by 5 bowlers - a good way to start...

Peter: Great start, and the discipline showed by the bowlers as well as the way they bowled was important. I think we had one extra and that was a wide in the final over of the innings, which was quite tough as Jimmy Anderson was trying to follow the batsman! But a really disciplined performance from the bowlers, backed up by the fielders, which really gave us a great chance of winning the game if we didn't lose early wickets - which we didn't!

Q: You must have been pleased with the way the likes of Luke Wright and Graham Swann came into the side and immediately looked at home.

Peter: Yes, especially as we knew it was a really quick turn round from the test match series. We took the decision to allow the lads to play for their counties on Wednesday, so we had just one session together last night - it was quite a long session but the boys bought into it well - and then took that straight into the game and the new lads coming in really gelled. The squad's been together before - obviously throughout the winter - and nice to see them finding their feet and their roles quickly because we're going to have to do that if we're to win the NatWest series against a very good New Zealand team.

Q: Talking about finding their feet, Ian Bell's innings must have been particularly pleasing after his difficult test series.

Peter: And he played beautifully. It wasn't just that it was a half century - there was real authority in the way he played. He played very good quality cricket shots, picked the right time to play those shots, and kept the momentum going for us. It was an excellent knock.

Q: Slightly cynically, I guess no one wants to get dropped now there's that 20 million dollar inducement to stay in the team come November!

Peter: Yes, but it's just good to get a win. That's three 20:20 matches on the trot against New Zealand which is good, because to keep people like McCullum and these sort of people quiet - Taylor's a really good striking batsmen - is real credit to the bowlers. And I thought Paul Collingwood did very well as captain tonight - he jiggled his bowlers round and bought the spinner into the attack at just the right time.

Q: It's a pretty quick turn around, Durham for the first NatWest series match in less than 48 hours...

Peter: Yes it is. We'll train there tomorrow afternoon - keep it quite light but make sure we get our plans clear again for the game on Sunday. The lad's aren't going to do too much, as they need to make sure they've got plenty of energy left for the game on Sunday.

Peter Moores Diary 12/06/2008
Peter Previews the NatWest 20:20 between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford

Q: Well Peter, now the tests are out of the way and we've got a 20:20 match and five NatWest Series matches - looking forward to getting into some one-day cricket?

Peter: Yes, and we've got a change of strip, we're wearing the red stuff now! It's very exciting, the NatWest Series always produces some great cricket - we had a great series last summer in England and we expect the same again against a very good New Zealand side. We started today, the lad's played for their counties yesterday to get their teeth into it, and tomorrow night should be a very exciting night.

Q: Is there a bit of unfinished business after what happened in New Zealand - you won the 20:20's but lost the one-day series there? They're a different proposition when it comes to the shorter version of the game, aren't they?

Peter: Yes, they're a good side. They're third in the world and they got there because they played some really good cricket. They've got some naturally talented one-day players in the likes of McCullum and Oram, who are very good strikers of the ball, and also people like Vettori who's a very canny one-day bowler. So they'll be hard work - we beat them in the 20:20's but lost the one-day series down under - and obviously we'd like to win the NatWest series and the 20:20 this summer. I think we've moved forward a bit as a one-day side but we've still got some work to do - it should be a good series.

Q: Is there something special about playing NatWest 20:20 in front of a packed house - especially after everything that's happened on the 20:20 front his week - people could be paying closer attention than normal!

Peter: The 20:20 revolution has been going for a while. It started in England and I think what happened yesterday with the Stamford announcement and the IPL has put it even more on the agenda. So I think it will be exciting tomorrow, there's no doubt about that. There will be a packed house, it'll be great fun and I think that it's a balance between all sorts of cricket. We'll see the 20:20 tomorrow and then into the NatWest games - the 50 over ones - and they'll be equally good fun and exciting as well. So I think there's a balance for everything.

Q: Turning to the players - are you looking for anyone to bounce back if they've disappointed in the tests?

Peter: Well the one-day format is different. We've brought some new players into the squad like Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, Dimitri Mascharanas and Graham Swann, so the squad changes a little bit. I think for everyone that's been involved in the test matches it's quite a good time to have a change of format - different skills needed, different ways of playing the game. It's high energy stuff as you've got no time to think about things too much, you just go out there and get stuck in!

Q: Finally Peter, given the Stamford situation, the IPL, the Champions League etc., what are your thoughts on 20:20 and it's position in the game?

Peter: Well it's been talked about a lot, and the big worry about whether 20:20 will take over from test match cricket which is the main debate. I think test match cricket is here to stay - it's still the foundation of the game and I think that we see in England that it's got a really strong following. And we've seen some great test match series over the years - The Ashes in 2005 for instance, is still talked about now. So I don't think that's going to go away and I think there's space for both. What I do like to see is that there's a real, huge interest in cricket at the moment. The kids are playing it at schools, its back on the agenda, and that can only be good for the game.