ENGLAND beat Holland by six wickets – so why all the fuss?

Yes, the Dutch did score close to 300 but, in reality, Andrew Strauss and Co knocked off the runs with ease and, in the process, all of the top order spent quality time at the crease.

It was a good work-out for batsmen and bowlers alike and the Dutch have exposed weaknesses in the England set-up that coach Andy Flower will now work on.

It was crazy not to field a second spinner – Michael Yardy – and it did show a lack of confidence to field seven batters, but they will have learned their lesson and will be better for the experience when they line up against India.

A lot of England’s thinking is muddled, however. They do not seem to know their best team or strategy and I worry that they don’t have enough firepower in the middle order to avoid being strangled by the tournament’s top spinners.

So far so good though, and, under Flower, it seems the Three Lions should never be written off.

The West Indies, who open their campaign against South Africa today, have seen their chances written off by all and sundry.

But the nature of the competition is such that a team can find themselves in the quarter-finals by winning just three matches.

And, with explosive players like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard in their ranks, they have enough about them to score some big runs.

The experiences of a number of their players in the Indian Premier League also gives them a useful lead on some opponents and it is not inconceivable that the men from the Caribbean can shock the world and lift the trophy for a third time.

While Sri Lanka remain my top tip for the tournament, I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that the West Indies might just reign supreme.