England's one-day flaws exposed

I can't say it came as a shock to see England lose the one-day international series 3-2 given their dismal recent record in 50-over cricket in India.

England played well in the first game but were then heavily beaten in the next three. Although they bounced back strongly to win the final match, we should not overlook the fact that it was a dead rubber played in conditions much more suited to England's strengths.

Despite the series loss, England can take some positives from the tour - the continued rise of Joe Root and the bowling of Steven Finn and James Tredwell among them - but there is still plenty of room for improvement in their overall one-day cricket.

With the New Zealand series fast approaching, and the Champions Trophy looming in the summer, I've picked out three key areas of concern.

One aspect of the game which is holding England back is the number of dot balls they allow the opposition to bowl. This was particularly noticeable against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, whose economy rate for the series of 3.49 runs per over was comfortably the best of any bowler on either side.

Best of luck to England's women as they embark on their World Cup campaign in India. The hardest thing for any team is to defend their trophy because the opposition will single you out as the team to beat but Charlotte Edwards's side are more than capable of doing just that. They have a set-up as professional as you will find anywhere in the world, and their desire and attention to detail mirrors that of the men's side.

Women's World Cup tournament guide

With the new fielding restrictions meaning more men inside the circle during non-powerplay overs, it is harder than ever to find gaps in the field and this was highlighted by the number of times the England middle order became bogged down, with the scoring rate almost grinding to a halt at times.

Just as every player needs to be able to put away the bad balls, they also need to develop methods of scoring off the good ones. The very best one-day players, such as Mahela Jayawardene and Hashim Amla, make sure that even defensive shots bring singles.

They have the ability to open and close the face of their bats to place the ball into the spaces so that even when their team is under the cosh the scoreboard keeps ticking over.

I don't expect this to change overnight, but if England can look to find a way of scoring runs off 12 more balls over the course of 50 overs, suddenly a total of 250 could become 265 or 270.

Often that margin can be the difference between winning and losing.

Once again, England's lack of an all-rounder was exposed in India. Circumstances and player availability does dictate but I'm not a fan of playing only four front-line bowlers and then relying on a mix of players to make up the remaining 10 overs of an innings. Ideally you need five players who are fully capable of bowling 10 overs in every match, and a sixth man who can step in if required.

277: Most runs in the series, by India's Suresh Raina 113 (not out): Highest individual score of the series, by Ian Bell in Dharamsala 6: Most sixes, by home captain Mahendra Dhoni 54.33: Batting average of England's Joe Root in his maiden one-day series 325: Highest team total, by England in Rajkot 155: Lowest team total, by England in Ranchi 11: Most wickets in the series, by England's James Tredwell (average 18.18) Joe Root did a decent job with the ball on the turning pitches in India, but is he really going to bowl eight to 10 overs on the less spin-friendly conditions of New Zealand, or at home in England where the Champions Trophy will be held?

To be a really top side in all conditions, England need to find someone who can bat at seven and bowl their full quota. At the moment it looks like Chris Woakes will be given the chance to stake his claim in New Zealand in the absence of the injured Tim Bresnan, but I see Rikki Clarke as another option for the summer.

Clarke has always had the talent, and since moving to Warwickshire his commitment and attitude have improved along with his performances. His inclusion in the Lions squad to tour Australia shows England are keen to take another look at him.

His batting and fielding are certainly good enough to get into the top seven and if he can fine-tune his bowling, he could just fit the bill.

I read the other day that since I hung up my gloves 10 years ago England have now fielded 10 different wicketkeepers in one-day internationals, which highlights what a problem area it has been for the side.

Since Alec Stewart retired in 2003, 10 men have kept for England in ODIs - Chris Read, Geraint Jones, Matt Prior, Paul Nixon, Phil Mustard, Tim Ambrose, Steven Davies, Eoin Morgan, Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler Vikram Solanki, James Foster and Jonny Bairstow have kept for England in Twenty20 internationals but not ODIs With Craig Kieswetter out of the picture for now, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler will head to New Zealand ready to battle it out for what is a crucial position.

Both have shown flashes of their potential with the bat but are still learning their trade with the gloves and must continue to work hard on their keeping skills with coach Bruce French.

If it doesn't work out for Bairstow or Buttler, I hope the selectors have not forgotten about Matt Prior. The Sussex keeper may have failed to take his opportunities in the past and has not played an ODI since March 2011, but it may soon be time to give him another chance to transfer his brilliant Test form to the one-day arena.

Another man who should not be forgotten is Surrey's Steven Davies, who was harshly axed just before the last World Cup.

Alec Stewart was speaking to BBC Sport's Sam Sheringham.

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Exercise Can Be Good For The Heart, And Maybe For Sperm, Too

Human sperm race to fertilize an egg.

David M. Phillips/Science Source

Guys, it may be time to get off the couch and hit the treadmill — especially if you want to have kids.

Okay, we all know that exercise is good for us. It can reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, to name a few benefits. Now researchers say physical activity may also help keep sperm healthy and happy.

A study published Monday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that how physically active a guy is can affect his total sperm count and sperm concentration.

Researchers surveyed 189 young men (ages 18 to 22) on their exercise and TV-watching habits over a three-month period. They also collected and analyzed the participants' semen.

Men who watched 20 or more hours of TV per week had a sperm concentration 44 percent lower than those who watched almost no TV. On the other hand, men who exercised more than 14 hours per week had a sperm concentration 73 percent higher than men who exercised less than five hours per week.

These effects held true even when other factors like body weight, stress and diet were taken into account.

According to lead author Audrey Gaskins, a doctoral student at Harvard School of Public Health, sperm concentration and total sperm count are two of the main factors that clinicians consider in assessing male fertility.

So is being active the key to fertility?

Not so fast. Gaskins cautions that it's not possible to make conclusions about cause and effect in a study like this one. "Ideally, we would have done a randomized control trial where we had men switch from different behaviors and then measured the results," she says.

She also points out that different types of physical activity may have different effects on semen quality. For example, both biking and long-distance running can actually reduce semen quality, according to previous studies.

Nevertheless, this study might be onto something. A year ago, while conducting separate research on how diet affects semen quality, Gaskins and her team noticed that physical activity kept showing up as a significant factor. "It caught our eye," she says. "That's when we decided to look into it further."

It's unclear why physical activity might affect sperm count. Gaskins hypothesizes that it's because exercise protects against oxidative stress, which can damage male germ cells. You lose that protection when you sit around all day in front of the TV.

Sperm production is sensitive to temperature. So being a couch potato may thwart sperm production by increasing scrotal temperature.

Are the ill effects of a sedentary lifestyle on sperm permanent? Gaskins says more research needs to be done to answer that question. However, because it takes about three months to produce new sperm, couch potatoes probably aren't doomed to suboptimal semen. "That's the nice thing about male fertility," she says. "It seems to be more potentially modifiable."

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England beat Windies to progress

By Stephan Shemilt BBC Sport in Mumbai England beat West Indies by six wickets to book their place in the Super Six stage of the Women's World Cup in India.

The Windies were made to rue their decision to bat first in seam-friendly conditions, being bowled out for 101 with Anya Shrubsole taking 4-21.

England reached their target for the loss of four wickets, Danielle Wyatt making a career-best score of 40.

Sri Lanka's emphatic victory over India, which knocked the hosts out of the tournament, means England will take two points through to the next round.

Teams carry through the points they pick up against fellow qualifiers and England lost to Sri Lanka in their opening match before beating India.

"Anya Shrubsole bowled with pace and control. Her line against the left-handers was wayward against India but she got movement and bounce. I think she deserves the player of the match award. I hope Katherine Brunt's fine, as she rolled her ankle slightly - we think it may have been in celebration. It's the sort of thing the coaches will be a little annoyed about, but at least they've got two days off until the next game, while that should also help Charlotte Edwards who has been ill today."

However, England will carry momentum into the second phase after putting that early shock defeat behind them to finish top of their group on run-rate from Sri Lanka.

They were, however, partly indebted to Windies captain Merissa Aguilleira for this victory. When England lost the toss for the third time in the tournament, Aguilleira opted to bat first on a greenish pitch covered in morning dew.

The decision was instantly shown to be the wrong one as Katherine Brunt and Shrubsole removed openers Kycia Knight and Stefanie Taylor in the first two overs.

In all, nine wickets fell to seam bowling. Only when England turned to spin after Brunt was forced from the field with an injury were West Indies able to put up any sort of resistance in the shape of a 59-run stand between Kyshona Knight and Shanel Daley.

Brunt had figures of 2-10 from her six overs when an ankle injury ended her participation, leaving England to worry over her fitness before their opening Super Six contest against Australia on Friday.

Her last meaningful act was an important one, however, as she found away swing to have the dangerous Deandra Dottin - scorer of a 20-ball half-century in West Indies' win over Sri Lanka - caught behind by Sarah Taylor.

That left West Indies in the hopeless position of 31-6, Shrubsole having previously caused most of the damage.

Stefanie Taylor had scored 171 against Sri Lanka, but seam movement from Shrubsole saw her leg stump pinned back. The Somerset right-armer then accounted for Shemaine Campbelle and Juliana Nero in the same over and, when Aguilleira took a suicidal single to Lydia Greenway - who was winning her 100th cap - the Windies were in tatters.

But, after Dottin went, Kyshona Knight and Daley were watchful as England spinners Holly Colvin and Laura Marsh were given little assistance.

Knight found the boundary only once in her 86-ball 33, an innings that was finally ended when England turned to the medium pace of Arran Brindle, the beneficiary of Sarah Taylor's smart stumping.

The top three teams in each group qualify Each team plays three games against the qualifiers from the other group, while carrying through their results against the qualifiers from their original group There are no semi-finals - the first- and second-placed Super Six teams progress straight to the final on 17 February There are also play-offs for third/fourth, fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth With Brindle hitting the seam to account for Shaquanna Quintyne and Tremayne Smartt, she had figures of 3-0 from two overs while Shrubsole returned to trap Subrina Munroe lbw and leave Daley stranded on 30 not out.

Brindle, opening in place of the ill Edwards, and Danielle Wyatt negotiated an eight-over spell before lunch and, when the players returned, England's progress slowed almost to a standstill in an apparent bid to keep the Windies net run-rate higher than Sri Lanka's.

However, the ponderous nature of the chase did England few favours and, when Brindle was caught behind off Dottin, it sparked a mini-collapse that saw four wickets fall for 13 runs.

The aggressive Dottin trapped Sarah Taylor and Greenway lbw, with Wyatt falling in similar fashion to Munro in between.

No longer in the mood to hang around, Jenny Gunn and Heather Knight upped the tempo to finally send England into the Super Sixes.

England were joined in the Super Sixes by South Africa, who thrashed Pakistan by 126 runs  to send the Asian side into a play-off against India for seventh place.

Marizanne Kapp starred with bat and ball for South Africa, making 102 not out in their total of 207-5 before taking 3-18 as Pakistan were bowled out for 81.

In the match between the two teams that had already qualified from Group B, Australia overcame New Zealand by seven wickets.

Meg Lanning struck 112 off 104 balls and Jess Cameron 82 as the Aussies overhauled New Zealand's total of 227-6 after 38.2 overs.

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England defeat India in World Cup

By Stephan Shemilt BBC Sport in Mumbai Captain Charlotte Edwards struck a brilliant century as England kick-started their World Cup campaign with a 32-run win over hosts India.

Edwards' 109 took the defending champions to 272-8 in Mumbai and also saw her become the highest run-scorer in women's one-day internationals.

India were then reduced to 29-3 by the pace of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole and, despite an unbeaten hundred from Harmanpreet Kaur, the hosts could only close on 240-9.

With West Indies thrashing Sri Lanka in Sunday's other Group A game,  England know victory over the Windies on Tuesday will guarantee them a place in the Super Six stage.

"Katherine Brunt's been the key today, I just don't think many bowlers [in the women's game] have that extra pace in their armoury. A few years ago, you wouldn't have thought of bowling that many bouncers - the game is changing."

And an India win over Sri Lanka in the final round of group matches could create the right set of circumstances for England to carry the maximum four points through to the next round - rendering the shock opening defeat by minnows Sri Lanka meaningless.

In that game on Friday, England were far below their best, but here, led by Edwards, they outplayed the hosts despite the significant disadvantage of losing the toss.

As tall pace bowler Jhulan Goswami took advantage of the chance to bowl in the dewy, humid conditions to have Danielle Wyatt caught at slip, Edwards was watchful to negate the India attack's biggest threat.

Sarah Taylor, back in the side after a hamstring injury, was driving fluently as soon as she came to the crease but, when Edwards eventually found some rhythm with cuts to the boundary, she outscored her partner.

The Kent batter overtook Belinda Clark's previous world record of 4,484 runs when she moved from 53 to 57 by slapping the leg-spin of Reema Malhotra through the covers.

And, despite seeing Taylor run out by Amita Sharma's direct hit from mid-on to end a stand of 100, Edwards moved towards a century with sweeps and drives on both sides of the wicket.

Now in the company of the strong leg-side hitting of Lydia Greenway, Edwards reached her seventh ODI century by late-cutting Goswami for four.

After Greenway was held at mid-on off Goswami and the promoted pinch-hitting of Brunt added impetus in the powerplay, Edwards' stylish knock was ended through no fault of her own as she was left short by Arran Brindle's call for a single on the off side.

1) Charlotte Edwards (England) 4,901 runs

2) Belinda Clark (Australia) 4,844

3) Karen Rolton (Australia) 4,814

4) Mithali Raj (India) 4,499

5) Claire Taylor (England) 4,101

Brindle was also involved in the run out of Heather Knight but, with the help of Laura Marsh's innovation, she scampered England to a total far in excess of India's previous highest successful chase of 230.

It seemed as though the hosts would need a telling contribution from in-form opening pair Poonam Raut and Thirush Kamini or captain Mithali Raj, but all three fell cheaply.

First Brunt found swing back into Kamini to trap the left-hander lbw, then she tempted Raj to upper-cut to Shrubsole at third man. When Raut was leg before playing across Shrubsole, India were up against it.

Kaur and Karuna Jain managed to rebuild with a fourth-wicket partnership of 106 but, as the hosts fell further behind the pace, Jain was caught at point off Brindle for 56 when looking to accelerate.

Though England saw Shrubsole limp off the pitch, their improvement from the defeat by Sri Lanka was demonstrated by Knight's catch to dismiss Goswami. On Friday, England dropped three costly chances but now Knight spectacularly leapt high and right at mid-off to hold the chance off Marsh.

Kaur remained, the wicketkeeper launching the only two sixes of the match as she completed a maiden ODI century.

However, by this point, the task was already beyond India and three wickets in three balls - two to Brunt and one to Wyatt - emphasised that England's World Cup defence was back on track.

In the other Group A game, Stafanie Taylor smashed 171 from 137 balls as the Windies posted 368-8 against Sri Lanka  before bowling out their opponents for 159.

In Group B, Australia edged to a three-wicket victory over South Africa  while New Zealand beat Pakistan  by seven wickets - meaning both victors progress to the Super Six stage, while Pakistan and South Africa meet on Tuesday to decide that group's final qualifier.

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England duo unsold at IPL auction

England pair Matt Prior and Ravi Bopara plus Ireland batsman Kevin O'Brien all failed to attract bids at the auction for this year's Indian Premier League.

It was the second year running that the trio failed to attract interest.

Former Hampshire batsman and rising Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell fetched the highest bid of $1m (£637,000) from Mumbai Indians.

Abhishek Nayar and RP Singh also invited unexpectedly high bids for the sixth edition of the IPL.

Maxwell's price was significantly lower than the top sale achieved last year when India's Ravindra Jadeja was sold to Chennai for $2m (£1.26m).

The Australian, who arrived at Hampshire as a relative unknown last year, celebrated his sale with a golden duck during Australia's one-day match against West Indies. However, he did manage four wickets as Australia defeated West Indies by 54 runs.

The next highest sale was Ajantha Mendis who was sold for $725,000 (£462,000) to Pune Warriors India.

India's all-rounder Nayar joins Pune Warriors for $675,000 (£430,000) while bowler RP Singh was sold to Royal Warriors for $400,000 (£255,000).

Australia captain Michael Clarke and their former skipper Ricky Ponting could secure only their base price of $400,000 (£255,000) each when picked up by Pune Warriors and Mumbai Indians respectively.

South Africa all-rounder Johan Botha, who went to Rajasthan last year for $950,000 (£605,000), was bought by Delhi Daredevils for $450,000 (£287,000).

England all-rounder Bopara played for Kings XI Punjab in the 2009 and 2010 IPL tournaments and has an average of 29.69 from 14 innings, but has not featured for the last two years.

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England suffer T20 warm-up defeat

England 170-5 (20 overs) lost to NZ XI 171-7 (20 overs) by three wickets

A late fightback by captain Stuart Broad proved in vain as England suffered a last-ball defeat by a New Zealand XI in their final warm-up game.

Jos Buttler hit a second successive half-century while Eoin Morgan also weighed in with 51 as the tourists reached 170-5 at the Cobham Oval.

The hosts were coasting to victory before three wickets fell for four runs, including Tom Latham for 64.

The final ball finish made it exciting for the big crowd, but it should not disguise a poor bowling performance from three of England's attack. 170 was a defendable total after Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler repeated their powerful hitting of the previous day. James Tredwell and Steven Finn had rare off days. Jade Dernbach threatened to rescue the match with a skilful final over, but his bowling earlier was reminiscent of his efforts in India that cost him his ODI place.

But Broad's 3-24 proved in vain, their opponents winning off the last ball.

Having won their opening warm-up game by 46 runs 24 hours earlier, Broad and his players have plenty to ponder ahead of Saturday's opening Twenty20 international with New Zealand in Auckland.

England opener Michael Lumb said Wednesday's defeat was an indication of how tough the three-match series would be.

"I think it will be tight," said the Nottinghamshire batsman. "A lot of people have written them off, but you can't take them lightly.

"It would be foolish to do that - they've just beaten South Africa in a one-day series over there. They're a proud nation, and they'll come really hard at us."

Buttler followed up his unbeaten 57 in the opening game with 51 off 31 deliveries, which included five fours and two sixes.

He put on 87 with Morgan, who also struck two sixes.

But it was not enough as New Zealand's openers Anton Devcich and Hamish Rutherford passed 50 in just 35 balls.

Rutherford's dismissal brought Latham to the crease and he wasted no time reaching 50 from 29 balls.

Steven Finn and James Tredwell struggled to make an impact for England, both going for 44 runs from their four overs.

But Lumb said the match provided the workout they needed and was particularly pleased with the return to form of captain Broad after injury.

"It was good, especially for the four bowlers, to be put under some pressure," said Lumb. "And if it comes down to it in the main games, we'll have had some experience a couple of times here.

"It's great to have Broady back. His body is moving well, and he's bowling nicely.

"He's obviously had a few little niggles, but he's back fit and raring to go. We're really chuffed with that."

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Edwards breaks ODI runs record

By Stephan Shemilt BBC Sport in Mumbai England captain Charlotte Edwards became the leading run-scorer in women's one-day international cricket during her team's World Cup victory against India.

The 33-year-old, playing her 162nd ODI, passed the previous best of 4,844 runs set by Australia's Belinda Clark.

1) Charlotte Edwards (England) 4,901 runs

2) Belinda Clark (Australia) 4,844

3) Karen Rolton (Australia) 4,814

4) Mithali Raj (India) 4,499

5) Claire Taylor (England) 4,101

Needing 53 for a new record, Edwards moved past Clark by hitting Reema Malhotra through the covers for four.

The Kent batter went on to post her seventh ODI century in the 32-run win.

Edwards, who also became only the fourth woman to register 1,000 World Cup runs, was eventually run out for 109 from 123 balls - her effort helping England to 272-8 in Mumbai.

Harmanpreet Kaur scored an unbeaten century for the hosts, but pace bowler Katherine Brunt took four wickets as India closed on 240-9.

At the age of 16, Edwards was the youngest woman to play for England when she made her Test debut against New Zealand in 1996, a record that has since been taken by current team-mate Holly Colvin.

Edwards took over as England captain in 2006 following the retirement of Clare Connor and has since led her side to win the Ashes, the 2009 World Twenty20 and the 2009 World Cup.

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