Colly: 'England must maintain momentum'

Updated 10.45 Wed Aug 22 2007

Keywords: andrew flintoff, india, england, rahul dravid, paul collingwood, alastair cook, cricket, ian bell, sport

Paul Collingwood is calling on England's one-day stars to maintain their fine start to their seven-match series against India.

Centuries from Alastair Cook (102) and man-of-the match Ian Bell (126 not out) helped the home side post a commanding score of 288-2 in their alloted 50 overs under the floodlights at Hampshire's Rose Bowl.

"It was a near-perfect performance but let's not get too carried away" - Paul Collingwood

Jimmy Anderson then took 4-23 with the ball as India were dismissed for just 184, handing England an impressive 104-run victory.

While one-day skipper Collingwood was delighted with his team's display, described by opposite number Rahul Dravid as the "perfect one-day game", the Durham all-rounder wants his men to maintain their standards throughout the series.

He said: "We're 1-0 up but we have another six games left and there is no series won or anything.

"It's a great start for us but we want to continue with that rhythm, that momentum and feel what it's like when you get into those situations and hopefully take that into the next game."

Collingwood continued: "I think we've put those kind of performances in during the past and I want to get some consistency now and that's the crucial thing.

"We've played some great cricket in the past and had great passages of play, but this was a perfect game and we need to do that again and again."

Disappointed India captain Dravid reflected: "Credit to the opposition, they played the perfect one-day game.

"I don't think we came to the party at all - we didn't play cricket. We were out-batted, out-bowled and out-fielded and we have to play a lot better if we are to have a say in this series."