Robert Key swaps the whites of the Ashes series for the blues of the triangular tournament hoping the free-scoring format of the next few weeks can provide inspiration for England in the remaining two Tests.

The Kent youngster has, in common with the other England's batsman, found it difficult to demonstrate the full range of his strokeplay during the opening three Test defeats because of the accuracy of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne.

With orthodox fields and men around the bat, the tourists' batting order have found it difficult to improvise and find new areas for scoring but Key is hopeful that the less strict format of one-day internationals may provide an opportunity to develop ideas which could also be taken into the final two Tests at Melbourne and Sydney over Christmas and New Year.

"I'm going to go out there to enjoy it, try a few things out that you don't get the chance to do in Test cricket and hopefully if we take them into the Tests it might work," said Key.

"They're a really good side, but all they do is the basics really well. They don't run up and bowl magic balls at you, they bowl outside off stump and they don't let you score a run.

"They are good but it's their discipline that counts. None of their bowlers run up and bowl big outswingers, they know exactly how to bowl and set the fields according to how each of them bowls and their discipline and their basics are what it is all about.

"They bowl in a decent place and give themselves a chance of getting you out - they very rarely bowl you a bad ball.

"There are ways to combat someone bowling outside off stump, leaving it and things like that, because it's not as if you're out there wondering how you're going to survive you're just wondering how you're going to score.''

England begin their build-up for the first section of the one-day series - which comprises matches against Australia in Sydney and Melbourne before taking on Sri Lanka in Brisbane and Perth - with day-night matches against strong New South Wales and Australia A sides at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

England plan to practice under lights at the SCG before tomorrow's day-night encounter with a NSW line-up including seven players with Test experience for Australia, including McGrath, both Waugh brothers, Brett Lee and Stuart MacGill.

McGrath today returned to his full-time occupation as Australian cricketer after being pressed into action as an emergency firefighter during the bush-fires which threatened Sydney's outskirts.

Over 20 homes were destroyed by the fires and McGrath became involved when Australian captain Steve Waugh, who was detained in Melbourne, asked him to go over and help at his Alfords Point home.

McGrath spent several hours at Waugh's home ensuring the fires would not creep up to the back of the house until the Australian captain returned late last night.

"I didn't do a great deal last night," insisted McGrath.

"The fire came up to the back of the house and it was just a case of keeping an eye on it and making sure it didn't spread too much.

"It was probably about 30 or 40 metres away from the back of the house. We knew what was happening in the area because the radio was on the whole time, but a few houses had gone up so that was a bit scary."