RICKY Ponting hopes to celebrate Australia Day with a ninth win over England on home soil this winter.
Australia captain Ponting copped flak for missing the corresponding one-day match a year ago - a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka - but says there will be no better way to celebrate his country's national holiday than another victory in the Commonwealth Bank tri-series match against England in Adelaide tomorrow morning.
Having seen off England 5-0 in the Test series which began in November, won the Twenty20 contest and recorded two one-day victories to date, it has become a feeling to which the Aussies have become accustomed.
''It is nice to beat England any day,'' said Ponting. ''It doesn't have to be Australia Day. But it is a nice day to be Australian and there will be nothing better than beating England again".
If England needed any geeing up in their bid to break a depressing sequence against their Ashes rivals, Australia coach John Buchanan has provided some following his assessment that neither neutral countries in this triangular tournament can push his side hard enough to provide proper pre-World Cup preparation.
''I know if I was in the England dressing room it would make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, that's for sure,'' said Ponting.
''I am not sure if John is trying to use that as a motivational thing for us to make sure we keep our foot on the accelerator or not. But they are his opinions and he is entitled to have them".
Buchanan said Australia's bowlers were not being forced to practise their full repertoire of deliveries because they were operating without pressure.
''It might just mean our bowlers are going well and we haven't got too much to worry about,'' said Ponting.
"If you look at the way Brett Lee bowled the other night, I don't think I have ever seen anyone bowl as well as that with the new ball - it was unbelievable.
''Nathan Bracken has been terrific for us for two years and they are good players who they are knocking over.
"(Stephen) Fleming, (Nathan) Astle and those sort of players are pretty solid if you look at their one-day records".
Hampshire seamer Chris Tremlett could be recalled for his fifth England ODI appearance.
New-ball duo James Anderson (back) and Jon Lewis (ankle)are both struggling with injury and neither took part in net practice this morning.
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