Wright knows ODI against Scots just the start of auditions for role on the big stage

FEW except the most fastidious Wisden readers will remember in years to come which England player put Scotland to the sword in the second one-day international between the teams. But today's match is to Andrew Strauss' players the start of a long audition for an epic winter.

England embark on their latest bid to bring the Ashes back from Australia in November. In late February of next year they will attempt to win the 50-over World Cup and give it pride of place at Lord's alongside the Twenty20 trophy. Today is the first of 21 ODIs before that tournament starts, and on Tuesday they enter a series with Australia.

Andrew Flintoff won't play in the Ashes; he probably won't play in the World Cup either. Another muscular all-rounder would love to imagine he can fill those colossal Lancastrian boots, and Luke Wright is well aware that his rehearsal begins in Edinburgh this morning.

"I think it's a great start for us. We've got Australia coming up and it's a way to hopefully blow off the cobwebs at the start. Everyone wants to go into the first Australia game flying," said Wright, who has a remarkable ODI strike rate of 102 runs per 100 balls.

"You're obviously in front of the selectors and managers every time you play for England and in Australia you're playing one of the best sides in the world, and any time you can put in performances it is obviously marking your card.

"I think it's a long way away: everyone knows it's a massive winter with the Ashes and the World Cup coming up. But it's a great challenge for us to play Australia now: we have moved forward in one-day cricket and won in South Africa, which was a great performance, and now we want to push on in this series.

"Any cricketer in county cricket is desperate to play in the Ashes and I'm no different."

England, in contrast to other more hurried visits, have enjoyed training in Edinburgh for several days, even if last night featured the not entirely comfortable experience of watching an England World Cup match on the wrong side of the Border.

A smiling Wright said the squad would watch the Algeria game quietly in their hotel, rather than "running around Scotland in England shirts", but he would love to see the Hampden-Wembley rivalry being aped one day on the cricket field. "I don't see it as a massive rivalry other than just another team you play against, really. It's not quite like the football, but I suppose the more you play against each other that can come about as Scotland get stronger," said the Sussex man.

"It's another ODI and it's another tough opponent, from their point of view. Any time they can get practice against other international sides it's a great plus.

"For us, you always know these are dangerous sides. You saw in the (Twenty20] World Cup with Ireland that as soon as you underestimate teams they come and bite you, and it will be no different tomorrow. They are good enough players that they can beat you, and you have to play well to beat these sides.

"It's not a case of motivation, you just come here to do a job."

A clue to the hunger and ambition Andy Flower has brought to the England coaching game was forthcoming when Wright reported precisely what he has asked of the players at this stage of the year.

"He wants me to keep working on the bowling and keep working on movement of the ball, and he wants to see people scoring hundreds in one-day cricket as well as Test matches."

Not much to ask, is it?