Spin will be key at World Cup, says England's Dalrymple

VILLA BEACH, St. Vincent, Mar 6 (Reuters) England all-rounder Jamie Dalrymple said today that good spin bowling could be a deciding factor at the World Cup given the increasingly slow Caribbean wickets and the size of the grounds.

Dalrymple, who has quietly forced his way into the side in the last six months, topscored with 76 in England's 241-run demolition of Bermuda in a warm-up game yesterday but the 26 year-old off-spinner would also have liked a bowl.

England instead used the 13-player-a-side format to employ all five of their pace bowlers and slow left-armer Monty Panesar in Bermuda's short innings of 45.

''I didn't bowl, I would have liked to bowl some overs perhaps. The wickets may take turn but countering that some of the grounds are quite small,'' he told reporters. ''I'm hopeful spin will play a big part.'' Dalrymple said his time in the middle yesterday, especially against impressive Bermuda heavyweight spinner Dwayne Leverock, showed that the slowness of the wickets means players have to force the ball through the gaps.

The Kenyan-born former Oxford University student felt he did not bowl enough during England's recent victorious one-day tri-series win in Australia but he is looking forward to locking horns with them again in Friday's final warm-up match.

''We performed very well yesterday, it was a very clinical performance,'' he said. ''We will build on that on Friday when it will no doubt be a sterner test.

''Australia is an opportunity, whilst it doesn't matter in a sense, it would be fantastic to keep the momentum going and beat them again. I think it will be a very intense game.'' England, who face New Zealand on March 16 in their first Group C World Cup match, had a light training session today including a game of touch rugby.

They have no new injury worries with captain Michael Vaughan looking fresh as he works his way back to full fitness after knee and hamstring problems.

Canada and Kenya other teams in Group C.

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