Collingwood plays down favourites tag

England prepare for the next stage in their gruelling one-day schedule in the unusual position as one of the favourites to become the first World Twenty20 champions over the next fortnight.

Having exceeded expectations by beating India in the seven-match NatWest Series on home soil, England are now in South Africa with momentum on their side as they compete for the inaugural world title in the 20-over format.

But for all the optimism around the squad, captain Paul Collingwood is careful not to put too much pressure on his emerging side and said: "I wouldn't make us favourites."

He added: "The beauty of this competition is that every team is coming here thinking they maybe could win it.

"Twenty20 cricket can be like that. It can take one innings or one bowling spell to turn the match around, but it is good from our point of view that we have been playing a lot very recently.

"Our skills should be up to scratch and we're obviously match-fit and hopefully that's the edge we need to go all the way."