PAUL COLLINGWOOD'S ONE-DERFUL

BORN AGAIN Paul Collingwood insists he has never felt better - two months after his international career was on the brink of collapse.

Colly had to stand down midway through the one-day series against Australia in September, admitting cricket's never-ending treadmill had driven him to exhaustion.

His form had spiralled alarmingly and the 33-year-old Geordie dasher's England future hung in the balance.

Jonathan Trott's sensational introduction added further weight to the theory that Colly was on his last legs.

But his first decent break in more than six months of relentless international cricket has breathed new life into the Durham star.

A brilliant ton in the opening one-day win at Centurion, where Collingwood became England's most-capped one-day player, was followed by a spanking 86 as South Africa squared the series on Friday.

He wins his 173rd ODI cap in Port Elizabeth today, believing the best is yet to come.

Collingwood said: "If you don't improve by 10 or 15 per cent year on year then you're going backwards. It is something you have to do in international sport.

"I genuinely believe my game is getting better and that way you give yourself more options. At the moment I'm seeing the ball beautifully and the wickets over here are great to bat on. The body feels really good too.

"My feet are moving well which gives me more options as a batsman and I'm feeling confident.

"Hopefully I can continue this run of form and this intent that I'm showing, and keep going for as long as I can."

Despite the heavy Cape Town hammering on Friday, England are developing their one-day game under coach Andy Flower.

Yesterday they added former skipper Graham Gooch to their coaching staff on a temporary basis to aid their batting preparations for the First Test starting on December 16.

With Collingwood leading the charge and newcomers Eoin Morgan and Trott in hot pursuit, England's batsmen are playing with a lot more freedom.

Colly added: "The confidence is built up with things like Twenty20 cricket. That form of the game does need you to clear the ropes a lot and when you do it time and time again it gives you the confidence to do it in one-day games as well.

"That is where the game is changing, it is becoming a lot more powerful and people have to adjust to that."

Victory today would put England 2-1 up with one game to play and Collingwood is determined to bounce back from Friday's 112-run hiding.

He added: "We don't like losing, but the one good thing is that it is a quick turnaround. With just 24 hours between the games we can get back out on the park again and improve."

Jimmy Anderson will have a fitness test this morning after struggling with a knee problem on Friday. Saj Mahmood is his likely replacement.

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