Buttler's men out to serve up win that will crown dynasty

England can join game’s greats by successfully defending trophy

- Malik Ouzia

THE word ‘dynasty’, with its Ancient Greek origins and more recent American associations, is rarely associated with cricket. But as England prepare to start their World Cup defence tomorrow, looking to claim the second successive 50-over title, we can be thankful for the shorthand to describe a period of powerful, dominant rule.

For if Jos Buttler’s side fly home next month with the World Cup still in their possession, they will be worthy of the billing. “Everyone dreams of going back-to-back,” said Jonny Bairstow last month, the opening batter doing himself a rare disservice, given only seven other players at this tournament have the right to sleep among such thoughts.

In the World Cup’s history, only two teams have won successive titles, the two that, were 100 fans surveyed on what constitutes a cricketing dynasty, would come out top of the Family Fortunes ticker. True, the West Indies side that triumphed in the first two tournaments in the 1970s, and then the Australia that won three in a row from 1999, could claim concurrent spells of Test dominance as the crux of their legacy.