Morgan proud of effort

Eoin Morgan is making one-day international batting look like an amble in the park at present, but insists the only secrets to his success are painstaking hours of hard work.

Morgan had the opening match of the NatWest Series with Australia wrapped up with four overs to spare after an unbeaten 103 and Andrew Strauss' team were already contemplating further success against the old enemy in the second match of five in Cardiff.

"Playing against such a big side like Australia, and given the circumstances, I was quite proud of myself," said Morgan.

His limited-overs knack centres on an aura of calm, a sense that he knows exactly what to do and when, and an apparently innate ability to beat the field.

Morgan takes none of that for granted, though.

"I've had a small run of form recently and that's what happens, you hit it into the places you want to," he added. "When everybody goes through a run of form, they seem to hit the gaps rather than the fielders."

Morgan, who began his international career for his native Ireland, seems to have arrived as a ready-made superstar for England but he feels he has got to where he is only through trial and error and much endeavour.

"I've learned with experience. I've batted at four and five for a long time and been in different situations," he added. "I've made plenty of mistakes and, over the last couple of years, I've learned to give myself a lot more time.

"I've worked on the power-hitting and the longer I stay at the crease the more I give myself a chance. I do put in a hell of a lot of hard work. I do a lot of work in my own time and with guys I like to work with.

"That's taking nothing away from England, I work quite hard with (coach) Andy Flower and the other senior players within the side."