England's captain Michael Vaughan smiles after hitting a boundary against Australia during their World Cup cricket warm-up match at Arnos Vale, in Kingstown, on March 9. - Reuters

Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

In the face of some embarrassing exits in the last couple of tournaments, England are aiming for a place in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup.

"We're hoping to emulate the team of 1992 who went on to get to the final and not go on and win it," noted skipper Michael Vaughan at a press conference ahead of Sunday's opening ceremony.

In terms of their most recent outings, for the British team to achieve its first target a quantum leap is required as they were eliminated in the first round of the last two competitions - 2003 and 1999.

"England haven't performed well in World Cups since 1992 and we're hoping to be the first team since 1992 to have a good World Cup," Vaughan noted.

The skipper, too, believes they have as good a chance as any.

"I really do think this World Cup is wide open. One-day cricket has shown over the last few months it's a real momentum game and if we can get that early momentum and get a win and get your side playing well - you've a got a big chance of going very far in this World Cup."

In the last few months England, after being battered entirely over the first half of its recent tour of Australia during and after the Ashes series, transformed their game to take a tri-nation one-day series that also included New Zealand and Vaughan, despite admitted hardships, stressed his belief in their ability to progress deep into the competition.

"We think we can get far, but getting to that stage (semis) is going to be difficult - it's so open, it's just going to be the teams that get used to the conditions and play in the conditions the best."

Windies ... a threat

As hosts and on form, notably in the ICC Champions Trophy, he listed the Windies as a threat while noting that both teams "... have had some good games" lately.

"They (Windies) have got to the ICC finals a couple of years now and I think they're going to be a real threat. They should know the conditions better than anyone."

Despite that, he rates their chances of beating the hosts highly.

"We did have a good series in the West Indies a couple of years back and we know that on a given day if we play well we can beat the West Indies," said Vaughan.

The English are grouped alongside New Zealand and associates Kenya and Canada

I like the format. Vaughan pointed out that his team won't be underrating the associate teams and equally, needed a good start against New Zealand.

"It's looking a big game, he said of their opening match Friday. "We know New Zealand are a good team and over the last few big tournaments, the ICC Trophy or the World Cup, they've always been there or thereabouts at the end of it, they have a good amount of experience and knowledge.

"But as we did in Australia, in conditions that are maybe going to be similar to what we're going to have over here, we beat them and we also beat them in Brisbane in different occasions. They also beat us as well."

Getting prepared

Vaughan added: "We'll try and get our preparation right for the big game on Friday. That's what we're thinking about."

Regarding the other teams, Vaughan called Kenya a threat.

"Kenya surprised, got to the semi-finals (of the last tournament) so we know that they are a threat. Canada have a couple of real talented players.

"If you think you can just turn up and play you might come up unstuck against these kind of teams so we'll be making sure that we're focused as hard on those as we do New Zealand and we're just going to get the first game out of the way and then concentrate on that second game two days later."