Melbourne: They were thrashed in the Ashes andtheir recent limited-overs record is abysmal, but Englandhope the return of captain Michael Vaughan will boost their fortunes in thetriangular one-day series in Australia.

 With the World Cup just months away,the tournament, starting Friday, is an important chance for England, Australiaand New Zealand to honetheir one-day skills and Vaughanreturns to lead an English side seemingly in disarray.

Under the leadership of Andrew Flintoff, they became the first English sideto lose an Ashes series 5-0 in more than 80 years, they have not won a matchsince they arrived on Australian soil more than two months ago, and their one-dayinternational record offers little comfort, with just seven wins in their past27 games.

On Tuesday, in Vaughan's first game back atthe helm, the English were again humbled by Australia, this time in a Twenty20bash.

England open thetriangular series at the Melbourne's MCG onFriday, in another daunting clash with an Australian team strongly favoured towin its third World Cup in succession in the West Indies.

Speaking after the loss on Tuesday, Vaughanadmitted the English were struggling, but said they hoped to gain some momentumin the triangular series.

"We've just got to make sure that over the next couple of days we thinkup a strategy for the one-day game to try to build up for the World Cup,"Vaughan said.

"Playing the No.1 one-day team in the world in their own backyard isgoing to be pretty difficult, but there's no reason why we can't try to competeand try to beat them in a few of these games.

"That's the main aim of the team now  to try to develop this thinking towards beingsuccessful in the one-day game."

It is an unenviable position in which the 2005 Ashes hero finds himself, ashe struggles with his own game as he returns from knee surgery and tries torebuild England's shattered confidence.

He has not played a one-day international since July 12, 2005 and his recordin limited-overs cricket is modest, averaging 28.36 with a strike rate of 68.

For Englandto improve, they will need Flintoff back at his aggressive best with bat andball and Kevin Pietersen to excel.

Cult figure Monty Panesar will get his chance to impress at one-day level.

Triangular series rival, New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming, said heexpected England to improvesharply with Vaughanback in charge.

"They get their skipper back, who'll make a pretty big difference andthey've got players, the Pietersens and the Flintoffs, who can certainly turn aone-day game on their own," Fleming said.

While Vaughanhas his hands full, there are few problems for skipper Ricky Ponting, who cancall upon the match-winning talents of the likes of Andrew Symonds, AdamGilchrist and Mike Hussey.

Opener Matthew Hayden will be out to impress as he looks to secure a WorldCup berth at the top of the order, while Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and StuartClark are quality pace bowlers.

Ponting said Australia'sTwenty20 form was an ominous sign for the one-day series.

The Kiwis are a proven one-day outfit, coming off a drawn series with Sri Lanka.

They have two of the best bowlers in the world in paceman Shane Bond andspinner Daniel Vettori, but the Kiwis are resting the injured Kyle Mills, ScottStyris and Jacob Oram.

The performances of Fleming, veterans Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan andwicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum with the bat will be pivotal to theirsuccess.

Fleming said the Australians were formidable, but not unbeatable, pointingto the absence of injured all-rounder Shane Watson and the lack of a frontlinespinner as weaknesses.