Jonathan Trott hopes England's Champions Trophy final against India at Edgbaston on Sunday can lay the platform for the remainder of a successful season. Trott, third in the list of the tournament's leading run-scorers with his 209 runs behind only that of India's Shikhar Dhawan (332) and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (222), will be looking to help England to their first major one-day international title this weekend.
England have been trying for nearly 40 years and 16 previous tournaments to break their duck and success on Sunday could act as a springboard for their defence of the Ashes starting next month. "You always have a little cheeky sneak at the fixtures, and where the final is going to be played, and I was very excited about getting here - and it's happened," Trott said at Edgbaston on Friday.
"It's been a fantastic tournament (for England), with regards to coming back from a loss against Sri Lanka. "We had the high of beating Australia first up, and then the game against New Zealand - a tight one in the end, but I thought we played really well - and to beat South Africa at The Oval (in Wednesday's semi-final was a great performance)."
He added: "I hope we are peaking. There's obviously still a lot of cricket left this summer, and I hope it will be a great one for England." Victory over India would be an ideal start and Trott added: "To walk out at Edgbaston will be extra-special.
"For me personally, I'm very excited. "It's always fantastic for me, Ian Bell and Chris Woakes (his Warwickshire team-mates in the one-day squad) to play at Edgbaston - representing England is always a fantastic honour. "The guys are looking to seize the opportunity. They don't come around very often."