Wayne Rooney will not start for England in their practice match against Platinum Stars today

Follow today's game live with the Telegraph team on Twitter.

FULL TIME Platinum Stars 0 England 3 There we are, then. Defoe, Cole and Rooney on the scoresheet, several moments of promise but few of brilliance, several moments of alarm but few of panic. I can't for the life of me imagine what Fabio Capello can have learnt about his squad that he didn't already know, given that the standard of opposition was so utterly dire. It's a little like preparing for your debut performance at La Scala by doing some karaoke down the pub. Can we start the World Cup now, please?

-- Read Duncan White's match report

16.47 Joe Cole feints inside beautifully but drags his shot well wide. Meanwhile, Robinho doubles Brazil's lead over Tanzania.

16.45 England in cruise control now, and showing a distinct disinclination to go in for 80-20 challenges, let along 50-50 ones.

16.40 GOAL Platinum Stars 0 England 3 Great goal by Rooney! Milner breaks with pace and verve, gets to the byline, looks over and crosses to the penalty spot, where Rooney flies in, slamming home a superb volley. His first goal in an England shirt since the Croatia game at Wembley last September, which pre-dates by about seven months my last goal in an England shirt. It was that grim indigo number they wore at Euro 96, in case you were wondering.

16.35 Meanwhile, in Dar-es-Salaam, Robinho has given Brazil a 1-0 lead over Tanzania.

16.31 Zero matches completed out of 64 and already the vuvuzela is causing me deep trauma. It's akin to a humomgous swarm of buzzing insects, but without the option of setting about them with a can of Raid. By July 11, I predict, I will be swatting imaginary flies in my sleep.

16.27 England's second-half team appears to be playing with a little more vim than their first-half XI. Aaron Lennon's been quick, Heskey's been strong and Rooney's been Rooney. Dawson's hardly had a thing to do yet.

16.25 Somewhere in the middle of all that, Wayne Rooney got in a tangle with an opposition defender and got booked. You can take the boy out of Croxteth...

16.21: GOAL Platinum Stars 0 England 2 Joe Cole with the strike! A lightning break by England and Joe Cole is in oceans of space. But at the other end, Carrick is caught in possession and the home side get another chance. Moments later a dodgy challenge by Stephen Warnock should have been a spot-kick, but is let go.

16.18 Some of the Platinum Stars defending brings to mind a pub team - goalkeeper getting caught out of position, possession being surrendered on the 18-yard line. But if that's the case, then England are barely scraping the three-star hotel level. Matthew Upson gets turned by Alton Meiring and the Platinum Stars shoots just wide.

16.09 England have looked better. Heskey crosses for Rooney, but the little man has his back to goal and hooks it wide.

16.06 England are now lining up thus: Green, Carragher, Dawson, Upson, Warnock, Carrick, Lennon, Milner, Joe Cole, Rooney, Heskey, Zamora. The last name was made up, but if ever there was a time when he could sneak onto a football pitch unnoticed, this is surely it.

16.03: To say Fabio Capello has shuffled the pack at half time barely hints at the scale of renewal. Ten changes at half-time, with only Joe Cole remaining on the pitch. He's not so much shuffled the pack as replaced it with a copy of the Yellow Pages.

Half-time: A fairly uninspiring first half from England and it is unlikely any player has enhanced their prospects of making the team to face the United States on Saturday. England are clearly struggling with the heat, the altitude and the ball and after a great start they have been lethargic and sloppy, much to the chagrin of Fabio Capello on the touchline. The most notable aspect of the first half has been the din made by the Vuvuzela horns blasting from the supporters.

15.32: Glen Johnson intercepts a pass and bursts down the right flank and then into the box but his shot flies straight into the torso of the goalkeeper and is cleared.

15.30: Jermain Defoe has a half chance but his attempted lob barely went higher than the goalkeeper's knee. This is a practice game, and the pace of the game reflects that. The Stars have kept to their promise not to clatter into England, although Wright-Phillips seems to have picked up a knock. Like the Mexico and Japan games, it is not exactly encouraging stuff from Fabio Capello's men.

15.20: England misplace a number of passes, sloppy stuff after a good start. It is very hot in South Africa today apparantly and England seem to be suffering in the heat and the altitude. Having said that, they have been the better team, as you would expect.

15.07: PENALTY!

The Stars miss a great chance to equalise after Glen Johnson is adjudged to have tripped the Platinum Stars striker in the area, but Bradley Groblar blazes his penalty high over the bar. Probably justice, as it was never a penalty.

15.03: Platinum Stars 0 England 1

England take the lead in the third minute when Shaun Wright-Phillips plays the ball behind the Stars' defence to Steven Gerrard, who cuts the ball back to Jermain Defoe in the six-yard box and he finishes easily.

Team news: Capello had previously stated that his starting XI for today's the match against the South African league team would likely be his first-choice side for the World Cup opener against the United States, but with Rooney only on the bench it appears the Italian has decided to experiment.

That allows Capello the chance to make some last-minute checks on a number of players, including Joe Hart who starts in place of Rob Green in goal.

Ledley King get the chance to impress at the centre of defence with John Terry, while Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips will hope to press his case for inclusion in the England team to face the United States. Joe Cole plays on the left flank.

In place of Rooney, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe will resume their Tottenham partnership up front, while Steven Gerrard will captain the side.

England team: Hart, Johnson, King, Terry, Cole, SWP, Gerrard, Lampard, J Cole, Crouch, Defoe.

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