Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
England’s Champions Trophy bid seems doomed before it starts
England qualified for three of the first five World Cup finals and should have emerged with at least one trophy.
Yet their last appearance came in 1992 and they are now the only member of the top eight test-playing countries who have never won a major one-day title.
Their latest bid seems doomed before it starts. England lost a meaningless one-day series 6-1 to Australia on Sunday and caught a flight to South Africa for the Champions Trophy the following day.
Asked about his team’s prospects in South Africa with such a quick turnaround, captain Andrew Strauss muttered something about turning things around on the plane.
Turning the plane around might have been the better option although Strauss, at least, emerged from a dismal one-day series in credit after leading England to victory in the Ashes.
The mere fact, though, that Strauss was consistently England’s best batsman against Australia says everything about the current state of the international one-day team.
Ashes analysis: England bowlers bounce back in style
When England’s bowlers awoke this morning they would have had the sound of stinging criticism ringing in their ears following their poor performance on day one, but how they responded.
They ripped out nine Australian wickets for the cost of 137 runs as the tourists collapsed from 126 for one overnight to 263 all out, with England closing on 116 for two as bad light cut the day’s play short.
The tone was set for the day by a ferocious opening spell by Graham Onions who took wickets with his first two deliveries, crucially that of Shane Watson, unbeaten overnight on 62 and looking in imperious form.
Onions also took the wicket of Ricky Ponting but not before the Australian captain became his country’s leading run scorer in test cricket. Onions also took the final wicket of Australia’s first innings to finish with figures of 4 for 58.
All credit to Andrew Strauss, who has bounced back remarkably from a shaky first test at Cardiff, for opening the bowling this morning with Onions after the Durham man had been splayed about Edgbaston, going at seven runs an over, the night before.
Onions repaid his captain’s faith by bowling full and straight and got his just rewards.
Just why did England’s cricketers bat so badly?
England’s abject batting collapse against West Indies on Saturday, a 51 all out, was the third lowest total they have made in test matches and inevitably journalists search for an explanation for how Andrew Strauss’s side batted so badly.
I’m still searching and having read most of the attempts to explain, I’m not convinced that any of them, on their own, provide the answer .
The most obvious line for the press was that England were distracted by the recent row that saw Kevin Pietersen quit as captain and Peter Moores sacked as coach.
New skipper Strauss (pictured right) was wholly dismissive of the suggestion after the innings and 23 run defeat.
“I just can’t believe for one moment that in the middle, with Jerome Taylor bowling at you, that you are thinking about anything else,” he said.
I think he is almost certainly correct about that. (more…)
The untimely IPL auction and the temporary nature of Andy Flower’s coaching role are undoubtedly unwanted distractions for England, but lovers of the game should not despair at their spectacular capitulation.
Twenty years ago, outside the Caribbean the West Indies were everyone’s second favourite team, bringing dashing aggression and classical style to the art of batting and pace bowling.
For years we have bemoaned the increasing interest among Caribbean youngsters in soccer and the NBA, and the decline of West Indies cricket seemed in an unstoppable downward spiral.
But Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor and Sulieman Benn gave us a refreshing reminder of those halcyon days and even as an Englishman I found the test match absolutely terrific viewing.
England are a second rate test nation who seem to think two low-key warm-up matches is sufficient for a competitive four test series.
Only the consummate Pietersen is worthy of inclusion in a world team and it came as no surprise that Stuart Broad — the only England player committed enough to his country to distance himself from the IPL — turned in a good bowling performance.
Forget England, wouldn’t it be great if the West Indies were on the cusp of another period of world dominance?
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Resident Left Field Expert
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Wow, England are the first to qualify for the semis.