Cricket World Cup – England’s chance to write history
“When a man knows he is to be hanged in the morning,” said Dr Johnson, “it concentrates his mind wonderfully”. Quite so. England were in the condemned cell when I wrote about the World Cup on June 28th. They had lost their last two matches, and now had to beat New Zealand and India in order to reach the semi-final. The semi-final is known as the knock-out stage of the tournament, but each of these games was a knock-out one. Lose either, and four years of preparation, team-building and success would be judged to have been in vain. Minds certainly had to be concentrated, and it’s a tribute to them all, but especially to the captain Eoin Morgan that they were indeed concentrated as never before.
Happily for my own self-esteem, I didn’t then write them off. Predictions, which are premature judgements, often leave the predictor with words to eat. England came through these two games in style. There was the odd bit of luck of course, but then there always is. The difference between “out” and “not out” may be as small as a hair’s breadth. Be that as it may, they won both matches and were out of the condemned cell.
Somewhat to their surprise perhaps, their semi-final opponent was Australia, who had lost their last Round Robin match to South Africa. Moreover, New Zealand then went onto win their semi-final against India, a result that many found more than surprising.
So to Edgbaston on Thursday. Australia had been very good and had already beaten England in the first of the matches which put England in the condemned cell. But they had stuttered a bit since. Their middle order was known to be shaky, and they had now lost their number 3 batsman, Usman Khawaja, to injury. In contrast England were at full strength and Jason Roy had been in his most explosive form since his return from injury. The last two vital victories had been based on the tremendous opening partnership of Roy and Jonny Bairstow. But Australia had the tournament’s most successful bowler, the alarmingly talented Mitchell Starc, and in the earlier match England had been in trouble against Starc’s opening partner, the little-known fast-medium Jason Behrendorff. So our optimism was tempered by uncertainty as it almost always is when we play Australia, more than uncertainty indeed: apprehension.
This was scarcely allayed by the news that the Australian captain Aaron Finch had won the toss and chosen to bat. England, we were all now certain, are more comfortable setting a target than chasing one while Finch and his opening partner David Warner have been in terrific form. A long anxious day seemed in prospect.
Fears were soon dissipated, anxiety allayed. There is one reason why this World Cup has been so good. In most matches there has been a fair contest between bat and ball. Bowlers have only occasionally been sacrificial lambs as in so many ODIs.
The first ten overs of an ODI are vital. New Zealand had beaten India primarily because they took three quick wickets for next to nothing. Now England did just that to Australia, Jofra Archer having Finch lbw first ball, Chris Woakes disposing of David Warner and Peter Handscomb. It would be too much to say the match was decided in the first thirty balls, but it was as near as dammit. Australia were 14-3, engaged in a rear-guard action before late-comers in the crowd were settled in their seats.
Of course there was still Steve Smith, former captain, scourge so often of England, a batsman whose style is all his own, not to be found in any text-book. His career has been remarkable. He first came to England as a fresh-faced wrist-spinner who batted a little, not very well. Indeed that sagest of analysts, Geoffrey Boycott, said he would never make a Test match batsman batting like that. For once Sir Geoffrey was dead wrong. Smith is one of the half-dozen best in the world. Moreover, he has courage and resolution. Now he had to apply himself to a rescue act, knowing that if he got out, Australia would be lucky to reach a defensible total. Happily, for him, he found a partner in the wicket-keeper Alex Carey. Gradually they salvaged the innings.
Then came a turning-point. At 117 for 3 Australia were heading towards a challenging score. At this point Adil Rashid had bowled five or six overs without success. Many captains would have said, “that’s enough”. Not Eoin Morgan. He trusted his wrist-spinner. Rashid tempted Carey into a wild slog, and had him caught in the deep. Then he baffled Marcus Stoinis with a googly and after Jofra Archer had ended Glenn Maxwell’s brief flurry, had Pat Cummins caught at slip off another wrong ‘un.
Smith soldiered bravely on. It took a brilliant bit of fielding from wicket-keeper Jos Buttler to run him out for 85. The English crowds don’t like Smith, not even before the ball-tampering affair in South Africa. That was certainly shabby, but booing Smith and his fellow conspirator David Warner is equally shabby. I hope they desist when it comes to The Ashes, and treat these two great batsmen with the respect their play deserves.
223 was never – surely? – going to be enough. Roy and Bairstow set about their business as if 400 wouldn’t have been beyond them, and did so without taking risks. After 10 overs England were 50-0. At one point Starc was going for 10 an over. When, desperately seeking to buy a wicket, Finch asked Smith to have a go with his leg-spinners, Roy hit him for three sixes. A spectator high-up in the stand may have caught one of these mighty blows. Bairstow fell, turning for a second run, needed treatment and was soon after out, lbw. Joe Root came in and promptly hit three boundaries. Roy was out to a very poor decision, but Morgan and Root made the 80 or so runs needed at better than a run a ball without a moment’s anxiety.
It was all extraordinary, euphoric.
But the four years of repairs and development since the last World Cup have still to reach a conclusion. New Zealand stand in the way, and only a fool would say they offer anything but a stiff challenge. They may not be favourites as the All Blacks are favourites to retain Rugby’s World Cup, but they are a very good team. Their batting may be a little thin, but their captain, the never ruffled Kane Williamson, is a great batsman, even more important to New Zealand than Joe Root is to England. Moreover, they have a very good attack: Trent Boult is in Mitchell Starc’s class as a fast left-hander, and he is very well backed up by Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson. The disappointment of their tournament has been the opener, Martin Guptill. He has scarcely made a run, but, on his day, can be as destructive as – well – Jason Roy. If Sunday should at last be his day, well…
England will be unchanged, assuming Jonny Bairstow is fit. It will be sad if he isn’t because he has played such a big part in getting England to the final. I would guess that with his speed on the boundary, he probably saves 10 or 12 runs an innings, by turning fours into twos. That sort of thing makes a difference in a close match.
Let us hope the sun shines on Lord’s and on Morgan’s men. Sunday may be the best day for English cricket since – well, take your pick of past triumphs. They have a chance to do something that not even Ian Botham ever did. Or Kevin Pietersen, come to that.