Posts and words Comments
Loading ...
By Will 5 years ago, mid-June Add your comment below
After yesterday’s drama, Australia had been expected to bounce back emphatically. Merely in terms of the table, in this competition, they had to win today – but it was their confidence that needed a victory more than anything. Yet they lost a winning position to one man, who did enough to all but book himself in for 5 Tests against the mighty champions. Kevin Pietersen was a man gone beserk today.
Apparently, the Aussies’ day hadn’t started well – they arrived just 30 minutes before play was due to start and, at 63-4, I was starting to wonder whether Ponting’s decision to bat had been made without properly considering the pitch. Those four wickets all fell to Harmison:
1-57 (Gilchrist, 11.1 ov), 2-57 (Ponting, 11.2 ov), 3-57 (Martyn, 11.4 ov), 4-63 (Hayden, 15.3 ov)
He looked strong, fast and accurate but still (pleasing for England) a little short of his lethal best – and to take 5-33 from 10 overs, on a flat pitch, shows the bloke’s confidence has now returned. But Ponting’s decision to bat proved a good one – Hussey, in particular, and Clarke put on a brilliant hundred partnership. Lots of very quick singles, and well placed fours took up the middling overs: even when Hussey was out (220-6), Australia were expected to reach at least 260 and possibly even 275.
England had fought back well to restrict them to 252-9 – and were expected to knock them off relatively easily. Initially, McGrath and – in particular Gillespie – were bowling complete tripe: no-balls, wides: I think Gillespie’s first over (2nd of the innings) lasted 9 balls. “Walk in the park, this” I thought. McGrath, despite the shock of no-balling, bowled Trescothick with the best yorker of the game – and his celebration demonstrated how much it meant to him, tinged with some relief perhaps that he’d got his team going.
The rest of England’s innings never really got going. They got bogged down in the middle overs and kept losing wickets. Vaughan and Pietersen fiddled around, not making much progress – and when Vaughan was dismissed (35th over), the required run rate was up to 7. It was Solanki who provided Pietersen with someone willing to take the bowlers on. They both put on 54 – Solanki only providing 13 – in (I think) 28 balls. Pietersen had smashed Kasprowicz and Hogg for six then started tucking into Shane Watson.
Watson didn’t like this much, and there was much f****** and worse from both of them – great entertainment, and it was at this stage that Pietersen was “in the zone” (hate that bloody expression, but I can’t think of anything else). He was chuntering to himself like a madman – and when Solanki was out, the RRR was down to 5.57: but the tail was in.
Gillespie was the threat, and here’s what happened (Cricinfo):
| 
End of over 43 (9 runs) England 214/7 (RR: 4.98 RRR: 39/7 = 5.57)
SR Watson 9-0-38-0 - Pavilion End
KP Pietersen 60* (50b 5x4 2x6) J Lewis 0* (2b)
Everyone want to know if Pietersen can take his side home
Gillespie called in and has had a tough match so far
43.1 Gillespie to Pietersen, no run, defends a yorker right back
43.2 Gillespie to Pietersen, FOUR, Shot and a half! Drive all along the
ground powerfully enough to beat the dive at the rope
43.3 Gillespie to Pietersen, SIX, does a waltz on the crease; Gillespie
fooled into a 'length ball; that soars halfway into the midwicket
stand, monstrous hit
Gillespie isn’t hit for six much, in any form of cricket! Mayhem was about to begin – if it hadn’t already. Jon Lewis (“never knowingly underbowled”) was keeping out McGrath at the other end – who was the only Australia spared Pietersen’s wrath – and it was down to Gillespie to try again. With 23 needed from 5 overs, the game was England’s for the taking. Ponting still refused to have a slip and attack Lewis, who jogged through to get Pietersen on strike. The next 5 balls were monstrous: he hit him out the ground with a six and then took two more fours at the end of the over. The first four was particularly eye-catching, as Ponting had (I think) 3 on the extra-cover boundary: he’d bisected all of them.
17 taken off Gillespie, who was genuinely dumfounded. Although I haven’t seen his entire career, I’ve seen most of it – but never have I seen him look so distraught. He didn’t know what to do – 10 overs, nought for 66. He didn’t even shake his head, McGrath-like – this was brutality no one had seen for years.
An extraordinary innings to end a brilliant game of cricket. It wasn’t quite “victory from the jaws of defeat,” but Australia will wonder just how their world-beating bowling attack were reduced to smithereens…by one man, in 65 balls.
Tags: australia, brilliant, carnage, destruction, england, jason-gillespie, kevin-pietersen, kevin-pieterson, ODI, the-ashes |
Just taking a look at the records (yes, I know it’s tempting fate), and Pietersen’s currently well on course to smash the fastest to 1000 record. He currently has 650ish from 10 innings, and Viv Richards is the current record holder, doing it in his 21st innings.
You wait years for an England batsman to have an incredible start in international cricket, and then three come along at once.
King Richard’s record is certainly under threat!
When strauss, geraint jones started scoring, i was highly skeptical abt them and expected them to start failing sooner or later..but they certainly have done everything but that!…and then came KP…. its happy hour for english cricket….ponting…are u listening??
The Aussies are getting a taste of their own medicine. More than once, they have blown away sides with their hard-hitting, and not losing their nerves inspite of losing wickets. But thats the best way to play them; you need to take the game to them to the point of arrogance and they usually crack! This looks like a good buildup for the Ashes…a competitive one for a change, if nothing else!
Usually Australia do not lose four games in a season. Now it is four in a week.
Too old, slow, past it, disharmony… no, I’m not talking about the Australian one-day team, I’m confessing about myself. There was a time when I could stay up till 3am…
Thanks goodness Ashley Giles is fit. Thanks, Vikram, don’t call us, we’ll call you. And give Chris Tremlett a game against the Bangles… cor, it’s easy this selecting lark 
I still think that the Ashes could well turn on which side stays fit(ter) – Flintoff, Gilchrist, Harmison, McGrath and Warne are pretty irreplaceable.
So who do you leave out to shoehorm Pietersen into the test team? I never thought that question would need asking about England.
Exactly what I was thinking.
Chris. I still think Pietersen needs another few scores in this tournament – and even then, the risk of playing him instead of Thorpe (for they can’t drop Bell) is quite a big one. But they’ll have to, if (if if if) he continues to score freely and dominate opposition bowlers. Sad for Thorpe, but his time is nigh.
Chris asked So who do you leave out to shoehorm Pietersen into the test team?
I suspect Duncan Fletcher’s answer would be: whoever in the top 5 picks up an injury first…
Thorpe is most likely to pick up an injury, with his dodgy back and age against him.
Solanki, 13 runs in 14 balls. (bbc)
« England and Kevin Pietersen ruin Australia | Main | Pavilion Clock »
The Corridor (a cricket blog) is proudly powered by WordPress
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS)
The Corridor (a cricket blog) All content © 2004-2010 Will Luke. All Rights Reserved.
None of the views or opinions offered on this site reflect those of my employers, Cricinfo Ltd and ESPN International
