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Loading ...Has Stuart Broad actually taken a wicket in ODIs if the match hasn’t concluded? Do any of the stats count when a game is called off and hasn’t reached the 25-over mark?
Saved by the rain
By Emma 2 years ago, at the end of August Leave a comment on this post
I always feel a bit cheated when a game I’ve been watching is washed out. However, I think the Pakistan team are probably a little more upset than I am that their innings was lost to rain. Barring the slight stutter at the loss of Shoaib Malik in the second over, handing Stuart Broad his first ODI wicket, the touring side looked more than comfortable in their seven overs of reply.
Again, a mixture of excellent, accurate bowling and poor shots had England’s innings tottering to a barely credible score from their 49.2 overs. Ian Bell, continuing his good form this summer and against Pakistan with his highest ever score in ODIs, had the only innings of note. Extras came third in the home team’s attempt to set a total, and before Darren Gough’s 18 from 16 deliveries, a score above 200 seemed unlikely.
It’s hard to take anything from Pakistan’s innings, except the sheer difference in attitude from their upper order. The Pakistani’s more positive approach could be seen with the naked eye, but statistics are even more damning. All three players who faced England’s bowling had strike rates above 70. Of England’s top order, only Bell managed this, with 12 of England’s 20 boundaries to his name.
So what now for England? After being completely outplayed by Pakistan this match, they are lucky to have been given a life. I can only hope that this prompts a change in attitude from England’s batsmen. I’m not holding my breath.
Tags: england, ian-bell, pakistan, pakistan-in-england |
4 Responses to “Saved by the rain”
August 30th, 2006 at 11.51 pm
August 31st, 2006 at 12.20 am
Interesting point… I think when it’s no result they count, just like in a drawn Test. But I’m far from sure.
August 31st, 2006 at 3.33 am
The stats count in this situation
September 2nd, 2006 at 12.01 pm
Bad news for Gough that the bowling stats count. His career is hanging by a thread.
England played poorly, but the conditions probably were a big factor. So they were saved by the conditions that put them in the predicament in the first place.
One issue I did not see discused here is whether it makes sense to have important day-night matches in th UK. I was there at Sophia Gardens, and it really wasn’t raining hard. When it was called off there was almost no rain at all, but they would have needed a helicopter to get the field dry. A half-hour of sunlight would have fixed things. Instead the ball was wet and the England fielders were slipping on the wet grass during their seven overs in the field.
If they had started the match at 10:30 it would have been a better contest and it would have achieved a result, probably the full 100 overs.
Oh, and by the way the facilities there were pretty poor. Before the weather turned bad there were enormous queues for everything, even while Bell was batting. During the rain delays I took a couple photos of the ground, like this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28391363@N00/231644361/in/set-72157594264609427/
I can understand why the venue’s selection for the 2009 Ashes was controversial. Cardiff is a fun city to visit, and the stadium is not far from city center, but the facilities in place now for a match of this scope are… well think Woodstock and you get the idea. On the plus side, they’ll have a new stadium soon. Hopefully the plans for the new stadium were not done by the folks who proposed this plan: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28391363@N00/231668402/
