The new dawn is upon us, whether we like it or not. England take on New Zealand at Old Trafford tonight and, to all intents and purposes, will have one eye firmly fixed on the lure of Allen Stanford’s millions.
I’ll be on a train while it’s all going on, but in the meantime, be sure to check out our commentary and leave your thoughts in the comments below. Welcome to the new, bonkers world.
Hard to tell whether England played really well or it’s just that New Zealand is not good at 20/20.
The best news from the match is that Bell seems to have regained some batting form. I’m not sure he’s really a good 20/20 batsman, but the low target set by the Kiwis allowed him to bat at more of a Pro-40 pace.
Bell’s innings wasn’t a slog if that is what you mean. He played some beautiful strokes and yet managed to take 60* off 46 balls. He didn’t have time to worry about his form. If you edge the first ball you just get on with it. Good mental practice for him. Bell is always vulnerable when he first goes in. Then he starts carving them away if he’s in form. This innings was like a mini-version of his Napier 110. Fast and gorgeous.