Wherever Pakistan go, they are followed by this cliche of them as an unpredictable team. Certainly England would have expected to win this match, having just beaten them 4-0 in the series before the World Cup and then watching their batting line up crumble in their opening match against the West Indies. It had been Pakistan's eleventh straight defeat in ODIs. So really, all the signs before the match pointed England's way. But I think the thing with Pakistan really is that they can often just be slow starters in tournaments. Certainly they're a team with a lot more talent than the eleven defeats would suggest, and that streak had to end at some point. Unfortunately for England, that day was today. Pakistan had been many people's tips for a semi-final place before the tournament began, predictions that were hastily revised after their first match but will probably be hastily revised now again.
Where England's fielding was so excellent last Thursday, it wasn't so hot today. It's not to say they didn't have their moments - good catches did come in the deep from Woakes and Bairstow - but there were many more moments that seemed to stand out as opportunities for runs to be saved, a far cry from match one where it felt like nothing would get past them. There were overthrows, a dropped high skyer from Roy, and other moments where their ground fielding was lacking. Not many matches in this cup have yet been decided by fine margins - but this one was, and so these were moments England were made to rue.
England scored two centuries, by Root and Buttler, but still couldn't get over the line today. There aren't many times that will happen, so it's a big credit to Pakistan and their bowlers that they were able to contain them enough, and prevent that final acceleration that has so often taken England to their best scores. It was especially pleasing to see the bowling of Shadab Khan, returning to the side after missing the previous ODI series with illness and taking two wickets - and unluckily missing out on a third with a dropped catch/stumping chance. Two more men who missed that ODI series, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz (the latter returning from a two year absence), also shared five wickets between them - four crucially coming at the death.
It was a time ripe for a lower order cameo or two. Four wickets fell in the first 22 overs, so something would likely be needed even with Root and Buttler making it to three figures. Chris Woakes did chip in, his 21 runs coming from 14 balls. It would have been a great opportunity though for Moeen Ali, once England's opener, now coming in at number seven, but whose form has lately been a concern. He hasn't really made many meaningful knocks for a while now, and the talk of the strength of England's lower order doesn't always feel so true. I'd love to see Moeen in the runs again, he's one of those wonderfully likeable players both in terms of character and in that effortless style he exudes when he's doing well. Even with his three wickets today though I worry that he might be one looking over his shoulder when the tournament ends.
So England were defeated, Pakistan deservedly victorious. In this long round robin format, it won't cause England too much concern - over nine matches you would still expect them to come first or second. They remain a brilliant batting side, coming close to pulling off a World Cup record chase - and the sort of chase we've seen them make before. But they can't chase it down every time, and need to tighten up again to not give themselves so much work to do.
England, match two: Pakistan win by 14 runs
The ramblings of an ever suffering but ever optimistic follower of English cricket.
Monday 3 June 2019
Thursday 30 May 2019
World Cup takeaways #1: England v South Africa
Thursday 30 May 2019
So today is the day! The day it all begins! Four years ago England crashed out of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, after a string of performances best described as, well, dismal. And now here they are, favourites to win the thing this time round. To part of me it doesn't all seem quite real.
So here are some thoughts on their very first match, some takeaways from the day...
England didn't go into this tournament changing their plans at the last minute. Sure, Archer came in late on, and there was the switch between Dawson and Denly, but it's not felt like a sign of panic - more an extra opportunity to improve. In the past it's often felt more of a question of 'well who do we pick?' rather than 'who do we leave out?'. In 2015 England brought Gary Ballance into the team for the first match, for some reason moving James Taylor down the order after he'd looked a good man for the role. They chopped and changed when things got a bit desperate, and were at no stage convincing. This time around, it's only really injury that will change that top six/seven, with maybe the odd switch around according to the match situation. With the bowlers, there's a chance for rotation and rest, and a bit of positive competition for places.
In the past, an opener getting a golden duck to only the second ball of the tournament may have been cause for panic. Today Roy and Root just got on with the job. It might not have been quite as explosive as we've seen recently for England, but it was what they needed to do. Roy, Root, Morgan, and Stokes all went past fifty, Stokes topping the lot with 89 from 79. The pundits kept saying how England should have got more, and sure, maybe they should. But it was a measure of England's recent success that a score of 311 felt that way.
Then it was Archer. The latecomer to the squad, the man whose detractors seemed to think would disrupt the team (he hardly seems the type, does he?). I think those worries will have gone now. He was bowling fast, picking up two wickets in the first ten and also delivering a nasty bouncer into the helmet of Amla (he was later cleared to resume his innings). He grabbed a third, of van der Dussen after a fifty, at a point when the slide had begun for South Africa, triggered by Plunkett's dismissal of de Kock. Archer might only have played four matches now for England, but he's already become the guy that you turn to for a breakthrough.
Ben Stokes took a catch. If you look at the scorecard, that's all you'll see, just a c Stokes b Rashid. No further comment. Oh, but what a catch. To make a comment means having to find the words. It was going over his head, he was diving towards the boundary, one handed in the air. It was going for six, wasn't it? What an absolute freak of nature, being able to take a catch like that. It's not even the first blinder he's taken for England. It was the highlight of an excellent fielding display, with Jason Roy a man nothing was getting past either.
Stokes then took two wickets in two balls to finish off the match, because who else would it be today. If we go back to 2015 one last time, Stokes had a shocker in the months before and didn't even make the squad - probably making him a rare England player to come back with some credit. So this was his entry to World Cup cricket. His presence has already been felt.
England, match one: England win by 104 runs
So here are some thoughts on their very first match, some takeaways from the day...
England didn't go into this tournament changing their plans at the last minute. Sure, Archer came in late on, and there was the switch between Dawson and Denly, but it's not felt like a sign of panic - more an extra opportunity to improve. In the past it's often felt more of a question of 'well who do we pick?' rather than 'who do we leave out?'. In 2015 England brought Gary Ballance into the team for the first match, for some reason moving James Taylor down the order after he'd looked a good man for the role. They chopped and changed when things got a bit desperate, and were at no stage convincing. This time around, it's only really injury that will change that top six/seven, with maybe the odd switch around according to the match situation. With the bowlers, there's a chance for rotation and rest, and a bit of positive competition for places.
In the past, an opener getting a golden duck to only the second ball of the tournament may have been cause for panic. Today Roy and Root just got on with the job. It might not have been quite as explosive as we've seen recently for England, but it was what they needed to do. Roy, Root, Morgan, and Stokes all went past fifty, Stokes topping the lot with 89 from 79. The pundits kept saying how England should have got more, and sure, maybe they should. But it was a measure of England's recent success that a score of 311 felt that way.
Then it was Archer. The latecomer to the squad, the man whose detractors seemed to think would disrupt the team (he hardly seems the type, does he?). I think those worries will have gone now. He was bowling fast, picking up two wickets in the first ten and also delivering a nasty bouncer into the helmet of Amla (he was later cleared to resume his innings). He grabbed a third, of van der Dussen after a fifty, at a point when the slide had begun for South Africa, triggered by Plunkett's dismissal of de Kock. Archer might only have played four matches now for England, but he's already become the guy that you turn to for a breakthrough.
Ben Stokes took a catch. If you look at the scorecard, that's all you'll see, just a c Stokes b Rashid. No further comment. Oh, but what a catch. To make a comment means having to find the words. It was going over his head, he was diving towards the boundary, one handed in the air. It was going for six, wasn't it? What an absolute freak of nature, being able to take a catch like that. It's not even the first blinder he's taken for England. It was the highlight of an excellent fielding display, with Jason Roy a man nothing was getting past either.
Stokes then took two wickets in two balls to finish off the match, because who else would it be today. If we go back to 2015 one last time, Stokes had a shocker in the months before and didn't even make the squad - probably making him a rare England player to come back with some credit. So this was his entry to World Cup cricket. His presence has already been felt.
England, match one: England win by 104 runs
