England’s skipper Andrew Strauss has been flying by the seat of his pants throughout the World Cup, on the sub-continent. None more so than overnight, when England somehow managed to scrape home by 18 runs over the West Indies in Chennai.
But flying by the seat of his pants is a whole lot better than flying home early.
In a game England had to win to stay alive, Strauss won the toss and batted on a wicket made for run-getting.
At 6-160, England was in real trouble, but tailenders Luke Wright (44), and Tim Bresnan (20*) lifted the Three Lions to 243.
England was in big trouble again when Chris Gayle blasted 43 off 27 and skipper Darren Sammy (41/45) had the Windies cruising, especially at 6-221, when the experienced Ramnaresh Sarwan and another blaster in Andre Russell were together.
But in quick succession, 6-221 became 7-222, 8-223, 9-223, and all out 225 – Strauss using his get out of gaol card.
World Cup debutant James Tredwell’s offies sent Russell packing, champion offie Graeme Swann dismissed Sarwan and Kemar Roach in three deliveries in his final over, and Jonathan Trott’s bullet arm ran out Sulieman Benn from the deep, going for a second run.
Flying by the seat of his pants alright, as Strauss told former England captain Nasser Hussain on Fox: “I’ve got a smile on my face at last”.
And with very good reason after England had beaten South Africa, the Netherlands, and the Windies, tied with India, but lost to minnows Ireland, and Bangladesh.
In the earlier games:
* Defending a lowly 171, England beat the formitable South Africans by 6 runs.
* Made hard work of beating the Dutch by 6 wickets, with only 8 balls remaining.
* Tied at 338 with India, thanks to a Swann single off the last ball of the game.
* Lost to Ireland by 3 wickets with 5 balls remaining, dominated by Kevin O’Brien’s innings of the tournament 113 off 123, with 13 fours, and 6 sixes.
* And lost to Bangladesh by 2 wickets with 6 balls remaining.
All five games were nail-biters.
The Group B table has South Africa on top with 8 points, India and England are on 7, the Windies and Bangladesh on 6.
Now it’s a nail-biting wait for Strauss’ men, depending on the South Africa-Bangladesh game, and the Windies-India clash.
If South Africa win, England are in the quarters, but if Bangladesh and the Windies win, England’s on the next plane home.
If the Windies and Bangladesh both lose, the Windies will qualify in fourth place, with a far better Net Run Rate: plus 1.65 to minus 0.76.
That being the case, and Australia beat Pakistan tomorrow to top Group A, the Aussies well meet the Windies in the quarters, a mighty dangerous sudden-death – and a first-up face-to-face with a new leggie on the international block, the 25-year-old from Guyana, Devendra Bishoo.
Last night on debut, he mesmerised England’s top batsmen, capturing 3-34 off his 10, with 10 of those runs off his ninth over.
His scalps – Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan, and top-scorer Luke Wright – came with the full bottle of deliveries: leggies, wrong ‘uns, and toppies, with deadly accuracy apart from that ninth over, that included the only two boundaries he allowed in 60 deliveries.
An impressive start, which was trumpeted by his team-mates, who knew of his 21 first-class games netting 86 wickets at 27.31 that included 10 in a match, five wickets in an innings five times, and four wickets four times.
This young bloke can bowl and will be vital to the Windies’ chances of firstly qualifying, and progressing further.
Devendra Bishoo will be a handful for the Australians, if that’s the way the quarters pan out.
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