England go 2-0 up against Australia
There was a time when a sportsman representing England would regard a rendition of Bread Of Heaven in Cardiff as a rallying call to the opposition.
There was a time, last summer to be precise, when a dominant position for England in a one-day international series with Australia was a fanciful thought. How times change.
Cardiff’s Swalec Stadium has already cemented its position as an international arena for the England cricket team and that team took another step to cementing its position in the NatWest series with a four-wicket victory over Australia to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
As in the first match of the series Australia won the toss and elected to bat and again they also failed to capitalise on a sound start. This time it was a half-century partnership by Shane Watson and Tim Paine, which was achieved in just the ninth over.
But once Paine fell, as Stuart Broad’s 100th ODI wicket for 16, the momentum was already shifting in England’s favour. The Nottinghamshire bowler (pictured) – who finished the innings with figures of 4-44 on his 24th birthday - quickly added the wickets of Ricky Ponting (13) and Michael Clarke (one) for the cost of 12 just runs.
Watson’s resistance lasted until he skied a fairly simple catch for Craig Kieswetter off Luke Wright for 57, to be followed by Mike Hussey for 14 after which it was left to Cameron White, 86 not out, to carve out an innings of patience rather then his more natural exuberance as he steadied the middle of the innings for Australia.
He was assisted for the final run charge by Steven Smith and the pair upped the pace in a vital sixth-wicket stand of 84 until Smith fell (41) to a leading edge to cover off Broad. White himself escaped a run-out scare on 57 and helped his team to a valuable 70 from the last 10 overs to give Australia something to bowl at with 239-7.
They got the early breakthrough they needed when Kieswetter was caught by Paine, off a delivery by Doug Bollinger, for eight and the next two wickets gave the fielding side some measure of hope. Keven Pietersen fell victim to a smart catch at mid-wicket by Ponting in the 15th over and then England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, was caught and bowled by his nemesis Nathan Hauritz, for the sixth time, five overs later.
That brought Eoin Morgan, the architect of the victory at Rose Bowl, to the crease who added to his growing reputation with a half-century. He made a slightly tentative start but, with Paul Collingwood at the other end, Morgan quickly pulled matters around. The pair clocked up the 50 partnership in just 65 deliveries as Ponting found himself largely impotent in being able to exert any meaningful pressure with his bowling attack.
Collingwod, a man who readily submerges personal aggrandisement in the pursuit of team success, passed the 4,677 runs that had made Alec Stewart England’s most prolific one-day international batsman. As ever Collingwood played down his moment in the spotlight. “It was a big surprise when they announced it in the middle,” he said. “I think it was even more of a surprise to the Australians. I didn’t realise that I was anywhere near it to be honest. I don’t know whether it’s a good or a bad thing. I think it just proves that I’m getting old.”
There was barley a flicker of recognition from Collingwood as he and Morgan concentrated on the job of whittling away at the total.
But then Collingwood was bowled, dragging the ball onto his stumps off a delivery from Bollinger, for 48 and Wright was out for 10 to Hopes. In the 40th over Bollinger claimed the wicket of Morgan – 52 from 64 balls – and Ponting scented blood.
Time was when it could have heralded a collapse, but England bat deep these days. Tim Bresnan (12) and Graeme Swann (19) saw the team through to victory.
Swan provided the final flourish with a six to give England plenty of confidence heading into the third match of the series at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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