England vs. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 ODI Series: English on a high
England has continued with their winning ways against a beleaguered Pakistan side with a 2-0 whitewash in the T20 series following their annihilation in the Test series. England’s victory over Pakistan in the second T20 international match at Cardiff was their seventh win in a row. As a result, England has now equalled Pakistan and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757’s record of seven consecutive T20 victories.
England, who is the current world champions in the shortest format of the game, truly played like champions in both the matches against Pakistan. In the first T20 match, England did not allow Pakistan to get away with the early momentum. Pakistan started well, and were sitting pretty at 48/1 in just 6 overs. Pakistan had to struggle for runs due to the probing line and spin of Swann and Yardy. England’s death over bowling was fantastic as Umar Akmal and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 in the late order could not score brisk runs. Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad used their variations to trouble all Pakistani batsmen.
The second T20 match was even worse from Pakistan’s perspective. Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad struck in their first two overs twice which nearly summed up Pakistan’s miserable tour to England. The batsmen failed to play the short balls, which was the undoing of the Pakistan top order batsman. Both used the short balls to perfection as Pakistan struggled at 22/4 with 5 overs bowled. The spin combination of Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy made inroads once again. Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan came back to haunt Pakistan once again, making sure that Pakistan crashed to its worst ever total of 89 runs in T20 international cricket.
This has been one of England’s best T20 and ODI side ever who haven’t lost a T20 or an ODI series in quite some time now. They last lost a T20 match in the World T20 Championships against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
Andy Flower, the former Zimbabwean test player and coach of the English side, has done a great job with this team. They are playing well as a unit while the discipline in the side is excellent. Their planning and execution is worth watching which is evident from their triumph in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean which was solely a master craft of Andy Flower’s coaching.
Graeme Swann is the most improved cricketer in the world right now. He showed signs of his brilliance in England’s tour to South African tour where he took 21 wickets in 4 test matches at an average of 31 runs. He has never looked back since then as he has gone on to collect 51 wickets in just 10 test matches at an impressive average of 23. Limited overs cricket hasn't been difficult for him to adjust to either with 17 wickets to his name in 9 matches at an impressive average of 18. He has been England’s leading wicket taker in all forms of the game.
Michael Yardy has found a solid partnership with Swann. The spin twins stamp their authority in the middle overs, and break the momentum of the opposition. Yardy, with his left arm spin has been penetrative and is handy with the bat as well. His 35 runs came off 25 balls in the first T20 match was ample proof of his batting abilities.
Eoin Morgan on the other hand has easily become the man of crisis for England. He has shaped up well as a finisher which England was searching for quite a number of years. Give him any tough situation or condition and Morgan has the ability to leave the pitch with an England win.
Luke Wright and Tim Bresnan, the two all-rounders, make England all the more dangerous. Tim Bresnan with his measured bowling can be a silent killer along with his more than useful batting abilities. With an average of 29 in ODIs and 41 in test cricket, Bresnan is a good enough batsman who can score brisk runs. Luke Wright can bowl some handy overs as well and can chip in with some wickets with his medium pacers. Luke Wright can easily provide a quick fire 40 or 50 which can take away the match from the opposition within no time.
Stuart Broad has developed himself as a quality T20 and ODI bowler. He uses his slower bouncers and deceptive Yorkers to perfection. He has been England’s best bowler in the death overs in the last one year or so. Broad displayed his batting prowess at Lord’s in the 2nd test match against Pakistan where he made a match winning 169.
While adding to their depth, it is England’s best fielding side. There is hardly any poor fielder in the side. Whenever and wherever a batsman plays a short, the anticipation is that the English fielder will save a run or two.
Considering the current form of the English side in limited overs cricket, a whitewash against Pakistan is on the cards.
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