Twenty20 victory for England

A small but not insignificant piece of history was played out before the assembled throng at The Rose Bowl, today when England and Australia clashed in only the second-ever international cricket match to be played under Twenty20 rules, and the first between the oldest protagonists in the game.

The Bouncy Castles were in evidence, but even without their attraction, the people of Hampshire and beyond would have packed the place to the rafters. This is Ashes year of course, with everyone as eager as ever to witness the first of many opportunities for the foes to test each other out.

Both sides sported a fair smattering of the players expected to take the field when the main event comes around in July, but one notable absentee from the Baggy Green today was the man who is proud to tread this ground regularly in his role of captain of Hampshire. Shane Warne has retired from one-day international cricket, eager to prolong his career as England’s tormentor-in-chief in the longer version of the game.

An England XI had played a warm-up at The Rose Bowl as recently as last Saturday, and today represented a further opportunity for Kevin Pietersen to throw his hat into the ring when bigger things come along. Another England man eager to impress was the evergreen Darren Gough who picked up a hat-trick on this ground at the weekend in a one-sided contest, although for him Ashes battles are now a thing of the past.

The weather was set fair with warm, wall-to-wall evening sunshine forecast when Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting contested the toss of the coin, which was duly won by the England skipper who had little hesitation in electing to bat first.

England, naming Gloucestershire’s Jon Lewis in their starting XI, continued the experiment of using Geraint Jones as a pinch-hitter at the top of the order, opening the batting with Marcus Trescothick. Australia included Michael Clarke, who picked up the wickets of Collingwood and Pietersen in a hat-trick of his own in a game played under Twenty20 rules last week.

Brett Lee started with one short and wide outside Trescothick’s off stump which the Somerset man left well alone, then a single nudged to leg opened his tally. Geraint Jones, meanwhile, was having difficulty laying bat to ball before a no-ball allowed Jones a free hit which he promptly despatched for a couple, despite Hussey’s catch at square leg.

Glenn McGrath shared the new ball, making scoring awkward for Trescothick as the England opening batsmen started cautiously. Lee dropped short and Trescothick steered the ball neatly past third man for the first boundary of the innings, then Jones pounced on a Lee half-volley, sending the ball past backward square leg for another four followed by another boundary which almost took the bowler’s head off.

Two extravagant pulls over midwicket off McGrath demonstrated that Geraint Jones was beginning to warm to his task, but McGrath got his man when Jones (19) tried to manufacture a shot over point, Kasprowicz taking the catch just inside the boundary.

England sent in Andrew Flintoff at three and he nudged a single before Trescothick blazed Lee, who was struggling for a good length, over cover for a boundary. An easy three for Flintoff meant that England had reached 43-1 at the end of the fifth over.

Kasprowicz took over from McGrath but Trescothick despatched him through extra cover for a sparkling boundary. The bowler came back well though, having the dangerous Flintoff caught by Symonds, mistiming a heave to leg with the total on 49, then Pietersen took the score to fifty off the last ball of the sixth over with a nurdle to leg.

Poor fielding by Clarke gifted Pietersen a boundary through the covers when Gillespie made his appearance into the attack before he turned his attention to Kasprowicz, stroking one to the extra cover boundary. Gillespie was launched for a huge six by Pietersen as England continued to prosper, moving to 93-2 at the end of the 10th over.

Michael Clarke became the fifth bowler to be used, and a half-volley was despatched by Trescothick to bring up the 50 partnership, but the bowler grabbed the prize wicket of Pietersen (34), caught in the deep by Matthew Hayden with the total on 100.

The introduction of Andrew Symonds accounted for England captain Michael Vaughan for a duck, tamely spooning the ball to midwicket. This brought Paul Collingwood to the crease as England looked in danger of frittering away their excellent start. As if on cue, Trescothick swept the seemingly innocuous Symonds straight to Hussey in the deep and was caught for an excellent 41.

Andrew Strauss started with a single and a reverse sweep for three before Collingwood pounced on a delivery from Clarke which was only marginally short, sending it over the ropes for a much-needed maximum. Symonds continued to keep things tight, conceding a mere 14 off his first 3 overs.

Gillespie proved more to Collingwood’s liking, a brace of wayward deliveries being struck for successive boundaries, the second one a six over midwicket. McGrath immediately but a brake on the scoring when he returned, going for just 7 off the 18th over as England progressed past 150.

Ricky Ponting persevered with the experienced Gillespie and the paceman rewarded him with the wicket of Andrew Strauss for 18. Collingwood, meanwhile, flayed boundaries through point and midwicket before an eventful final over saw McGrath belted for two boundaries in addition to picking up the scalps of Vikram Solanki and Paul Collingwood. The latter made a valuable contribution as he has done so often, on this occasion chipping in with a delightful 46 off 28 balls.

England’s total of 179-8 looked to be competitive, but after the mauling Trescothick and Pietersen had given them for a time, Australia, for whom Symonds and McGrath were the pick of the bowlers, would have been delighted to peg them back.

Australia, requiring 180 for victory, sent in the familiar one-day partnership of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden to face Darren Gough. Gilchrist crashed Gough’s second ball through point, then went to pull the final ball of the over but top-edged the ball in the vicinity of Strauss at third man, only for the Middlesex man to allow the ball past him for a boundary.

Jon Lewis’s first ball in international cricket was met in no uncertain terms by Hayden who simply creamed it over mid on for four, then Gilchrist repeated the treatment with a bit of a smear through midwicket as Australia moved on to 18 at the end of the second over.

Hayden nearly lost his wicket in careless fashion, backing up at the non-striker’s end, then Gough got rid of the dangerous Gilchrist. The opener skied one to Pietersen for 15 with the total on 23, then partner Hayden went in identical fashion to the same combination of bowler and fielder off the very next ball.

Andrew Symonds resisted the hat-trick ball but worse was to come for the visitors from the first delivery of Lewis’s second over, Clarke adjudged to have edged the ball through to wicketkeeper Jones. If there was doubt about that wicket, there was none whatsoever two balls later as Symonds clipped Lewis straight to Pietersen. Australia had lost four wickets in nine balls for the addition of a solitary run.

The hole Australia had dug for themselves at 24-4 soon became a chasm of 24-5 as Gough struck for a third time, this time having Hussey caught at slip by Flintoff, before Damien Martyn broke the spell, steering a boundary past third man.

Not to be outdone, Lewis picked up his third in the sixth over, and it was that of the Australian captain, scorer of an undefeated century in Twenty20 cricket against New Zealand recently. On this occasion, he could only drive the ball to Solanki for an ignominious duck.

Amazingly, Australia lost their 7th wicket with just 31 on the board as Martyn slapped a short one to Trescothick at slip for four to give Lewis, in dreamland, the amazing analysis of 4-14 from three overs.

Steve Harmison entered the fray and tried to tickle Brett Lee’s ribs, but the Australian speed merchant managed to snick the ball high over Jones for a much-needed boundary. Lewis and Gillespie ruined Lewis’s figures somewhat by plundering 10 off his final over, then turned their attention to Harmison. If victory was now less than likely, there were still points to score.

Gillespie hooked Harmison through midwicket for four, then the South Australian became his side’s top scorer with successive boundaries when Flintoff was introduced into the attack. At the halfway point, Australia were 65-7, relying on their bowlers to do what their batsmen had failed to achieve beforehand.

Collingwood was given a bowl and delivered the ball full and straight. Gillespie, eyeing a maximum, failed to get the ball right in the meat of the bat and only succeeded in holing out to Trescothick at deep mid on for a valiant 24 to leave his side on 68-8.

A succession of short-pitched balls from Flintoff registered painful hits on various parts of Brett Lee’s anatomy before he managed to get to what he would have perceived as the relative sanctuary of the other end. Softened up, he was food and drink for Collingwood. Lee, attempting to drive a ball of fuller length, could only heave the ball to the waiting Steve Harmison for a fighting 15 as Australia lost their ninth wicket with the total a paltry 72.

Glenn McGrath neatly played Collingwood away for three, then a single off the final ball of Flintoff’s third over took Australia on to 79 and in the process reduced the margin between the sides to 100. With no further addition to the score, Steve Harmison produced the perfect delivery to a number 11, knocking over McGrath’s castle with a devastating yorker.

It had been a tremendous performance by a rampant England, but let’s not go overboard. This game means little in the big picture, but for now Michael Vaughan’s men have deservedly won what bragging rights were at stake.

England 179-8 (Collingwood 46, Trescothick 41, McGrath 3-31)
beat
Australia 79 (Lewis 4-24, Gough 3-16)
by 100 runs