A direct Root to redemption
ACE HITS HIGHEST ONE-DAY SCORE AS ENGLAND BANISH MEMORIES OF WORLD CUP SHOCKER
SUCH has been the pace of progress in England’s white-ball cricket in the last two years, memories of the mauling at the hands of Bangladesh in the last World Cup had almost faded from view.
But if further evidence were needed that this team now reside in a very different place, it was provided emphatically at the Oval last night as Joe Root led England to a confident start to their Champions Trophy campaign.
Root’s highest score in a oneday match – an unbeaten 133 – was the anchor around which England built their statement of intent and it was fitting he finished the match with consecutive boundaries.
But there were also significant contributions from Alex Hales, who opened the tournament with 95, and the continued good form of captain Eoin Morgan, with 75 not out, which saw them over a line set by Bangladesh at 306. They reached the total with eight wickets and 16 balls still in the locker, in so doing posting the biggest run-chase in Champions Trophy history.
Given they are not the only ones to have made progress since the day in Adelaide when yesterday’s opposition showed up England’s approach to 50-overs cricket as something from the dark ages, that is not an accolade they are likely to hold at the end of this tournament.
But this was a chase in which they were rarely out of third gear, which bodes well for the rest of this event.
It was a first step that did not come pain-free, with an injury to Chris Woakes that seems likely to rule him out of the rest of the tournament and the continuing poor form of Jason Roy, who missed out on a golden opportunity on a flat deck, falling to a nervous ramp shot for just a single – his fifth single figure score in his last six ODIs.
Root, who shared a partnership of 159 with Hales before the latter holed out looking for a six to complete his own century, overcame a calf strain sustained by twisting his ankle when on 59.
Root insisted he was “fine” afterwards and certainly the way he coasted with increasing comfort to his highest ODI score, a century that lifted him level with his captain on 10 hundreds and just two behind Marcus Trescothick, was good news. Roy’s ongoing troubles will increase the clamour for Jonny Bairstow to be given a run but the team’s victory might keep the wolf from the door a little while yet.
A day that finished in a positive manner had got off to an ominous start when Woakes retired hurt after delivering just two overs. His pain on finishing his 12th ball was confirmed publicly when he buried his face in his shirt. This was followed swiftly with a signal to Morgan and he was done. Quite how long he will be out is unclear – he will have a scan today – but weeks rather than days would be usual for a side strain, which not only rules out the rest of this tournament but also puts the start of the South Africa series at the beginning of July in jeopardy. Woakes had missed the last two matches of the ODI series with a thigh strain and with
Ben Stokes expected to deliver fewer than his full complement following his sore knee, England covered themselves by picking Jake Ball and dropping Adil Rashid.
There was sense in the switch, given Bangladesh are more comfortable against spin but it proved to be only a qualified success with Ball taking some hammer – for the third time in seven ODIs topping the 80 mark in his 10 overs – but at least putting in a full shift and taking a wicket. Ball was not alone, though, with Stokes and Mark Wood not at their best. Luckily, Liam Plunkett was and his 4-59 was crucial in putting the brakes on the Bangladesh innings.
England will have to shuffle their bowling options before the next match against the Kiwis on Tuesday but Plunkett’s rich vein of form – he has taken three wickets or more in six of his last eight one day internationals – is a major plus.