England cavaliers are put to the sword
England broke another batting record in Southampton yesterday — and still lost the third one- day international to new Zealand with an over to spare.
a spate of dropped catches spoiled their chances, but it says much about the changing face of 50-over cricket that their total of 302 was greeted by a capacity crowd in Southampton with a strange sense of foreboding.
no matter that they had become the first England side to pass 300 in three successive one- day internationals. These days, such totals are no more than a basis for negotiation: the real deals are being done at 350.
and Eoin Morgan’s exciting young team, hard though they fought, are not yet the real deal. They will head to nottingham for Wednesday’s fourth game feeling chastened, but also a little wiser.
When new Zealand slipped to 36 for two, with left-armer david Willey trapping Martin guptill for two and Mark Wood removing Brendon McCullum for 11, England held hopes of a series lead.
But Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor looked all too comfortable as they put on 206 — a national record — for the third wicket.
Williamson made 118 from 113 balls and Taylor 110, two days after his unbeaten 119 at The Oval, as England’s raw attack plugged away hopefully.
Morgan said: ‘We fell down against two very experienced players. If we had got one of them early and opened up the middle order, it might have given us a chance.’
Chances did come. Taylor was dropped on 67 and 72 in successive overs from the lively Wood, first by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, then by Ben Stokes at short midwicket.
Wood then put down the easiest offering of the lot at mid- off to reprieve Williamson on 109.
With new Zealand making a meal of getting over the line, the drops took on a more damaging aspect. Having conceded more than 400 in the series opener at Edgbaston, the tourists have fought back superbly to take a 2-1 lead to Trent Bridge.
For England, this match was lost as much with the bat as with the ball or in the field. at 288 for five in the 42nd over, with Stokes and Sam Billings making merry, the sky was the limit.
Instead, the last five wickets tumbled for 14 in 23 balls as England were dismissed with 28 deliveries of their innings unused. If that looked careless, then it also embodied their new hell- for-leather philosophy. Right now, they are treating their bats like swords by which to live or die.
‘We’re trying to change our mindset with the bat, which may take time,’ said Morgan. ‘We’ve come a long way in the last three games and want the guys to continue — not worry about batting 50 overs.
‘We’re trying to get as much natural ability out of the new guys as we can. There’s no need to change things unless things go drastically wrong. They haven’t. They really enjoy playing the way they are.’
It’s true there was plenty to admire, even against a new Zealand side missing attack leader Trent Boult, ruled out of the series with a back complaint.
after openers Jason Roy and alex Hales both fell with the score on 34, Joe Root and Morgan put on 105. Morgan’s 71 took his series tally to 209 off 175 balls, backing up his contention that he tends to return from the IPl a better player.
When Stokes blasted his way to a 31-ball half-century, England were eyeing a thrilling follow-up to their 408 for nine at Edgbaston and 365 for nine at The Oval. But the demise of Billings for 34 off 16 balls sparked a flurry of wickets, the most damaging of which came when Stokes lost his leg stump trying to hit debutant left-arm seamer Ben Wheeler over the Shane Warne Stand. He had made 68 from 47 balls, and looked set for more.
Critics should be careful what they wish for. Before this series, England had not topped 300 in a home one-day international since 2010 against Bangladesh. Had they batted here with the inhibition that ruined their World Cup, they would not even have been in a position to contemplate a matchwinning total.
This is a young side and mistakes will be made. In new Zealand, they came up against an opponent good enough to exploit them.