MORGAN’S MEN BLOW IT
Eoin Morgan had to summon up all his famed sangfroid after England threw away victory here in the third Twenty20 international.
needing a straightforward 44 off 34 balls with eight wickets in hand to take a 2-1 lead, they blew five wickets for 10 in 19 balls and lost by 14 runs. This was the kind of surrender that can leave a tour under a dark cloud.
Morgan’s philosophy here has been that of the wise old shepherd, guiding his young flock across pastures new in the expectation of stumbles along the way. But this was something else.
‘From that position you’d expect us to win and certainly we did,’ said Morgan. ‘The guys who came in didn’t do the simple things right. We didn’t establish partnerships, didn’t hit with the wind. But throughout this series that can be expected with the inexperience of the side. one of the objectives is to know more about the guys who come in. We have to get better and calmer in those situations.’
Yet that didn’t quite tell the story because it was England’s three most seasoned batsmen who missed the opportunity to knock off a target of 181.
Dawid Malan had moved impressively through the gears during a 29-ball half-century — his fifth in eight T20 innings for England — only to launch a full toss from legspinner ish Sodhi to deep midwicket. Then Morgan, having already slog-swept two sixes in the over from slow left-armer Mitchell Santner, perished trying to clear the ropes a third time. But perhaps the crucial moment came when James Vince (below) picked out mid-off for 49. in between, Sam Billings was run out following a horrible miscommunication with Vince, after which the innings unravelled at an alarming rate. if England lose again in napier on Friday, the series will be gone. Morgan, though, will not be swayed from his basic premise, which is that the youngsters are here to learn. all six who arrived in new Zealand without a T20 appearance between them played here and the entire team boasted a grand total of 142 T20 caps — of which Morgan had 83 and Billings 23. That was 1,000 fewer than the 50-over side had at the start of the World Cup final at Lord’s in July.
it was not all doom and gloom. Lancashire leg-spinner Matt Parkinson bowled Tim Seifert between his legs with his fifth ball in international cricket, and was unfortunate when the wind changed direction, persuading Morgan to withdraw him from the attack after two tidy overs.
Worcestershire’s Pat Brown showed signs of improvement, collecting the important wicket of Martin guptill.
For Saqib Mahmood, it was a difficult day: four overs for 49, a battering at the hands of Colin de grandhomme, and a sense that he is yet to rattle the speedgun as his advocates had promised.
England’s other debutant, Somerset opener Tom Banton, briefly looked the business, easing his second ball through the covers and launching his sixth, off Lockie Ferguson, over the ropes.
But for all the talk of blooding youth, Morgan has a series to win, and international sport rarely proves indulgent. His team have been warned. auSTraLia off-spinner nathan Lyon, 31, will join Hampshire as an overseas player next season and will play only in the County Championship.