Time for captain Morgan to run amok
One year on from the start of england’s one-day revolution and 12 months before they host the Champions Trophy is the perfect time for Sri Lanka to provide a progress report for eoin Morgan’s 50-over ambitions.
It was this time last year that england threw off the shackles of one-day inhibition against new Zealand after a disastrous World Cup, smashing 400-plus at edgbaston and chasing down 350 in just 44 overs at Trent Bridge.
They return to nottingham today and Birmingham on Friday for the first two of five one-day internationals hoping to prove their 50-over graph is still moving upwards, much as the Twenty20 side demonstrated in India.
‘I’d like to think we can reconnect with what we did last year,’ said captain Morgan ahead of the limited-overs leg of Sri Lanka’s tour. ‘Given the right conditions and opportunity there’s no reason why we can’t. This is a key summer for us in that we’re 12 months down the road and have built a lot of confidence.’
The memories of that groundbreaking one-day series against new Zealand under caretaker coach Paul Farbrace ahead of the arrival of Trevor Bayliss are perhaps reflected in the healthy ticket sales for a series between what are still two ‘mid-table’ sides.
TrenT Bridge, if the weather holds, will be full for this opening daynight match even though england sit sixth in the world one-day rankings just behind a Sri Lankan side in similarly transitional mode to their Test team, beaten comfortably 2-0 by the hosts.
‘We’re still at the beginning of building towards what will hopefully be a successful World Cup in 2019,’ said Morgan. ‘There is a bit more expectation on us after what has happened in the last year and it’s important we relish that.’
england face a dilemma as they aim to replace the injured Ben Stokes without leaving themselves either a batsman or bowler short. His absence in effect means they need to replace two players with one.
Such has been the form of Jonny Bairstow (right), brought back to the one-day squad after his two Test centuries against Sri Lanka, that his selection today appears a certainty. Yet his selection ahead of an all-round option such as David Willey gives Morgan only five bowlers to share 50 overs, probably only three of them seamers, and Joe root as back-up. ‘Ben leaves a huge hole and there are lots of permutations to replace him,’ said Morgan at a soggy Trent Bridge. ‘When you’ve had a day when the pitch doesn’t see sunlight or fresh air, like today, it can create a selection dilemma. But if the weather’s set fair for the game then it’s quite an easy decision.’ Morgan’s dilemma, with Bairstow’s place seemingly guaranteed, centres on whether two spinners should play, with Willey providing an extra seam option ahead of either Moeen Ali or Adil rashid.
Whichever team england pick, their captain will bat at four. Morgan, seemingly the designated limited-overs leader until the World Cup, is badly in need of a score after just one half-century in his last nine 50-over internationals.
‘It’s been a while since I scored runs and I’m hungry to rectify that,’ he said.
‘In South Africa last winter I just didn’t get going. It was a rhythm thing. I feel reasonably good, certainly better than I did in the winter, so hopefully on home soil I can get a score under my belt.’ Sri Lanka’s preparations have been clouded by the sudden illness of Shaminda eranga, who stayed in Dublin after the visit to play Ireland to have tests on a possible heart condition. It follows the Sri Lanka seamer being banned by the International Cricket Council at the weekend for an illegal action.
‘He was warming up just before we went on the field and said “Something is happening to me”,’ said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. ‘His heart was beating so fast, so I quickly called the physio and doctor. It was a shocking incident.’