ROY’S THE BOY
Opener hits the heights as England canter home
They started the day hailed as england’s best-ever one-day side, but it was only Jason Roy and Joe Root who performed like champions in a rain-affected 50-over series opener against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl last night.
Certainly, Roy and Root batted with all the class and flair that has transformed england’s limited-overs cricket — hitting sublime half-centuries to leave their side on the brink of a comfortable victory when the rains came.
Otherwise, though, this was routine fare for an england team who are looking increasingly equipped to mount a serious challenge for next year’s Champions Trophy and the World Cup that will follow in 2019.
england were cantering home on 193 for three after 34 overs in reply to Pakistan’s below par 260 for six before rain gave the hosts a revised Duckworth-Lewis target of 252 in 48 overs.
The resumption lasted only three balls, with one more run added, before the elements struck again to give england a mathematical victory by 44 runs.
It was Roy who shone brightest, illuminating england’s chase and providing another case for his inclusion in the Test squad due to travel to Bangladesh and India this winter. Nick Knight had caused eyebrows to be raised when he said on Sky before the match that this was the best england team ever to take the field in a oneday international, but his thinking was easy to understand.
They certainly have the potential to be the best — already, they would give Graham Gooch’s 1992 World Cup finalists a run for their money — and eoin Morgan’s team can already stake a claim to be the most dynamic english side.
It says everything about england’s improvement since the nadir of the 2015 World Cup that they have been able to leave talents such as Sam Billings, James Vince, Dawid Malan and Ben Duckett out of this squad. Jonny Bairstow could not even make the side for this first of five Royal London matches.
At the very least, it is quite a transformation to consider that england’s white-ball cricket is in better shape than the Test team, a development that will delight Andrew Strauss with the Champions Trophy and World Cup on the horizon.
What england’s one-day side must do is become more consistent — as a record of 13 wins and nine defeats since that World Cup low ahead of this series demonstrates.
Pakistan, ninth in the one-day rankings, desperately need a good series to improve their chances of automatic qualification for that 2019 World Cup and were given a helping hand here by more poor england fielding.
Azhar Ali was dropped twice on nine — by Alex hales in the gully and Jos Buttler down the legside — but survived to make a circumspect half-century before accelerating to 82 off 110 balls.
When Pakistan were 173 for three after 35 overs, a formidable total looked assured. But a break for rain and a strong finish from england reduced them to a score of 260 for six that looked 40 runs under par.
The most encouraging aspect of the bowling for england was the return of Mark Wood, who hit 90 miles per hour-plus immediately and took the wicket of Sharjeel Khan, who wasted Pakistan’s review after clearly edging to Buttler.
Sharjeel’s selfishness cost Pakistan dear when Babar Azam’s enterprising 40 was cut short as he became one of Adil Rashid’s two victims. Replays showed that ball touched bat before pad.
Certainly, Pakistan regretted not making the most of winning the toss when england put their efforts into perspective despite the early loss of hales. his miserable run was continued when he guided Umar Gul to slip.
After that, it was child’s play for england, Roy overcoming a dizzy spell caused by the Southampton heat and surviving a chance on 24 when Sarfraz Ahmed raced to reach a top edge that was not his catch and fumbled it.
Another century to add to the two recorded against Sri Lanka earlier this season looked assured until he was well caught by Babar.
Root then carried on the good work for england until he was run out by captain Morgan.
The indications last night, meanwhile, were that england could today give a provisional green light to their tour of Bangladesh. But they may need to convince some nervous players that it is safe to travel at the start of October.
A terrorist attack put the tour in jeopardy, but england’s highly-regarded security advisor Reg Dickason will address the team at their London hotel tonight with the odds now on the tour going ahead unless there are more incidents in Bangladesh in the next month.