England show they are the one to watch
FOR years, it was England who stood accused of playing old-fashioned one-day cricket.
Timid, lacking imagination and horribly underpowered, no England limited-overs side since Graham Gooch’s team of 1992 lost to Pakistan in the World Cup Final, has been able to seriously entertain a sustained spell at the top of world cricket’s one-day table.
That may be about to change. In the space of little more than 18 months since their latest shambolic assault on a 50-over World Cup — when they were dumped out at the pool stage after a string of poor performances — England have been transformed.
Under the excellent captaincy of Eoin Morgan and the coaching of Trevor Bayliss, they have embraced the brave new world with a team of multiskilled cricketers.
Morgan’s men will travel to Nottingham tomorrow knowing they can wrap up this five-match Natwest Series after taking a 2-0 lead in the second one-day international with a fourwicket win at Lord’s yesterday.
England have a batting unit packed with power and skill, which sees Adil Rashid — at No 9 — with no fewer than 10 first-class centuries to his name.
Added to that is a bowling unit with genuine pace and enough spinning options.
From the moment they were reduced to two for three in the third over by the impressive Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, Pakistan never stood a serious chance.
Wood’s welcome return to fitness has added pace to England’s attack.
The Durham bowler finished with three for 46 from 10 overs while Woakes’ golden summer continued with three for 42 from 9.5 overs.
Even as Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed reached a wonderful hundred from 124 balls, enabling the tourists to set a competitive victory target of 252, there was rarely any danger for England — even when Jason Roy and Alex Hales fell cheaply, leaving England 35-2 in reply. Joe Root (89) added 112 for the third wicket with Morgan (68), as England cantered towards a four-wicket victory.