THEY’VE GOT THEIR MOJO BACK!
England march into last four as Bairstow batters Kiwi attack
ThEy looked down and out after successive defeats left their hopes hanging by a thread, but the real England have stood up to be counted just in time in this World Cup to seize a semi-final place.
It was not exactly in the World Cup script for an England side who had conquered all before them to need victories over two of the best teams in the tournament — India and New Zealand — to qualify for the last four.
But win their last two group games they have, regaining much of their lost mojo and coping with the pressure that was at its most intense after they crashed to those unexpected defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia.
They had a welcome slice of good fortune against New Zealand in Durham to help them along yesterday, too, when Mark Wood got a fingertip to a Ross Taylor drive off his own bowling to deflect the ball on to the stumps and run out dangerman Kane Williamson.
At that stage, with New Zealand 61 for two chasing England’s 305 for eight, the nerves were jangling and the nightmare scenario of the business end of this tournament taking place without the hosts was a real possibility.
yet, once Williamson was dismissed in freakish fashion for his lowest score in this World Cup and Taylor then joined him in being run out when he foolishly took on Adil Rashid’s arm, England could breathe again.
What a rollercoaster ride Eoin Morgan’s side have endured in achieving the very minimum of their World Cup ambitions — but how confident they will be now that they can go on and win a tournament they have prioritised for the last four years.
England certainly looked much better at Edgbaston against India and now here at the
Riverside and will almost certainly have to take on Virat Kohli and company again in the second semi-final back in Birmingham between the second- and thirdplaced group teams.
That will be a heavyweight clash to savour a week today, but for now England can be satisfied they have found a way to adapt to the more challenging pitches the ICC have overseen in this tournament in an attempt to negate home advantage.
None more so than with a restored opening partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy that has done so much to save England from the mother and father of all inquests which would have accompanied their departure at this early stage.
Bairstow clearly missed Roy when he was absent for three matches with a hamstring injury, but yesterday he was inspired by his presence to make his second hundred in consecutive matches and England’s seventh in this tournament.
England have realised batting first is very much the way to go in this World Cup and Bairstow and Roy raced to their 10th partnership of 100 or more after Morgan had won another important toss and eschewed his previous preference to chase.
how refreshing it was to see England bashing the ball around in the manner we have become accustomed to and how ecstatic Bairstow was when he reached three figures again, having seen Roy depart for 60 and furiously admonish himself for giving his wicket away.
There was a pointed celebration from Bairstow, too, tapping his head to the amusement of the England dressing room in what might have been a nod to Michael Vaughan, with whom he had clashed verbally in the wake of the Australia defeat.
At that stage, with Bairstow unbeaten and England on 194 for one after 30 overs, there seemed a very real possibility of the first score of 400 in a tournament that has largely bucked the big-hitting trend of modern 50-over cricket.
But, with the pitch getting slower and a New Zealand attack minus their injured fastest bowler, Lockie Ferguson, finally hitting the right lengths, England made a decent attempt at blowing their advantage and letting the perennial dark horses back into the match.
Joe Root was caught down the legside and wasted England’s review, then Bairstow quickly followed him back to the pavilion.
Jos Buttler, and even the in-form Ben Stokes, could not get going as wickets tumbled and England
hastily re- set their sights on reaching 300, let alone 400.
They managed to get up to 305, mainly thanks to some productive late hitting from Liam Plunkett and Rashid, but a New Zealand side virtually assured of a semi-final date with Australia on Tuesday were still in it at the halfway stage.
Yet this team are a shadow of Brendon McCullum’s aggressive 50- over pioneers and they were woeful from the moment Henry Nicholls was given out leg-before first ball by umpire S Ravi to a delivery from Chris Woakes that was going over the stumps.
Once Jofra Archer had claimed Martin Guptill for his 17th tournament wicket, more than any Englishman in any World Cup — and Wood’s finger of fate on his home ground did for Williamson, — the Kiwi chase fizzled out in an attempt to protect their net run-rate.
Wood, watched by a large local gathering of family and friends, finished the game with three for 34 as New Zealand were tumbled out for 186, giving England a thumping 119-run victory.
Job done but how they have played with our emotions on the way to this point.
New Zealand will now crawl into the semi-finals at the expense of Pakistan, barring a mathematical miracle, on the back of three successive defeats and grateful for the single point that came from their washout against India.
England, to the huge relief of everyone with an interest in the domestic game, are in much finer fettle after what was, astonishingly, their first victory against New Zealand in any World Cup since 1983. The ‘rock bottom’ of their humiliation at the hands of McCullum’s Black Caps four years ago that sparked England’s one-day revolution can finally be consigned to history.
A first- ever World Cup is an enticing two wins away.
And breathe.
ThIS was another display that showed England have every base covered and why they are justifiably viewed as favourites for this World Cup. Losing those three games to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia dictated this one was must-win and, just as against India, they showed that of all the teams here, they have the best balance. The anomaly among their trio of defeats was the middle one against the Sri Lankans. Eoin Morgan’s team played like the old England. Chasing 230 against an OK Sri Lanka side, they went into their shell and played fearful cricket, something they hadn’t done for a long time. During a World Cup, the odd blip is inevitable, but in both that game and the one versus Australia they didn’t react well in high- pressure situations. What we have seen since is that the return from injury of Jason Roy has not allowed the pressure to develop. Yes, they have had a little bit of luck — Jonny Bairstow was close to dragging a couple on against India and the first ball yesterday was an arm-ball from Mitchell Santner which, if it had hit leg- stump, would’ve left them under pressure. But fortune favours the brave. When fortune is with Roy, and he starts well, it makes the line-up behind him
look incredibly strong. Even when they do have a bad hour, like they did against New Zealand, they were well ahead of the game and able to take stock.
Morgan, in particular, was calm enough to realise that the pitch was not the same as it had been for the first 30 overs, that the oxygen had gone from it, it was dying a rapid death, and that 300 0 would d be a good score.
Rather than hitting out and nd risking being bowled out for or 270-280, England were clinical - in taking the runs on offer, and would have walked off knowing they had control due to their bowlers.
England’s new-ball bowling at this tournament has been overlooked a bit, but Chris Woakes performs game after game, setting the tone in the same way Roy does with the bat.
he was faced with two fantastic players in Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul on Sunday — proper strikers of a ball — yet rocked up with three straight maidens. he might not possess the pace and flair of Jofra Archer or Mark Wood, but he just goes about his work, putting in incredibly consistent performances up front.
In the last couple of matches, England have dictated from the off with bat and ball. The challenge is to keep that going when the standard is raised. We are down to the gun sides now and India and Australia have top-quality players.
England put pressure on themselves with those back-to-back defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia. had they gone out of their own World Cup this week, it would have been a choke. A massive fail.
Now, they will be put under pressure by the brilliance of others — Rohit, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah or Mitchell Starc, David Warner or Aaron Finch. All cricketers, no matter how good England are, who can take a game away from them. Or by having to complete a run ch chase w when all three losses have come batting second. W Without being negative, En England have to prepare to b be in a situation where they a are 20 for two in a semifinal. how will they react? They have crumbled in the past. This time, in Joe Root and Ben Stokes, who has been particularly good under pressure in this tournament, they appear to have the tools to handle it. Let’s not overlook that, on paper, this England team is as good, arguably better, than any in the tournament. Other teams have gaps in their line-up. England don’t have many.
They also appear to have got over their blip. Two years ago, in the Champions Trophy, they put in their worst performance in the semi-final and there was no comeback. This England side have shown themselves to be tough. They have not just limped over the line in a knockout scenario of their own making, they have battered the opposition.