Morgan hails England for winning in tough conditions
Eoin Morgan downplayed finding some semblance of form at the T20 World Cup but took immense comfort in England battling away in a situation he suspects was “as bad as it’s going to be” in a 26run win against Sri Lanka.
Morgancameintothecontest averaging a paltry 12.71 from 13 T20 internationals this year, having endured a miserable conclusion to the Indian Premier League with eight single-digit scores in his last nine innings there.
He looked especially illat-ease on a slow, low Sharjah surface although so too did the in-form Jos Buttler, as they were suffocated by some canny bowling and smart field placings by Sri Lanka on a muggy evening.
While Buttler’s maiden T20 international ton catapulted England up to 163 for four from 47 for three at halfway, Morgan clattered three sixes as he accelerated from nine off 20 balls to finish with 40 from 36 deliveries.
Askedwhetherhewasfeeling in better touch towards the end of his innings, Morgan said: “Me? No, no. This groundisverychallenging.It’s just because the ball’s older, a bit darker and the bounce is really low.
“It’shardtogetgoingandbe free-flowing. Even Jos who’s in unbelievable form really did find it unbelievably tough andwhenIgottothewickethe talkedaboutjustgettingsome
thinggoing.Evenhestruggled to rotate the strike. After facing a lot of balls they were due to bowl a bad one. But it’s good,it’srunsontheboard,it’s a contribution to winning the game and batting with one of my best mates.
“It was nice being at the other end when he started getting going, he really is unbelievable.Withoutthatabsolutelyunbelievableknockwe’d have been nowhere.”
A 112-run stand between Buttler and Morgan was crucial for England, who had to
confront moisture on the pitch and outfield because of evening dew and the loss of Tymal Mills to injury before claiming a fourth win of the campaign.
England will be loathe to take risks with Mills ahead of their final Super 12s group game against South Africa, withqualificationtothesemifinals all but assured due to their haul of eight points and superior net run-rate.
They maintained their 100 per cent record after skittling Sri Lanka for 137, having been
forced to set and defend a total for the first time following commanding wins over the West Indies, Bangladesh and Australia batting second.
On whether it was significant to win batting first, Morgan said: “I think it is. Even if it’snotawin,Ithinkit’simportant to experience the challenges that every other side has to overcome.”
Morgan, though, feels the issues that faced might be a worst-case scenario so he admitted it could be that the batters up the tempo earlier
against the Proteas at Sharjah,evenifthetacticbackfires.
Hesaid:“Consideringthat’s I think as bad as it’s going to be, if we’re playing a side that comes harder for longer, does more for longer, say South Africa on Saturday, we’ll have to ask questions of ourselves earlier.
“We might have to try and post a bigger score and possibly risk posting a lower score at the same time, so things to juggle. Looking back at it now I think things worked out alright for us.”