The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Broad confident of England response
CAPTAIN STUART Broad believes England can still take something away from their forgettable tour of A ustralia, despite a 13-run defeat in their Twenty20 series opener in Hobart.
A n under-strength A ustralia blasted 213 for four on the back of a century opening stand between Cameron White (75) and A aron Finch (52) to set England a record Twenty20 chase.
England made a sluggish start in pursuit and only Ravi Bopara’s 65 from 27 balls, including seven sixes, late on thinned the margin of defeat to 13 runs.
England must now win in Melbourne tomorrow to keep the series alive, and avoid three series defeats in all formats against A ustralia this winter.
Broad is confident his young side can do that, and took confidence from the fact they still managed to reach 200 for nine despite losing early wickets.
“Thirteen runs isn’t a huge defeat,” he said.
“I know it was glossed over a little bit by Ravi’s hitting at the end. We didn’t get moving as a batting unit but to still get 200 runs gives us quite a bit of confidence.
“We have to bounce back and we have to win at the MCG to stay in this series. I’m pretty confident we can do that.”
England were made to rue dropping White on 10 when Joe Root to put down a routine edge at first slip.
“Putting down Cameron White in the first three or four overs and for him to then go and get 70-odd hurt us,” Broad said.
“We have to find a way to take early wickets.
“Finch has hurt us in the games he’s played and give our batsmen something more realistic to chase.”
A Twenty20 international record 22 sixes were hit in the match, although that figure was ballooned by a short boundary on the eastern side.
A ustralia were able to exploit it throughout their innings with openers White and Finch clearing the rope seven times between them.
England had only managed two sixes by the time Bopara walked to the crease with his side in trouble at 98 for five in the 12th over.
While Australia were without the likes of David Warner, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson — who jetted out to South A frica yesterday to begin their tour — England included five fresh faces.
Top-order trio Alex Hales, Michael Lumb and Luke Wright all slotted in straight from playing in the Big Bash League, but their experience in A ustralian conditions hardly helped as they fell cheaply.