So my home team started off their World Cup against the Netherlands. This opposition embarassed England in World T20 tournament in England when they won at Lords. So a potential slip-up could occur and knowing England’s recent performances in 50 over World Cup’s anything could happen.
The Netherlands won the toss and decided to bat first. They started well and by the end of the 12th over their score was 58-2. At that point Ryan ten Doschate came to the wicket and proceeded to construct the best individual score by an associate team player in any World Cup. The only blemish happened when he was 50 not out. Swann drew him into a shot which skied way up in the air. Pietersen and Anderson converged on the ball and oding something that schoolboys shouldn’t have done, left the ball for each other to catch. It embarrasingly dropped to the ground in between them.
This wasn’t the only blemish by england in the field. They were sloppy and didn’t show any of the level that they showed in the Ashes test matches in Australia. ten Doschate was eventually out for 119 of 110 balls hitting 9 fours and 3 sixes with 11 bals of the innings to go. If he had stayed in the Netherlansa would have got over 300. As it was, they finished on a fantastic score of 292-6. More than a respectable score.
England had an uphill task ahead of them to keep up a rate of 5.86 an over. At the end of 17 overs, England were 100-0 and after 30 overs were 168-2 so had a good platform for victory. However the run rate required kept on rising to the point that at the and of the 46th over, the rrr was 8.25. Buttlerflies in the dressing room perhaps ? there certainly were while I was watching it.
But Collingwood and Bopara were capable of hitting 10 of the next 2 overs to need 13 runs off 12 balls. Bopara then took command in the 49th over hitting 16 with 2 fours and a six to take England to victory.
Even though England won, the Netherlands played exceptionally and should not bedismayed by the way they played.
Next Game : Pakistan v Kenya
peterjfield 