India's best fielding performance in ODIs since the Champions Trophy in September last year set up their march to the final by way of a thumping win. It wasn't anything spectacular: half chances were taken and easy ones not missed, marking a big improvement on their recent fielding form. That, coupled with impressive bowling from Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra, pulled Sri Lanka from an explosive start and restricted them to a paltry 213, which was chased down with 17.2 overs to spare.
Zaheer was the pick of the bowlers, creating one half chance, and two fairly easy ones. At one stage his figures read 6-2-11-2. Sri Lanka had chosen to bat to allow their bowlers experience first-hand the wet conditions before the final, but it took resilient half-centuries from Kumar Sangakkara and Suraj Randiv to take the match far enough for the dew to set in.
If Sangakkara and Randiv had to work hard, India's runs came with predictable ease: Gautam Gambhir scored his 19th half-century, Dinesh Karthik narrowly missed a fourth, and Virat Kohli made it to his fourth 50-plus score in his last five innings.
But it was the first 11 overs of the match that staged the decisive action: two wicket-maidens, a wicket in the first over of new spells on three occasions and, between that, scintillating batting from Tillakaratne Dilshan. Coming back from a groin injury, Dilshan decided to do away with the running. He just drove, cut, pulled and late-cut eight boundaries in 17 deliveries to deflate any confidence India and Sudeep Tyagi would have gained from getting Upul Tharanga out in the first over.
When Zaheer was brought on, in the sixth over, Dilshan had hit seven boundaries in his 29, and Sri Lanka nine in their 38. He was pulled for a four second ball. The next ball took a thick edge, and was dying on Gambhir at fine gully before he snared it. Zaheer was pumped, and proceeded to bowl to a plan that worked just fine for him. Nothing to drive, a short cover in place, playing on the batsmen's patience with the nagging accuracy. Mahela Jayawardene gave in, driving a ball that should not have been driven, and Kohli hung on to a sharp catch at short cover.
Back came Sreesanth, whose first two overs had gone for 16, and Thilan Samaraweera walked across to a straight delivery and missed. Forty-two for 1 in 5.2 overs became 61 for 4 in 10.2. Soon Thilina Kandamby was run out, his fifth such dismissal out of 23. This time, though, he was sold a dummy by his captain, and was done in a by a smart throw from Karthik and quick backing-up by Zaheer.
Thissara Perera, bounced and verbalised by Zaheer, tried to target Mishra, but Yuvraj Singh pulled out a diving catch at wide long-on, not his last contribution to Sri Lanka's woes. Sangakkara, who had reached 32 off 42 by then, responded to Perera's wicket by stepping out and hitting Sreesanth for four. He dominated a seventh-wicket partnership that took Sri Lanka closer to 150, but that's when Yuvraj struck.
Sangakkara had tried to make full use of every loose delivery that came his way, and also took calculated risks to keep the scoreboard from stagnating. But when he pulled a Yuvraj delivery which was too full, he had completed 43 innings without a century. Randiv and Thilan Thushara added 59 for the eighth wicket, a stand that saw Randiv through to his first List A fifty. But when the time came to press on, when they opted for the Powerplay in the 44th over, the tail came up short, and Sri Lanka were bundled out by Zaheer and Mishra, with four overs still to go.
If there was any doubt to which way the match was going, Karthik and Gambhir removed it by taking 86 off the first 10 overs. Sri Lanka's last chance of preventing India from getting the bonus point vanished when Dilshan and Tharanga dropped Gambhir on 41 and 44 respectively.
Karthik did no harm to his chances of pushing for a place in further matches by following up a catch and a smart run-out with a dominating role in the opening partnership. He started off with a streaky boundary past the slip but soon got into the groove, punishing errors in both line and length. Anything straying on the pads was flicked through midwicket, and the ones short were cut through point and covers. Gambhir smartly assumed the second fiddle, capitalising on width when not milking singles.
Once with Kohli, and with fields spread, the two got down to exploiting the gaps, running almost on intuition, scoring 60 off their 72-run partnership on foot. Upon Gambhir's dismissal, Kohli asked for the Powerplay and quickly finished Sri Lanka off, accelerating from 33 off 48 to 71 off 68.
Sunday 10 January 2010
India dominate Sri Lanka on way to final
Viera: I am better than before
Patrick Vieira believes he is a better player now than he was when he left the Premier League four-and-a-half years ago.
Vieira will make his Manchester City debut against Blackburn at Eastlands on Monday night providing he recovers from the niggling calf injury he picked up in his final game for Inter Milan last week.
The former Arsenal skipper found it difficult enough to impress Jose Mourinho in Italy, so the perceived wisdom is that he will struggle to adjust to life back in England, where the pace tends to be far higher.
But Vieira has total faith in his ability.
And he actually thinks the immense talent he had when he played under Arsene Wenger has been improved by his exposure to Serie A.
"I am a better player for the experiences I have had," said Vieira.
"You get better with experience and age and I have been really lucky to play at big clubs.
"I have learned a lot around big-name players and I have come back to the Premier League a better player than I used to be."
Vieira accepts he will not silence the doubters with words alone.
Performances are going to be key, although Roberto Mancini has already declared his faith in the Frenchman by stressing he expects his first signing as City chief to be a regular member of his starting line-up.
Ironically, Vieira spent a significant proportion of his introduction to the English media discussing Mancini.
While the former Juventus star is a familiar face, having won three league titles with the Gunners and established himself as one of the fiercest Premier League enforcers, Mancini is largely an unknown quantity.
The City boss has already earned a lot of plaudits for the mature way he handled the furore surrounding Hughes' dismissal.
And, with three wins from three games in charge, and no goals conceded, Mancini could hardly have made a better start.
"Mancini is a winner," declared Vieira.
"He is a really ambitious man. He came here because he knows he can achieve something.
"He will do everything for the team to be successful and win games."
A passionate enough appraisal, without the added, ultimate, compliment.
"There are similarities between Mancini and Arsene Wenger," he added.
"They both like to work on the pitch and like to be next to the players.
"They manage players and believe in communication. That is really good and I regard it as a compliment that I am the first player Mancini has brought to City."
Vieira's experience at the highest level should help City keep a cool head when the pressure gets ratcheted up towards the end of the season.
Draws for Arsenal and Manchester United yesterday will only encourage Vieira's belief that City could yet end the campaign as champions.
But for that to happen, City's forwards need to make a big contribution.
Although, technically, Emmanuel Adebayor could be back on club duty next weekend, the Blues will want to give their £25million forward some breathing space after his horrific experience in Angola, so the responsibility for scoring will fall on Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy, Robinho and Carlos Tevez, whose eight goals in December was enough for him to be crowned Premier League player of the month.
The Argentina star is already a firm crowd favourite after dumping Sir Alex Ferguson to join the Eastlands outfit last summer.
And, having hit such a rich vein of form, he is not going to let the current freezing temperatures take the edge off his game.
"I am used to the cold," he said.
"I have lived in England for a few years and it does not affect me too much.
"Training in the cold is hard. But it is also very intense, which is just what you need to bring the best out of yourself."
Berbatov may go under the knife
Sir Alex Ferguson's woes have been compounded by the news striker Dimitar Berbatov may need exploratory knee surgery.
Berbatov was unable to play any part in United's 1-1 draw with Birmingham at St Andrew's as they were unable to achieve the victory which would have taken them above Chelsea.
Instead Ferguson gave a debut to summer signing Mame Biram Diouf who came on as a second half substitute.
Ferguson said: "Dimitar wanted to play with it but we felt we should try to get it (the knee) sorted and get him fit again.
"He may have to have an exploratory operation."
Ferguson reiterated his anger at Darren Fletcher's red card by referee Mark Clattenburg with the second yellow awarded for an innocuous trip on Jerome.
The United boss said: "You won't see a softer sending off. For a start, Darren's not that kind of player.
"It's a simple clip on the boy (Jerome) who actually stumbled. I think it was a terrible decision and it gave Birmingham some momentum.
"But I think we've got to be satisfied with a point particularly as we've ended the game with 10 men.
"Birmingham is a difficult place to go and they are playing very well. It is not a bad point."
Ferguson was not unhappy with a share of the spoils against a Blues side who have now gone a club record 12 league matches without defeat particularly after Fletcher's dismissal for two bookable offences.
United needed an own goal from City defender Scott Dann to collect a point after Cameron Jerome had given the home side an undeserved half-time lead against the run of play.
Ferguson said: "We were down to 10 men for the last part of the game but in the first half we played absolutely brilliantly and dominated the match.
"It was a travesty to go in at half-time 1-0 down after they scored with their first attack.
"It was a sickener but it's important not to let your head go down. We kept battling away and deserved a point.
"We spoke about remaining patient at half-time because 45 minutes is a long time.
"We've won so many games late on so we shouldn't worry about being 1-0 down. We've faced that situation many times."
After dominating the opening 45 minutes, United were indebted to some fine second half saves from Tomasz Kuszczak for earning them a point.
But the former West Brom goalkeeper was frustrated at United's failure to get back on the winning trail after their shock FA Cup reversal against Leeds.
He said: "We're disappointed, of course. We came to Birmingham for three points and only drew the game.
"We know what we have to do to keep up our challenge for the title and we want to win every match, no matter who we play.
"If we lose some points we are disappointed. We had most of the possession in the first half and created some chances. They were lucky to get the goal, but this is football.
"We scored in the second half but Birmingham defended very well and made it difficult for us. We had some chances but couldn't score again."
Kuszczak played down his own contribution including a late reflex save to deny Birmingham defender Roger Johnson a winner.
He said: "This is what I have to do. I play for the biggest club in the world and always try to give 100%, help the lads win the game and keep a clean sheet.
"I didn't manage it, and although I made some saves, it's still disappointing we didn't win."
Sunday 24 May 2009
Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle
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Newcastle United's 16-year stay in the top flight ended in the tamest fashion possible as they dropped into the Championship with defeat at Aston Villa.
Damien Duff's unfortunate own goal - deflecting in Gareth Barry's 20-yard shot seven minutes before the interval - ensured Alan Shearer's mission to save Newcastle from relegation ended in devastating failure.
Newcastle's performance was a prime example of why they have failed to survive this season, lacking any fire and urgency despite the scale of the prize on offer if they escaped.
And seconds before referee Chris Foy blew the whistle on Newcastle's Premier League existence, defender David Edgar summed up a desperate day when he was sent off for his second bookable offence after fouling Ashley Young.
Newcastle had opportunites to grasp at a lifeline in the first half, with Obafemi Martins firing off target and Mark Viduka having a shot cleared off the line by Carlos Cuellar.
Shearer reflects on 'sad day' for Newcastle
But when Newcastle needed to find inspiration in the second half, all that was on offer was an almost passive acceptance of their decline as they failed to exert any serious pressure on Villa - at times seeming barely aware of the fate that awaited them if they lost.
Michael Owen made an appearance as substitute midway through the second half, but he made no impact and barely touched the ball. It now appears relegation will almost certainly mark the end of his Newcastle career.
Shearer led the applause for Newcastle's heartbroken fans as the despair of relegation sunk in - and it was clear their affection for the Tyneside icon has not diminished despite this bitter end to his spell in charge this season.
Owner Mike Ashley must now try to persuade Shearer to stay on and provide some semblance of stability to this most dysfunctional of clubs as they attempt to rebuild and reclaim their place in English football's elite.
Shearer may have been the manager when they dropped into the Championship, but the damage was largely done before he attempted to come to the rescue.
And Newcastle's hierarchy must now indulge in serious soul-searching after a season that saw Kevin Keegan's reign as manager end in acrimony and Joe Kinnear's surprise temporary appointment, which ended prematurely after he suffered health problems.
Tears on the Tyne as Newcastle are relegated
Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood could not stop the rot, and the task of reviving Newcastle proved beyond Shearer.
For now, though, Newcastle can only try and digest the disappointment of relegation - and accept that they have been the architects of their own downfall.
It will be a summer of upheaval for whoever takes charge, with a collection of highly-paid players, led by Owen, likely to quit the club.
Owen was only fit enough to take a place on the bench as Newcastle went in search of the result that would preserve their Premier League status - but Shearer's side were lively in attack during the opening exchanges.
Villa keeper Friedel almost let Duff's deflected shot slip in and Cuellar smuggled Viduka's goal-bound shot off the line as Newcastle pressed for an early breakthrough.
Martins also volleyed over the top when he found space 12 yards out in the penalty area, with boss Shearer showing obvious frustration on the sidelines as another chance came and went.
Newcastle, however, were nowhere near as convincing at the back and Fabricio Coloccini was regularly threatened with embarrassment by Gabriel Agbonlahor's raw pace.
 Shearer applauds the Newcastle fans following the defeat at Villa Park |
Craig Gardner brought a fine fingertip save from Steve Harper before Villa took the lead seven minutes before the interval, helped by a liberal sprinkling of good fortune.
Barry's shot was struck with power, but it was a crucial deflection off Duff that took it out of the reach of Harper and into the bottom corner of the net.
Newcastle's fans, who were in ecstasy when news of Manchester United's goal at Hull filtered through, were stunned into silence as their Villa counterparts celebrated.
There was still time for another opportunity for Newcastle before the interval, with Martins sending a glancing header just wide from Nicky Butt's free-kick.
Newcastle could not apply any pressure in the early stages of the second half, leaving Shearer to make his first change after 56 minutes. Jose Enrique replaced Peter Lovenkrands, leaving Duff to move forward into a more familiar attacking role on the left-flank.
And Shearer swiftly followed this move with the introduction of Owen, giving the injury-plagued England striker the opportunity to possibly end an unfulfilling spell on Tyneside with a flourish.
Barry then missed the chance that would have condemned Newcastle to Championship football. He robbed Butt 20 yards out, but then sent a curling shot inches wide with Harper helpless.
Newcastle were surprisingly lacking any sense of real urgency, and Shearer played his final card with 20 minutes left by sending on Shola Ameobi for the tiring Viduka.
Carew then contrived to waste another opportunity to finish off Newcastle when he somehow failed to find the target after being set up by Agbonlahor six yards out.
Newcastle, despite the increasing desperation of their situation, were offering nothing and Ashley Young fired just over the top after a powerful run.
Enrique's speculative cross almost spared Newcastle in the dying seconds - but it drifted agonisingly wide and referee Foy's final whistle was the catalyst for predictable tears among travelling supporters.
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"I think we've played with great gusto and panache, we're open, we create opportunities to win and I guess there's always the possibility we'll concede a goal. That's our season.
"I'm delighted with my players - thrilled with them - we've played 14 games more than a lot of our rivals, I think, and yet we're used the fewest number of players along with Fulham.
"Fatigue possibly cost us a top four spot, but it's tough to get into that group.
"As for the furure - we would be delighted to keep Gareth Barry, of course. He has a year left to run and has been a fantastic servant, but while I'd love to keep him, I accept the fact that there are other things that may materialise. I'll say no more than that."
Aston Villa: Friedel, Gardner (Heskey 75), Davies, Cuellar, Shorey, Milner, Petrov (Reo-Coker 84), Barry, Ashley Young, Carew (Sidwell 89), Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Delfouneso, Knight, Albrighton.
Goals: Duff 38 og.
Newcastle: Harper, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Edgar, Duff, Guthrie, Nolan (Owen 66), Butt, Lovenkrands (Jose Enrique 57), Viduka (Ameobi 75), Martins.~
Subs Not Used: Krul, Smith, Gutierrez, Ryan Taylor.
Sent Off: Edgar (90).
Booked: Steven Taylor, Edgar.
Att: 42,585
Ref: Chris Foy (Merseyside).
Champions League expanded from eight to 12 teams
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The domestic Twenty20 winners of West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, as well as Delhi Daredevils, will also get an opportunity to participate in the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League, to be held from October 8-23 in India, just after the Champions Trophy. Lalit Modi, the tournament's chairman, said the prize money for the tournament will be US$ 6 million, and the draw will be held in London on June 23 after which the venues will be finalised.
Delhi have been included on the basis of having topped the round-robin stage of the 2009 IPL. They will be joined by Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore, the 2009 IPL finalists.
Other 2009 domestic finalists and winners include Victoria and New South Wales (Australia), Cape Cobras and Eagles (South Africa), Otago (New Zealand), Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) and Wayamba (Sri Lanka). England's Twenty20 Cup only begins on Monday and the finalists will only be decided on August 25.
There will be a total of 23 matches and the teams will be divided into four groups of three each to play on a league basis before the top two teams from each group move on to the second stage. The four top teams from there will play the semi-finals.
Last year's IPL finalists Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings will not be eligible. Sialkot Stallions, the winners of Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 tournament, will not feature as originally scheduled because their government has restricted travel to India.
"Unfortunately, the Pakistan government won't give them clearance to come to India, and since yesterday was out cut-off date, it's not possible to have a team from Pakistan this year," said Modi. "Delhi Daredevils this year have highest points from the league. But from next year, the third team from India will be decided from a play-off between the two losing semi-finalists."
Modi also said that players from the unofficial ICL could also represent their domestic teams, provided they resign from the league before May 31. However, if their domestic sides qualify for the Champions League those players will not be allowed to play as part of a "one-year cooling period".
The tournament was initially supposed to held from December 3-11 2008 in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore but was put off after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The cancellation came as a huge blow for the teams that qualified for the 2008 edition, as they would have received at least US$250,000 as participating fees. Each team gets a minimum guarantee amount for playing in the tournament.
On the night of the IPL final in Johannesburg, Modi said on television that the fourth season of the IPL, in 2011, could feature ten teams instead of eight.
Deccan snatch title in tense finish
Deccan Chargers 143 for 6 (Gibbs 53*, Kumble 4-16) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 137 for 9 (Ojha 3-28, Symonds 2-18) by six runs
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Deccan Chargers invoked the bull in their emblem to successfully defend a modest total, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore and win a tournament they had ended up last in the previous season. They bowled with fire, fielded aggressively and sledged and hustled - almost literally - to victory in a final that twisted and turned and lived up to the occasion.
The last of those turning points was the 15th over, bowled by Andrew Symonds, who matched his verbal skills from earlier in the night with the wickets of Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli off back-to-back deliveries. Bangalore were 99 for 6 when the over started, and Taylor had looked dangerous during his 20-ball 27. That Symonds over, though, was symbolic of the night: every time a batsman got away from the bowling, a breakthrough pulled the batting side back.
Defending a total three less than what Bangalore chased easily in the semi-final, Deccan came out pumped, their energy reflecting in their behaviour. Symonds shadowed the latest tyro, Manish Pandey, all the way from the dugout to the crease. Pandey was a marked man during his innings. Symonds followed him wherever he went, giving him lip. Ryan Harris matched the aggression with the ball, clocking 145kmph constantly in the first over, a maiden.
Jacques Kallis looked to take the pressure off his 19-year-old partner. In Harris' next over Kallis took two boundaries to get the chase going. RP Singh brought the balance back when Kallis pulled onto his stumps but out came Roelof van der Merwe, who used adrenalin to push Bangalore further towards the target.
van der Merwe got a mouthful from Symonds and Harris, but he responded by hitting two sixes off one Harris over. Despite the maiden, Harris had gone for 23 in three overs. Even after Pragyan Ojha got Pandey with the first ball he bowled, van der Merwe's pyrotechnics kept Deccan at a distance.
One ball summed up the adrenalin rush van der Merwe was feeling. Beaten in the flight by Ojha he managed an edge which saved him from being stumped but he also dropped his bat. He picked his bat up as he ran the first run, and turned a two into a three, saving himself from the run-out by sprinting down the middle of the pitch and diving into the stumps at the non-striker's end.
One six later the adrenalin got the better of van der Merwe as he jumped out to Ojha and was stumped. The tension was palpable, and it sort of got to a senior pro like Rahul Dravid too. As Bangalore targeted Harmeet Singh, Dravid missed a scoop and was bowled. Bangalore still held the edge, though, with Taylor and Mark Boucher in.
Taylor looked like taking Bangalore home coolly, hitting three fours and a six, until Symonds got him on the pull, with a touch of extra bounce. Adam Gilchrist pulled off a smart stumping down the leg side next ball, and it was all down to Boucher now.
Gilchrist tried to get through Harmeet's last over, during which the youngster claimed Boucher on the cut. The bowling allocation was planned perfectly: RP had two left, and Ojha and Harris one each. Bangalore, with two wickets in hand, needed 27 from the last two overs, and 15 from the last, but RP Singh and Ryan Harris kept their cool despite a six from Robin Uthappa.
Amid the tension of the second innings one felt for Anil Kumble, who spent the most of the last over at the non-striker's end and saw his dream crash. Earlier Kumble had celebrated like a teenager but bowled like the veteran champion he is, and kept Deccan down to a manageable target.
He bowled the first over of the match, took Gilchrist out, then came back in the ninth to dismiss Symonds. That wicket was crucial because Symonds had been dropped on 5 by Dravid, and was reminding Bangalore eerily of the line his batting partner Herschelle Gibbs was apocryphally told during the 1999 World Cup. Kumble again came on in the 17th over to break a dangerous 52-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Gibbs, when the two had taken Deccan to 110 for 3.
Towards the end Gibbs played a bizarre little innings. He had been inconspicuous in his struggle to score runs earlier, and didn't make much effort to farm the strike in the end. He faced only six balls in the last three overs, and kept taking twos in the last over to hand the strike over to Harris. He had batted the whole 20 overs for less than 60, much like Sachin Tendulkar, in more trying conditions, had in the first match of the tournament. Somehow they both ended up winning.
Collingwood stars in comfortable win
England 161 for 4 (Collingwood 47*, Bopara 43) beat West Indies 160 (Bravo 50, Broad 4-46, Collingwood 3-16) by six wickets
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England made easy work of a shambolic West Indies side as they coasted to a six-wicket victory at Bristol. A change of format and having the sun on their backs did nothing to improve the visitors' performance as they were shot out for 160. Stuart Broad did the damage at either end of the innings, but Paul Collingwood was the middle-order destroyer with 3 for 16 and Collingwood completed the victory with a sprightly, unbeaten 47.
The only stages that West Indies threatened to make a match where as Chris Gayle briefly flourished before being outdone by a smart piece of captaincy from Andrew Strauss, then when Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo added 63 for the fourth wicket. However, when Tim Bresnan removed Chanderpaul the order unravelled rapidly against tight bowling and a sharp fielding. England were impressive, but some of the shot selection and general thinking from West Indies left plenty to be desired as the last seven wickets tumbled for a paltry 53.
Broad was on target straight away after Andrew Strauss won a useful toss and trapped Lendl Simmons - who has suspect technique against the moving ball - leg before as the batsman played across a straight ball. In Broad's next over, as he pushed 90mph, he found the perfect length to bring Ramnaresh Sarwan into a loose push outside off.
Gayle, though, responded to the difficulty of 7 for 2 with typical bravado in his 200th ODI. He began by slashing Broad square then drilled him straight for four having almost picked out mid-off attempting a similar stroke. They were followed by a mighty swing over long-on for six and a slice through backward point and suddenly the momentum was shifting.
Strauss countered with a brave piece of captaincy as he introduced Graeme Swann inside the first Powerplay. The first ball to Gayle disappeared high over long-on for another maximum, but Swann is a confident bowler and didn't panic. He pushed the next delivery through a little quicker, Gayle eyed another boundary but the ball clipped the pad and crashed into the stumps. Strauss had gambled at bowling to Gayle's ego and it paid off.
Chanderpaul is so used to top-order wobbles that fixing them is second nature to him and alongside Bravo he steadied the innings. Bravo, who is coming off a six-week spell at the IPL after being ruled out of the Test series on medical advice, looked in good touch as he profited through his favourite leg-side area and also drove Dimitri Mascarenhas for a sweet straight six.
However, just as the stand with Chanderpaul was building a base for West Indies, Bresnan struck when Chanderpaul top-edged a pull to short third-man and shortly after Bravo reached a 55-ball fifty he missed a slower ball from Collingwood.
Although introduced as the sixth option, Collingwood proved mighty effective as he varied his pace and bowled a wicket-to-wicket line. Denesh Ramdin was trapped on the crease and Kieron Pollard was castled as he tried something expansive during the batting Powerplay. Between those wickets, Jerome Taylor was run out in a horrible mix-up with Pollard as he attempted a non-existent single to Strauss, and Broad wrapped up the innings in ruthless fashion with a short-pitched attack at the tail.
The innings folded so quickly that England started their chase before the interval and they lost Strauss when he got into a tangle against a Taylor short ball. Matt Prior, elevated to No. 3 in Kevin Pietersen's absence, guided a catch to Gayle at slip, who took it at the second attempt, but without the surprisingly rested Fidel Edwards West Indies lack the firepower to create major problems.
Ravi Bopara batted neatly, especially through the leg side, and was playing within himself when he was trapped in front of middle and leg by Bravo. It has been said many times, but West Indies would be a far better team if a few more players showed Bravo's enthusiasm. By most of the outfit it was a hopelessly lethargic effort, typified by a number of pieces of sloppy fielding (and even Bravo wasn't immune from that), although Pollard managed a late direct hit to send Owais Shah back for 38.
Shah, who didn't play at the IPL and has lost his Test place, took 13 balls to get off the mark but became more confident as his innings progressed although will be looking over his shoulder when Pietersen returns. Collingwood hit the ball sweetly to complete a day that couldn't have gone much better for England. However, even they will be secretly hoping that they are tested more than this in the near future.
