From bigstarcricket.com News England were thrashed by ten wickets in the $20 million match against the Stanford Superstars Saturday as Ramnaresh Sarwan and Co. became instant millionaires while Kevin Pietersen's England left with nothing.
The only thing England won all night was the toss. They batted first in front of the 10,000 capacity and an estimated 700 million television audience world-wide and were bowled out for a below-par 99 in 19.5 overs. England’s batsmen struggled from start to finish (only seven boundaries were scored with no sixes) as Samit Patel top-scored with 22.
The Superstars, cheered on by paymaster Allen Stanford and at his side champion golfer Vijay Singh, scored 101-0 in 12.4 overs to cap a miserable night and time in general on the paradise island.
Inpired captain Gayle hit a six to win the match and finish 65 not out from 45 deliveries (with five towering sixes) and rookie opener Andre Fletcher was 32 before collapsing to his knees on the point of victory as emotions ran high. Most of England’s players at least will have another four opportunities to claim their big prize as this was the first in a series of five matches to be played once a year.
Gayle’s side started nervously in their pursuit of the modest target of 100. In the first over, Fletcher should have been run out to the opening ball but Patel missed the stumps with his throw from square leg. Fletcher then edged a Steve Harmison short ball over the slips before Gayle survived an lbw appeal that went to third umpire Steve Davis.
Fletcher, who survived a caught behind appeal that was referred to Davis when on 14, eased the tension for the home crowd by striking Stuart Broad for three consecutive boundaries in the second over.
By the end of the fifth over, the Superstars were 49-0 and with seven fours and two sixes – outperforming England’s boundary count for the entire innings. Gayle cracked Harmison for a four and two sixes over long-on in three straight balls to almost rubberstamp who would be instant millionaires by the end of the game.
While England’s batsmen did their best to make the pitch appear like a snake pit and the Superstars bowlers exactly that, Gayle and Fletcher blazed away with abandon against a quality international attack.
Full marks should go to the Stanford Superstars, whose side included West Indies stalwarts like Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor along with rookie internationals like Sulieman Benn (who claimed 3-16 with his off-spin), Fletcher, Kieron Pollard and Dave Mohammed.
Darren Sammy’s 2-13 from his four overs typified his side’s calm ruthlessness and clinical outplay. Their bowling and fielding display was as impressive as England’s batting was rash, hot-headed and thoughtless with too much emphasis on fearlessness in the knowledge it is not an ‘official’ match and no thought of consolidation.
We should not really be surprised with the way the result went given the lip service, body language and general demeanour of England’s players in Antigua. Pietersen said he would be happy when the event was over while the England players’ union chief said they felt the tournament was like a “garden party”.
Stanford’s Superstars attended a training camp for six weeks directly prior to the event with a social curfew part of their schedule, put in place by team coaches and former West Indies all-rounders Roger Harper and Eldine Baptiste; an interesting contrast of preparation and attitudes between the teams.
In terms of the action, Pietersen was at the wicket in the fourth over after England lost openers Ian Bell and Matt Prior (both bowled) within three Jerome Taylor deliveries. England were then reduced to 29-3 when Owais Shah pulled a ball from Sammy high into the black Antiguan sky. Dave Mohammed, after mis-field in the first over, made no mistake despite a team-mate almost crashing into him.
England were reliant on their two most dangerous hitters in captain Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff to kick-start their innings. But the situation worsened when Pietersen departed to make it 33-4, as he moved across to outside off only to lose his leg stump to Sammy’s medium pace.
Pietersen is probably the most unpredictable, talented batsman in world cricket but that magical ability can sometimes become his downfall when he asks himself to play the most awkward of strokes. Because of his wizardry, more often than not he gets away with it, like the switch-hit sixes against New Zealand this year. But when he gets his shot selection wrong, it can appear to be misplaced arrogance.
Flintoff also failed to resurrect England’s faltering innings. After hitting Pollard for a fierce boundary straight down the ground, he misread the next ball, a slower one, and was bowled. The remainder of the batting gradually disintegrated.
It will be one big party in Antigua but who would want to be an England player? © Copyright bigstarcricket.com |