Category Archives: Cricket

England complete remarkable ICC World Cup comeback over South Africa

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England beat South Africa by six runs

Another one bites the dust...

It’s quite something that even though England have enjoyed a very successful few years at Test, one day and even Twenty20 level I still feel a sense of doom and gloom when they take to the field. More often than not it’s unfounded but then, like in the defeat to Ireland, my faith in my pessimism is restored.

When Strauss and Pietersen walked out to face South Africa in the small hours of Sunday morning I was watching and the doom and gloom was with me. Six balls later I sat unhappily smug as South Africa’s own Peterson removed both openers in the first over.

Despite a stand of 99 from Trott and the immaculate Bopara, England were bowled out without playing their 50 overs for just 171. My smug dissatisfaction grew and continued to do so when South Africa sat comfortably at 124-3.

Why, though, do I feel this way when England have demonstrated on so many occasions that really, they are never beaten (or victorious) until the final ball is bowled?

England duly took four wickets in five overs and, crucially, for just three runs. The wickets were shared out, Broad taking four, Anderson two and one apiece for Bresnan, Swann and Yardy but the pick was surely Broad, his four coming in just 6.4 overs and for 15 runs. England, in the end, won by six tight runs.

Winning the Ashes Down Under was a fantastic achievement but, typical of us English, we put it down to a much diminished Australian side rather than the brilliance and talent of our own men. There can be no such claims for this game, South Africa with the ball were outstanding, as too were England. It’s just that England were just plain better on the day.

It’s the fact that I doubt anyone expected them to be that is odd. Ok, England are very capable of shooting themselves in the foot still – I bring you back to the Ireland defeat as a perfect case in point – but overall it really is about time they were given the creedit and confidence they deserve, by me and many others.

The question now is whether or not they can win this World Cup. Good enough? Yes. Likely to throw it away with one bad performance? Possibly. Sensational to watch? No question.

The thrilling draw with India, the desperate but failed attempt to hold back Ireland and Kevin O’Brien in particular and now this incredible victory over South Africa. There is no better team to watch in this tournament, that’s for sure.

No World Cup? Cheer yourselves up with The Ashes

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Jimmy Anderson

Anderson takes 4 as England take charge against Australia in Adelaide

Yeah, ok, England didn’t win the right to host the World Cup in 2018 and it may be due to corruption, bribery, the English media, the BBC in particular or David Cameron. We’re all down about it as we’ll have to wait even longer to bring the game ‘home’. But cheer yourselves up!

In the Southern Hemisphere a little band of Englishman (and South Africans) is doing something that hasn’t been done for quite some time – competing and potentially winning against the Aussies at cricket.

In the first Ashes Test in Brisbane England salvaged a draw by putting in an innings of true brilliance, scoring 517-1 to post a target Australia had little hope of reaching in the time left. Captain Andrew Strauss led the way with 110 before falling, Jonathan Trott stepped in to score an unbeaten 135 not out but it was Alistair Cook who stole the show with an unprecedented 235 not out at the Gabba.

Confidence was high going into the second Test in Adelaide then and so it has proved after the first day. Just a few hours ago Australia were bowled out for just 245 on a wicket traditionally known for being batting-friendly. The England bowlers have followed on from where their batting counterparts left of in Brisbane, Jimmy Anderson showing that his game has improved immeasurably by finding wickets – 4-51 off 19 overs with four maidens – while Swann looked like he was returning to form with two wickets, Finn and Broad each grabbing one themselves.

If Strauss, Cook and Trott can retain their form from the first Test this wicket holds much for them and another 500+ innings beckons. At the moment, though it’s early days, things are looking decidedly good in Australia for England so put your World Cup blues behind you and instead get behind a successful English team. It’ll cheer you up, I promise!

England’s Ashes Squad Assessed

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The Ashes Urn

Small, innit! But means a lot to England and Australia

With the Ashes Series just 12 days away it’s a good time to look at the squad England have taken to Australia to attempt to retain the urn so brilliantly won in 2009 at the Oval.

Winning at home is one thing, winning in the Aussies own back yard is quite another and the squad picked and preparations done in the run up to the first Test on Thursday 25th November at the Gabba are vital.

So far the warm up matches have gone well and England’s players look in good form. Confidence appears high at the moment but it could all change when that first ball is bowled. Can England captain Andrew Strauss instill the confidence required in his men?

Andrew Strauss (Captain)

Strauss is far and away the best leader England have had in quite a long time. His ability with the bat and tactical mind will be tested to the full but it’s his ability to lead that makes him stand out as a vital – if not the vital – man in the squad. When the going is tough, as it surely will be in Australia, he is the perfect man to gee up his troops, rally them and keep them going.

With the bat he is quality, capable of scoring big yet calm enough to take his time if required. Going into an Ashes series away from home, Strauss is the captain you’d want to follow.

Alistair Cook (Vice-Captain)

There’s no doubting his talent, but Cook has had a tough time over the last 12-18 months, and he needs to bring consistency to his game. That said, if he is in form he will be a player the Aussies will fear. A century in the last warm up game against South Australia indicates he is hitting form at just the right time but there will be harder tests ahead, a fact that Andrew Strauss admitted to himself after the drawn match. Cook needs to retain his confidence now.

James Anderson

Has grown into an awesome bowler and has the ability to take the wicket of any batsman in world cricket. He will find it tougher in Australia with the Kookaburra ball swinging less than our version, but if he can find his line and length and tease something from it then he’ll do well. Confidence is sometimes an issue with Anderson so when things aren’t going his way he’ll need to remain positive and Strauss will have to keep him going.

Ian Bell

Bell’s form is an up and down one for sure and injury has kept his appearances limited in recent months. He’ll be called upon from the off though and if he is on a peak and not in a trough then you’ll see runs from the guy. He seems to be a lot more confident in his own abilities these days too, so if he keeps that going he could prove one of England’s key men. Or he could lose it, flop and not score a run. That’s the way it is with Bell.

Tim Bresnan

A relative newcomer to the England Test scene, Bresnan is not likely to start the first Test unless there are injuries to England’s first choice attack. He has proved very capable with the ball, however, and is in the squad on merit. Bresnan needs to make sure he stays sharp if he finds himself sitting on the bench for the majority of the Tour because it’s rare that a team doesn’t suffer at least one injury.

Stuart Broad

Without doubt one of England’s key players and could be considered the deciding factor in the team winning the Ashes in 2009 with a five wicket haul at the Oval in the final Test. A brilliant bowler who will be used a lot against Australia’s batsmen. He will definitely need to be in form if England are to retain the urn this year. Really looking forward to seeing what he can do Down Under.

Paul Collingwood

We’ve already said that things will not be easy for England in Australia but if there is one man you want to rely on in such circumstances it’s Paul Collingwood. Strong with the bat, a brilliant fielder and can way in on the bowling front too, he’ll be a lynchpin. His form is actually poor at the moment but Collingwood relishes a challenge and plays so much better under pressure than not. Another one of Strauss’ key players.

Steven Davies (Wicketkeeper)

Davies will play understudy to Matt Prior behind the stumps and won’t be called upon unless Prior suffers injury. If he is required though, he’ll bring huge talent with the bat and decent skills with the gloves. He’s managed to oust Craig Kieswetter in the one day form of the game, so he might well be deserving of his place in the Ashes squad.

Steven Finn

Young but mature, Finn is a tall fast bowler that can do a lot with the ball. He’s played himself into the Test side and continues to play to stay there, despite a couple of other very good bowlers pushing him hard, not least Chris Tremlett. As a partner for any of the bowlers in the attack his role will be vital in trying to bowl the Aussies out and keep runs at a premium.

Eoin Morgan

Morgan is considered the seventh batsmen for a squad of six and this bugs me. He has proven on more than one occasion that he is capable of stepping up and playing well in a variety of circumstances. If, as is expected, he is left out of the team for the first Test I’ll be bitterly disappointed, especially as there are other, bigger name admittedly, batsmen who don’t deserve to start right now. I fully expect Morgan to force his way into the first time during the series though. He could prove the difference if things are tight.

Monty Panesar

A surprise inclusion for me, Monty has been absent from the Test scene for a while and is very unlikely to get a look in with Graeme Swann playing so brilliantly. His temperament must also be in question – he’s been in trouble before for excessive appealing, for example, and the pressure cooker environment of an Ashes series is not where I’d like to see Panesar playing.

Kevin Pietersen

Call me controversial if you like, but I don’t want to see Pietersen start at the Gabba. I don’t doubt his awesome ability, he is one of the world’s best batsmen, but consistency hasn’t been one of his attributes for a very long time and he frustrates me so much with the way he gets out from strong positions. He deserves to be in the squad – but Morgan should start ahead of him until proven otherwise.

Matt Prior (Wicketkeeper)

A hugely improved wicketkeeper and a fantastic batsmen at number seven, Prior is one of those you can rely on. He’ll keep wicket calmly, play unselfishly and can score runs fast late on if it’s required. He’ll be a mainstay of the team and one of Strauss’ unofficial vice captains I think. Should England lose him to injury it would be a massive blow – that’s how important he has become.

Graeme Swann

The second best bowler in the world as it stands, Swann’s ability to bowl consistent, often devastating spin will be one of England’s main weapons against the Aussies and they will, even if they don’t admit it, fear him the most. He has, on occasion, proven quite handy with the bat too, and is one of the main reasons that England are so strong batting right down the line. England’s most important player? There’s a case for it.

Chris Tremlett

England had something of an injury scare in the run up to the Ashes when Jimmy Anderson broke a rib. The man responsible? Tremlett. His power and pace is awesome and he’ll be pushing Finn and perhaps even the aforementioned Anderson for their places. It’s a level of competition that England need in the bowling attack and Tremlett is actually a vital part of the squad, even if he doesn’t play.

Jonathan Trott

Like Collingwood, Trott’s ability to play under pressure is what makes him stand out from the crowd. He is unflappable and very consistent in scoring runs, vital to winning any Test match, let alone an Ashes Test. He takes his time when playing too, which will frustrate the Aussies a lot and no doubt lead to some verbals on the pitch. Trott will enjoy that as much as he does hitting fours and sixes.

So that’s the squad and for me it is well balanced with enough competition for places to keep all the players on their toes. Is it strong enough to retain the Ashes Down Under? On that I’m not so sure, but I think it is the squad with the best chance of doing so. Much will depend on the Australia squad and their level of confidence going into the series, of course, but it does promise to be an epic one.

What do you reckon? Can England win in the Southern Hemisphere or is it a step too far for them?

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff: A Colourful Career

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Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, England’s most charismatic all-rounder since Sir Ian Botham, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket this past week after it became clear that his damaged knee would never again hold up to the rigours of competitive cricket.

For fans of Flintoff and cricket in general it was a sad day. Despite the fact the timing of his announcement was met with cynical derision by certain people (Charlie Sale for one!), I choose to focus on the positives. First of all, we’ll not see Freddie struggle to make comeback after comeback only to break down and suffer bitter disappointment. For me, he’s made the right decision, for him and us as cricket fans.

We can now focus on the good he did in the game – and the bad he did off the wicket too, if we’re to be fair and balanced. So I’m going to pick five ‘highlights’ from his career that I remember fondly, starting with that last Ashes competition in 2009.

On the last day of the fifth Test at the Oval Australia captain Ricky Ponting was proving his usual stubborn self with the bat. Australia were still in with a shout of winning the match and the Ashes. Right up until Flintoff ran him out with a superb throw of the ball on 66. It was right that a moment of inspiration from Freddie contributed to vitory and ultimately, England winning the Ashes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvh-rh3S7hM[/youtube]

Of course, it was the Ashes in 2005 that made Flintoff a real England hero, especially when he bowled a sensational over – often described as the greatest over ever – that took the wickets of Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting. There’s no way to describe it that does it justice, so just watch it.

Genius. But what makes Freddie as popular as he is is not just his cricket, it’s his personality. Fun-loving, entertaining and occasionally fallible, he appears to be one of us. Speaking of entertaining, check out this sledging during a Test against the West Indies and especially that of batsmen Tino Best – he basically talks him into giving up his wicket! “Mind the windows, Tino!”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1NFbVx0uN8[/youtube]

Back to the cricket though, and his first hat trick. Again, it’s the West Indies on the receiving end as they chase 49 from 29 balls in a one day international in 2009. Freddie gets hit for four and then goes on a rampage. Bowled, LBW, bowled. Lovely stuff.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftjRR6j6C98[/youtube]

You can’t talk about Flintoff without mentioning his drunken behaviour. He’d probably prefer I didn’t, but it was one of those things that made us like him, made us feel like he was one of us. Who wouldn’t go get smashed after winning the Ashes for example? Alright, we might not all go out and steal a pedalo in St Lucia, but hey, that’s Freddie! That picture of him celebrating in the dressing room in 2005 with a cigar sums him up.

Freddie Flintoff

Finally, an iconic image from the 2005 Ashes again that showed the softer side of Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff. Australia lose the Test at Edgbaston by just two runs and as the England team and fans celebrate deliriously Flintoff ambles over to console a distraught Brett Lee. Lee, who had just scored a gutsy 43, was down on his haunches. Flintoff sank down next to him and shook his hand. It was, frankly, a beautiful moment.

Flintoff and Lee

There are hundreds more moments from Flintoff’s career that could have made this article. It was pretty difficult picking my favourite five and looking around the net I see that several others have chosen much the same, mostly relating to the Ashes series of 2005 and 2009. And why not? Freddie was “Mr Ashes” as well as an England superstar.

When people look back through the record books Flintoff’s stats will not put him up there with the very best all-rounders to be honest – an average of 32 with the bat and 33 with the ball in Tests is not all that brilliant – but Flintoff is more than just a cricketer. He’s a character and I hope the rumours of him forging a television career are true.

Personally, I’d love to see him commentating alongside Botham or Boycott. Either would be a dream team for me. For now, though, I’ll just wish Freddie all the best for the future and thank him for the memories. Cheers, fella, here’s to you.

What the f*ck is going on? Corruption everywhere!

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CorruptionIs 2010 destined to be remembered as the Year of Corruption in Sport? It might as well be.

A crap World Cup won’t be remembered but alleged Pakistan spot fixing in cricket will be.

Andy Murray in the Australian Open final won’t be remembered but John Higgins “almost” agreeing to throw snooker matches will be.

Even a successful European Ryder Cup-winning team won’t be remembered but Ferrari getting away with blatant cheating in Forumla One will be.

There’s so much cheating and corruption, whether real or alleged, going on at the moment that I can’t even begin to address each one individually. It just seems that winning, either in the sport or winning money on the sport, is now the be all and end all. It makes me sick.

There’s two types of corruption – cheating and match fixing. Neither are acceptable. With the former you stamp on the individuals or teams and make the penalties as harsh as you can. The latter, sadly, is so much harder to deal with. You can and should penalise the sportsmen and women in question but that’s not the real problem. It’s the betting syndicates and dodgy characters convincing these sportsmen and women to throw matches or alter the outcome of a game that are the problem.

How in God’s name you find them, prove it and prosecute I just don’t know. I wish I did. If you cannot trust the event, game or tournament you’re watching why would you watch?

That’s the danger for sport at the moment. ALL sports. Not just snooker and cricket. I’m now convinced it’s in every sport where there’s money. So football, rugby and the like are all in doubt in my eyes.

What a sad, sad state of affairs.

Pakistan cricket cheats should get more than life ban

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ICC LogoPut aside the ineffectual attempts by the ICC to remove corruption from cricket, ignore Lord Condon’s warnings regarding Asian betting syndicates and their influence and even allow the disturbing accusations that players’ families were threatened to pass and you are left with only one thing really – that three Pakistan players cheated for personal gain (allegedly).

Innocent until proven guilty is right and proper and as such the remaining games of the tour should go ahead. Those three under suspicion should not play a part simply because it would cast doubt on any result but they shouldn’t be prematurely pilloried by the public or press. They may be innocent.

However, if they are found guilty they should receive far more than a lifetime international ban. They should not be allowed to play professional cricket of any kind ever again and they should be prosecuted and jailed. Harsh? Damn right. How else will the message that corruption and cheating will not be tolerated get through not only to players but those influencing them?

I wrote a piece about corruption in sport a while back in which I pointed out the rather obvious fact that the more money there is in sport the more corruption there will be. Cricket and Hanse Cronje in particular were touched upon.

The introduction of Twenty20 cricket and the Indian Premier League have only increased the opportunity for shady characters to influence results and incidents.

The fact that this latest scandal has hit Test cricket is odd but hardly surprising. The question now is what can and will be done about it?

The three players in question – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – have been charged and suspended, yes, but how they are going to be investigated is what concerns me. Clearly the ICC did little last time despite Condon’s warnings and their public announcements of non-tolerance are hollow.

I think they worry too much about the public image of cricket. To undergo a thorough and likely damning investigation right across the sport would tarnish it, of that there is no doubt. But surely it is better to do that now than to have every result in doubt forever?!

A clean sport would receive far more public support than one suffering from even a suspicion of corruption. Right now, the cricket watching public are disgusted. It can’t go on.

It has to start with the ICC taking a stand now, in conjunction with the police and other authorities in every cricketing nation. Arrests, prosecutions and jailing should take place and that HAS to include the players found guilty too. Often sportsmen get away with actual criminal charges simply because of who they are, but that can’t continue.

Yes, the dodgy bookies and dealers need to be taught that they can’t influence sports but the players also need to learn that, whatever the related circumstances, they simply cannot agree to assist them.

As a fan of many sports, not just cricket, it would put me right off if I thought there was any chance what I was watching was somehow tainted and I would rather see my sporting heroes banged up than have the whole sport ruined.

If, for example, Ryan Giggs was found guilty of match fixing I would gladly though sadly see him punished to the fullest extent of the law. Giggs is my ultimate sporting hero. That’s how strongly I feel about it and imagine most sports fans would feel too.

So come on…let’s put a stop to this in cricket and every other sport now before the whole thing is rendered pointless. Investigate, charge, prosecute and jail. Enough is enough, especially in cricket.

England limited overs success continues in style

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Stuart BroadEngland won their seventh one day international in a row, beating Australia comfortably by four wickets – the same as they did in the first match earlier in the week.

A two-nil lead in the series against Australia builds on the World Twenty20 title England won in the West Indies and they can wrap it up early with victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The perhaps surprising success of England’s limited overs side in the last year or so can be put down to picking the right players in the right positions for the right matches, something that hasn’t always been done. The selectors have at times been ruthless, leaving established Test players out in favour of young, promising players like Craig Kieswetter and Michael Yardy.

Bringing those players in alongside more experienced players like Collingwood and Pietersen has worked and England are reaping the rewards now.

There were no heroics from Eoin Morgan this time, England having to rely on a team performance with solid innings from captain Andrew Strauss (51), Pietersen (33) and Paul Collingwood (48). Morgan, however, still top scored with 52 as England successfully chased down 240 target set by Australia in Cardiff.

Special mention must go to Stuart Broad who took 4 wickets for 44 runs to keep Australia’s total down on his 24th birthday. When taking Tim Paine’s wicket he became the youngest bowler to take 100 ODI wickets. Happy birthday and congratulations to Broad!

The one downside on the day was the failure of Kieswetter with the bat, scoring just 8 runs. If he wants to keep Matt Prior out of the side he will need to do better. Fortunately for him the selectors aren’t as inclined to chop and change on a match to match basis for reasons of form and he will remain in the side for the next game.

Watching England play cricket is a joy at the moment and long may it continue – especially into the Ashes Series Down Under this winter…

Aussies undone by multi-national England

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Eoin MorganEngland, led by a South African partnered by a South African  and whose star player is a South African, had to rely on a brilliant innings from an Irishman to achieve a well deserved victory over Australia in the first of of a six game one day series.

Set a target of 268 by Australia in their 50 overs, England opened with captain Strauss and new discovery wicket keeper batsman Craig Keiswetter. Strauss hit two fours in the opening over but was out soon after for just 10 runs with England on 16.

It won’t be the innings Strauss wanted, as his position as limited overs captain is under scrutiny following Collingwood’s brilliant captaincy when England won the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. The England hierarchy will keep faith in him for a while yet, but Strauss is in desperate need of a decent score soon.

Pietersen, England’s third South African on the day, came in to share a partnership of 50 with Kieswetter but again fell short of his own high standards, getting out for just 29. When Kieswetter went for 38 and Paul Collingwood quickly followed for only 11 England looked in serious trouble at 97 for 4.

But they needn’t have worried. Up stepped Eoin Morgan to share partnerships of 95 with Luke Wright and 71 with Tim Bresnan to take England to the brink of victory. Bresnan fell for 27 with England just five runs short of victory, Michael Yardy clipped a single to get Morgan back on strike and the Irishman duly wrapped up his century and victory with a four.

It was a mature innings from the man who is fast overtaking Kevin Pietersen as England’s premier batsman, at least on the one day stage, and it is surely only a matter of time before he becomes a regular in the Test side.

England take a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second game scheduled for tomorrow in Cardiff.

There are questions to be answered still, however, not the least the issue of who should captain England’s limited overs side. Strauss remains undisputed Test captain, and rightly so, but he will be feeling pressure over his role in this team. Without runs he is a liability as an opener and there are several players waiting in the wings to take his opening place. That would mean a new captain would have to be selected, likely to be Collingwood despite his claims he isn’t interested in captaining the one day side again.

The other question mark is over the wicket keeper batsmen position. There’s no doubt that Kieswetter is up to the job whereas Test player Matt Prior has found himself out of the side due to lack of runs. Kieswetter is the better batsman, Prior, at the moment, the better keeper. But whereas you can learn to keep wicket, you cannot learn to be a better batsman than than the skills you were given. Is Prior’s tTest place under threat then? Time will tell.

For now, England can celebrate taking the lead in this series and will look to push on in Cardiff. Strauss, though, is going to have to play better.

England versus Bangladesh – where’s the value?

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Kevin Pietersen

Pietersen: Just not up for it

The only thing that’s certain when one of cricket’s top teams plays Bangladesh is that Bangladesh will lose – unless it rains. The questions I want to try and answer here are – what’s the point in a team as poor as Bangladesh even playing in these Test matches and what’s the point in the better teams playing Bangladesh? Who learns anything?

Geoffrey Boycott was asking the same questions on Test Match Special after the first Test at Lords. He came to the conclusion that it can’t be good for an emerging nation to continually lose at Test level. I agree. Bangladesh, obviously, don’t.

Yet it must damage confidence, will, desire and just puts an air of negativity amongst the players. There will always be the argument that testing yourself against your betters allows you to grow and improve and that is true to an extent. But surely you have to have a hope of inflicting defeat on your opponent for that to be the case.

For Bangladesh, playing against the likes of England and Australia is counter-productive. It’s a test, sure, but only of their player’s will to continue turning out for their nation.

And what of the better team? Today saw the start of the second Test between England and Bangladesh at Old Trafford – what will England get out of it? You would perhaps think that a chance to really swing the bat and rack up a huge score would inspire, but it’s the opposite. Just look at Kevin Pietersen for example. He can hardly be bothered playing.

Far from allowing the batsmen and bowlers to expand on their skills it deadens them. There is no challenge, no risk, no fear of defeat. And so they become lazy. Witness the morning session today – Strauss and Trott gone in just four balls. Why? They simply did not bring their A game. Credit must go to the Bangladesh bowlers, of course, they did their jobs well. But I believe England allowed them to do so by simply not being ‘up for it’.

It is hardly worthy preparation for an Ashes series Down Under either.

Mr Boycott’s suggestion that Bangladesh should not be troubing the international elite but should instead by facing County sides around the world until they are more prepared to handle the rigours of the full Test arena. It’s not a bad idea, but it’s not the money spinner that various cricket boards would want. Ah, money again. Always crops up doesn’t it.

A better idea would be to create a second tier of international sides. Bangladesh, Zimbabwe (when possible), Ireland, Scotland all battling it out for promotion to full Test status for the following 12 months perhaps. It has its flaws but could be worth a try to help the lesser nations find their feet within the game.

Given enough time, of course, Bangladesh could establish themselves as a serious cricketing nation. As could Ireland, Scotland et al. But why not help them along the way with a better structured international set up. Just a thought…

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments.

Hussey blitz sends Australia into ICC T20 final

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Michael Hussey has just this minute sent Australia into the ICC Twenty20 World Cup final with an astonishing 60 in just 24 balls.

Michael HusseyHussey hit six sixes and three fours as he helped his side chase down the impressive 191 set by Pakistan. Australia looked in dire trouble at 62 for 4 until Cameron White hit a good 43 – with five sixes of his own – before being caught by Hafeez off the bowling of Aamer. It could all have been over there but Hussey was having none of it. In at number seven, he came out swinging, determined to get Australia over the finish line.

He duly did that, the winning runs coming off another massive six to give Australia a three wicket win.

Described on Sky Sports as the greatest Twenty20 match ever, it sets up an England v Australia final on Sunday in Barbados. While Paul Collingwood’s men would have been feeling rightly confident following a 100% winning streak from the Super Eight stage, they must now be feeling doubt set in after Australia’s display tonight.

Nevertheless, England have been good themselves and the final should make for a cracking game of T20 cricket. We’ll be watching it – hope you can join us!

What do you reckon – best run chase you’ve ever seen? So says Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special. Is he right? Let us know what you think in the comments.

England reach T20 World Cup semis with 100% record

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England’s ICC Twenty20 World Cup squad may have stumbled into the Super Eights group stage thanks to weather and the much criticised Duckworth Lewis method of scoring – a no result against Ireland and a defeat to the West Indies in the opening stage – but the fact they got there seems to have breathed new life into Paul Collingwood’s men.

Eoin Morgan

Morgan's 40 off 34 helped England top Group E

A 100% record since then sees them top Group E ahead of Pakistan and means they will avoid Australia and instead face the runner up in Group F in the semi finals.

The three match winning streak took in Pakistan (beaten by six wickets), South Africa (beaten by 39 runs) and last night’s impressive and calm beating of New Zealand by three wickets.

Kevin Pietersen, who we had a little problem with in the run up to the tournament, starred against Pakistan and South Africa, scoring 73 and 53, but was missing against New Zealand as he’d flown home to attend the birth of his son. It didn’t matter though.

A sensible, calm and determined England recovered from 60-3 in the eighth over chasing 149 to win in no small part to impressive innings Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright  who added 52 before Tim Bresnan rounded off the three wicket win with a four. Earlier England’s bowlers had kept New Zealand’s scoring to a minimum in the opening overs before they found their feet to reach 149-6 in their 20 overs.

England had already qualified for the semi finals thanks to Pakistan’s defeat of South Africa earlier in the day, but Collingwood knew the importance of keeping a winning momentum going into the knockout stages and he made sure his team knew it too. It was impressive stuff and will no doubt increase confidence throughout the squad.

Pietersen will be back for the match, which could be against any one from Sri Lanka, India or the West Indies. The good thing is, they will avoid Australia. England may fancy a bit of revenge against the Windies after the controversial Duckworth Lewis result in the first round. We’ll find out later today as India play Sri Lanka and Australia face the West Indies.

Whoever it is, England are looking good and there’s a belief growing that they could go all the way. But whisper it…this IS England, after all…

What do you reckon – do England have a chance of winning the trophy or will they choke as the pressure grows? Let us know in the comments.