Ashes rivals get it right for Twenty20
Source: Agencies |
May 11, 2010, Tuesday
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AUSTRALIA and England, traditional rivals in the oldest form of the game, are excelling at the newest and look favorites to reach the final of the Twenty20 World Cup.
The test foes initially struggled to adjust to the demands of the shortest and most intense form of cricket, perhaps not considering it a format worth taking too seriously.
But after being the only teams to win their opening two Super Eight games in the Caribbean over the past two weeks, they are each a win away from a place in the last four and look the sharpest in the tournament.
"With the strength of our squad we believe whatever position we get into we can win," Australia skipper Michael Clarke said after his team recovered from 67 for five to win by a huge 81 runs against Sri Lanka on Sunday. Cameron White (85 off 49 balls) and Michael Hussey (39 not out) added 101 runs, a record sixth-wicket partnership. Australia finished at 168 for five.
Sri Lanka collapsed to 87 all out.
"We want to win this tournament, we haven't performed as well as we'd like in the first two Twenty20s and we are here to be successful," Clarke added. We've all been working really hard together. We can take a lot of confidence but there is a long way to go and in conditions that probably won't suit our fast bowlers quite as well," he said, referring to the slower surface in St Lucia where Australia takes on hosts West Indies today.
West Indies captain Chris Gayle struck a powerful 98 on Sunday to lead his team to a 14-run victory over India in front of a wildly celebrating home crowd.
Australia's opening batsmen, Shane Watson and Dave Warner, have shown they can get their team off to a rattling start but even when they fail, middle order batsmen such as White have answered the call.
"When someone misses out, someone stands up. In all facets of our game we are playing pretty well. St Lucia will throw up different conditions for us. We need to adapt and win," said White.
Despite inventing the popular new format in its domestic game, England looked clueless in the earliest days of international Twenty20 and tried 15 different opening partnerships prior to this tournament. But this time it has brought a specialist team with plenty of big-hitting players and bowlers well suited to demands against ultra-attacking batsmen.
"We are playing the exact brand of cricket we set out to, as aggressive as possible with the bat and then to create as much pressure as possible with the spinners," said off-spinner Graeme Swann.
"I genuinely think, for the first time looking at an England team, we can actually win this. It's not all hot air and bluster," he added.
Kevin Pietersen, who smashed a magnificent 53 against South Africa on Saturday, says that the shortest format of the game is no longer simply entertainment for those who crave 'party cricket'.
"The more you play, the better you get. Twenty20 cricket is serious business now," he said.
An 'Ashes final' on May 16 would certainly be just that.
The test foes initially struggled to adjust to the demands of the shortest and most intense form of cricket, perhaps not considering it a format worth taking too seriously.
But after being the only teams to win their opening two Super Eight games in the Caribbean over the past two weeks, they are each a win away from a place in the last four and look the sharpest in the tournament.
"With the strength of our squad we believe whatever position we get into we can win," Australia skipper Michael Clarke said after his team recovered from 67 for five to win by a huge 81 runs against Sri Lanka on Sunday. Cameron White (85 off 49 balls) and Michael Hussey (39 not out) added 101 runs, a record sixth-wicket partnership. Australia finished at 168 for five.
Sri Lanka collapsed to 87 all out.
"We want to win this tournament, we haven't performed as well as we'd like in the first two Twenty20s and we are here to be successful," Clarke added. We've all been working really hard together. We can take a lot of confidence but there is a long way to go and in conditions that probably won't suit our fast bowlers quite as well," he said, referring to the slower surface in St Lucia where Australia takes on hosts West Indies today.
West Indies captain Chris Gayle struck a powerful 98 on Sunday to lead his team to a 14-run victory over India in front of a wildly celebrating home crowd.
Australia's opening batsmen, Shane Watson and Dave Warner, have shown they can get their team off to a rattling start but even when they fail, middle order batsmen such as White have answered the call.
"When someone misses out, someone stands up. In all facets of our game we are playing pretty well. St Lucia will throw up different conditions for us. We need to adapt and win," said White.
Despite inventing the popular new format in its domestic game, England looked clueless in the earliest days of international Twenty20 and tried 15 different opening partnerships prior to this tournament. But this time it has brought a specialist team with plenty of big-hitting players and bowlers well suited to demands against ultra-attacking batsmen.
"We are playing the exact brand of cricket we set out to, as aggressive as possible with the bat and then to create as much pressure as possible with the spinners," said off-spinner Graeme Swann.
"I genuinely think, for the first time looking at an England team, we can actually win this. It's not all hot air and bluster," he added.
Kevin Pietersen, who smashed a magnificent 53 against South Africa on Saturday, says that the shortest format of the game is no longer simply entertainment for those who crave 'party cricket'.
"The more you play, the better you get. Twenty20 cricket is serious business now," he said.
An 'Ashes final' on May 16 would certainly be just that.
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