If the Australian’s found something close to their best form at the Oval, England’s luck seemed to have deserted them at times and captain Andrew Strauss blamed a ‘return to bad habits’ for the 78 run defeat.

The Australian’s put on 290 for 5 with the bat with both Michael Clarke (99 not out) and Ricky Ponting (92) starring, but England’s belief that they could chase the Aussie total down was misguided as the batting order collapsed around their ears.

Fast bowler Ryan Harris picked up 5 wickets for Australia at the expense of just 32 runs as only Michael Yardy could get past the 50 mark for England, scoring 57 runs.

While it was a poor effort from the England batsmen, Australia harried them into mistakes with some sharp bowling and fielding throughout the session and thoroughly deserved the win skittling England for 212 in 42.4 overs.

Andrew Strauss said;

“It was not so good today. I thought we could chase 290 but we lost too many wickets too early. It was a disappointing day, but you have to put it in the context of the series. We have had a lot of good days so far and we want to finish well.

We certainly want to finish the series 4-1 instead of 3-2 and finish well. As for personnel we’ll have to see how the players are tomorrow.”

Australia looked to be comfortable with the bat after being put in by Andrew Strauss, after 13 overs amassing 75 runs for no wicket, jangling the English nerves.

A decent spell from Graeme Swann (4 for 37) and then James Anderson (3 for 22) put England firmly in the driving seat dismissing the Australians for 212 in 46 overs.

With the rapid loss of Kieswetter (0) to substitute Tait’s bowling, Australia fancied having a go, but captain Andrew Strauss steadied the ship for England with a fine innings, putting on 87 runs before being dismissed at 189 for 5.

Needing just 28 runs and with six wickets in hand in the 42nd over, some fine bowling from Tait and Bollinger had the England attack twitching.

Finally Tom Bresnan became the England hero, scrambling the runs needed for the win in the final two overs of the game, with five balls spare.

There are two matches left in the series for Australia to redeem themselves, but victory is not an option as England hold a 3-0 advantage.

Australia’s Michael Clarke had already scored his highest One Day International score in England with 87 not out, setting a reasonably challenging target for the English batsmen to chase, following some mediocre run scoring from some of the Aussie big hitters.

But for a long while the Australians held the upper hand with Strauss and Collingwood going particularly cheaply.  Kieswetter (38) and Pietersen (29) didn’t really set the place alight either and it was left to Morgan and Luke Wright to put on a 95 run partnership in15 overs to turn the game in England’s favour.

Suddenly England had the impetus in what had looked to be a much closer game only a few overs before and Morgan’s ability to pick the right shots at the right time ensured that the hosts would win the game with an impressive four overs to spare.

Of course being English we are easily able to forget how fickle the weather is in our country and the frustration of rain interrupting play, but in reality that is part and parcel of the game almost everywhere.

With the Ashes and T20 World Cup trophies in their pockets the England team is about to set out on a memorable summer of International cricket.

The first of three series of  One Day Internationals starts in just a couple of weeks time on June 22nd with five matches against Australia, followed by three matches against Bangladesh.

One Day Internationals return for a final series of five matches against Pakistan on September 10th, preceded by two Twenty20 games with Pakistan on September 5th and 7th.

If limited over cricket is a bit too exciting, Test match fans will be happy to know that they too are well catered for in the upcoming months.

Pakistan will entertain Australia in the npower test match series that runs from July 13th to July 25th with a five day series at both Lords and Headingley.

On July 29th Pakistan will take on England in the same npower series with matches taking place at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, both five day series that will end on August 10th.

The Ashes series will follow in Australia on November 25th and finishing on December 30th and if you are in Australia for Christmas the Ashes tickets are available now to make for an even more unforgettable holiday down under.

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One of England’s heroes from the Test matches against Bangladesh, Finn took 15 wickets from the two match series, including a 5 for 42 during the final innings of the game.

National selector Geoff Miller has told the 21 year old bowler that he will be rested from the upcoming summer One Day Internationals against Australia and Bangladesh to undergo a similar programme that led to Stuart Broad being rested for the recent Test matches.

With the emergence of so much young talent in the England squad the selectors obviously feel that have enough cover available to enable them to undertake ongoing training programmes for their young stars without fielding a weakened side.

It is great news for England cricket that the national team has such a depth of quality and that young players are not just being given the opportunity to play at the highest level, but are grabbing their chance with both hands.

It wasn’t too long ago that the fans would wince at the loss of players like Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen who could change a game single handed, how things have changed over the past year or so.

New stars have emerged as England stole the Ashes from Australia last year and have continued to come in and perform at the highest level ever since. To allow these young stars to continue ongoing training programmes has to be applauded and can only make them even better players for the future.

For the first time in many years the future of national English Cricket looks bright, lets hope that at last we are getting things right at every level of the game.

T20 World Cup 2010

The much anticipated T20 World Cup starts today in Guyana with Sri Lanka opening the tournament with their game against New Zealand. Ireland will face the West Indies in the second match of the opening day.

The ICC President David Morgan has promised a festival atmosphere in the Caribbean, expecting a celebration of all that is good about West indies cricket.

Morgan has urged the people of the Caribbean to bring their enthusiasm and passion for cricket to the matches and make it a memorable event for everyone involved.

“Bring your musical instruments, your songs and cheers, your flags, banners and colourful costumes. And, above all, bring that party spirit for which cricket matches in the West Indies are famous.”

Australia start as narrow favourites to win the tournament, but England’s T20 underachievers are getting former captain Michael Vaughan excited.

Having secured warm up wins against Bangladesh and South Africa, confidence in the England camp is bound to be high. Despite the top order pairing of Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter yet to prove themselves, Vaughan is hopeful for Paul Collingwood’s team and says;

“This is the first time I have got excited about the England squad coming into the T20 World Cup. For the first time we have guys in the batting with power from one to seven. Maybe we’re a little bit inexperienced in the bowling department, but I think it’s the batting which has let us down in the past. We have had guys who have played in the Indian Premier League – which is a big plus to a team going into a tournament like this. I would be disappointed if we don’t put up some kind of fight.”

Meanwhile Ireland will be action on day one of the tournament having lost their warm ups against New Zealand and Afghanistan. They face the West Indies today in their opening game and coach Phil Simmons is confident that Ireland will come good, suggesting that his team still have the desire to perform in the competition.

The tournament is split into four groups of three with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the Super Eights.

The semi-finals take place in St Lucia on 13 and 14 May and the final in Barbados on 16 May.

alastair cook

Alastair Cook, leading an overseas tour for the first time in Bangladesh, in the absence of rested skipper Andrew Strauss, has come through with flying colours overseeing a 3-0 win in the One Day Internationals and 2-0 in the Test matches.

Like Stewart, Cook has led England from the front throughout the Bangladesh tour and his centuries in both Test matches have been an outstanding testament to his leadership qualities with the bat.

England arrived in Bangladesh where they were expected to win 3-0 and 2-0 respectively in the ODI and Test games and Cook has earned his stripes as stand in skipper, ensuring that his team delivered in the hard conditions of heat and flat wickets in Mirpur and Chittagong.

Cook is happy with the results ground out throughout the tour, but accepts that he still has much to learn in the form of captaincy. He said:

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more on the tour, we were expected to win 3-0 and 2-0 and we have. It’s been a lot of hard work and a lot of credit goes to Bangladesh for the way they’ve made us work, especially in the last 10 days, and it’s a very satisfying feeling.

But the captaincy had its moments. I now know how I need to get better as a captain, especially with my leadership in the dressing room. Areas like that that I need to work on. I couldn’t have asked for any more support from the players and coaches and I can now go back, speak to a few people and get the best out of myself as a captain.

There are a lot of things to improve. I didn’t really know what would happen as a captain so there were eye-openers, but they will have to stay private for me to develop as a captain.”

craig kieswetter

Craig Kieswetter was the hero for England as they completed a whitewash against Bangladesh in the One Day International series.

England completed the 3-0 victory over Bangladesh with a 45 run advantage with South African born Kieswetter scoring his maiden ODI century, ending on 107 from 124 balls.

The England team had reached 284 for 5 in their innings and seamer Tom Bresnan played his part with a superb 4 for 28 keeping Bangladesh on the back foot throughout.

The Tigers could only muster 239 for 9 and ended the game in Chittagong easily beaten. But it was not all plain sailing for England and the Bangladesh spinners kept England at bay for long periods of the match and while one South African born player earned the plaudits another, Kevin Pietersen again raised question marks over his one day game, falling lbw for a measly 22.

Paul Collingwood was also short of his most fluent game and fell for 36, But Kieswetter along with Eoin Morgan, took the batting powerplay in the 41st over and effectively won the game with a splendid 103 from the last nine overs.

Final score:
England 284 for 5   Bangladesh 239 for 9

andrew strauss

Both England captain Andrew Strauss and South African captain Graeme Smith feel that their respective teams are capable of better performances than they have so far achieved in the five game ODI series and both will be hoping for a dominant performance in the final game tomorrow.

England, perhaps surprisingly, have the edge over South Africa in this competition so far, leading 2-1 with one to go following the first match wash out, they are in a position where they cannot lose the series and a far cry from the dreadful ODI series against Australia earlier this year.

Smith meanwhile will be spitting feathers whenever he reads the scoreline, he said ahead of the final game;

“If we had played to our potential England would have had to take a few more risks up front while they were batting instead of us allowing them to play a certain way. We haven’t pushed them to perform under pressure and that is disappointing.”

Strauss acknowledged that England had put South Africa under pressure in the series, and says that the team have progressed quite a long way but adds that England are far from the finished article and still have a long way to go.

The England captain said; “We have to play well tomorrow and have to expect another South African backlash.”

england cap record holder

Paul Collingwood was instrumental in England’s win over South Africa on Sunday in the second of five One Day Internationals. Leading with the bat to earn an unbeaten 105, taking a superb catch off AB de Villiers and taking two wickets for 24 of six overs.

A superb all round performance from Collingwood on his record beating 171st England appearance in which he scored his fifth ODI century and helping England to a 1-0 advantage in the series following the the first game wash out.

Having eclipsed the record of 170 England appearances held by Alec Stewart, 33 year old Collingwood has emerged as the country’s most potent threat in one day cricket, even though his form at Test level remains indifferent.

Collingwood has undoubtedly worked hard on his game since making his first international appearance in 2001, not gifted with the natural ability of the likes of crowd pleasers Andrew Flintoff or Ian Botham, he has worked on his weaknesses throughout the years and developed his one day game not just with the bat but as a genuine all rounder.

His bowling has improved beyond compare, starting as a medium pace bowler, Collingwood has mastered variations in his bowling style and is able to mix it with some of the best, while his fielding as an England player is second to none.

Collingwood said that he was proud to have broken the record of England caps and added, ” To go out there and put a performance in like that, it makes it a very special day.”

In typical fashion Collingwood chose to deflect the spotlight from his own achievments and pointed to England opener Jonathan Trott’s 87 runs, saying;

“He played a lovely anchor role and put us into a really strong position. When someone comes into international cricket, it’s easy to tell them to keep doing what they do in county cricket, be he’s just focussed on what he does well for Warwickshire. Today was a prime example of that.”

Meanwhile with over 4,000 runs, 99 wickets and 98 catches in his England career, Collingwood is on the threshold of  becoming the first Englishman, and only the ninth overall, to reach the unique ‘treble’ of 1,ooo runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches.