The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Pietersen makes the day for England

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Monday, Jun 20, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

Pietersen makes the day for England

Ted Corbett

BRISTOL: It is difficult to write about the misery that has wrapped itself round the Australians like a cloak; turn away for a second and another piece of ill-luck or bad judgement has dented their confidence.

England knocked another hole in the Aussie ego when it won the NatWest tournament match by three wickets thanks to — guess who? — Kevin Pietersen with a six-laden unbeaten 90 off 65 balls. He hit 61 off his last 26 balls. Astonishing!

Overnight the Aussies held court to decide they hated the way their all-rounder Andrew Symonds had stayed out all night celebrating Shane Watson's birthday and suspended him for two matches. He apologised and admitted he had let down his teammates and himself.

Whatever happened to the legends of Rodney Marsh and David Boon drinking all the way to England and the smoking and drinking habits of Doug Walters. Rumour says Symonds rang his pious, sleeping mates and invited them to join him.

Naturally, after their long night time debate on Symonds' misdemeanours, they set off late for the ground, took a wrong turning in the narrow lanes that pass for streets in this ancient city and must have been in danger of being timed out.

Ricky Ponting was in place for the toss which he won and, not having learned anything from the havoc caused when he batted against Bangladesh, decided to throw his batsmen on to the glorious looking Nevil Road pitch with a target of 300.

Under performing

They responded by under performing yet again and making only 252 for nine after a spell from Steve Harmison, who took his first five-wicket haul in a one-day international, including three wickets in four balls and a catch from Paul Collingwood at backward point that defied prose description.

In contrast England performed superbly. It is the first time in a long while that I have seen one of its players respond to the crowd as Harmison did when, having had Adam Gilchrist caught behind he raced in and had Ponting lbw at 93 miles an hour.

The suave Damien Martyn survived one ball but then played an uppercut at his second and saw Kevin Pietersen fasten on to the ball at third man.

Great catch

The best was yet to come. Matthew Hayden was much more composed than in his feverish innings against Bangladesh and seemed set for a big score when he reached the 16th over with 31, including one of the four sixes off Jon Lewis. He square cut the first ball of the 16th ten feet off the ground and, apparently, well above Collingwood 20 yards from the bat.

Collingwood leapt sideways to his left and then stuck up his right hand. As he realised the ball had stuck, he flung it high and sent his cap soaring after it.

It was a moment that deserved to win a series much less a match but once again the Australian middle order, led by Mike Hussey with 84, turned 63 for four into 220 for seven.

Michael Clarke again looked a future Australian captain. As Ponting is accumulating critics by the hour that could be sooner rather than later.

Jason Gillespie, who kept his head in the closing stages against Bangladesh, bowled four wides and a no-ball — besides being hit for four — in his first, 11-ball, over. By the time Glenn McGrath bowled Marcus Trescothick in the seventh over England were 39 and McGrath working himself into a temper.

His wrath grew visibly as Andrew Strauss chopped the ball on to his stumps at 42 and Gillespie zeroed his radar to keep the England scoring rate down.

Michael Vaughan steadied the middle part of the innings with a solid fifty but when Pietersen let fly in the last 15 overs the crowd sang his name, a remarkable response to a remarkable cricketer.

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