First course from Cook disappoints

Watching American Football, reliving my year ten maths classes or to listening Tim Henman reading the phone book would have been more interesting, entertaining and altogether a better option that choosing to watch England lose (again) to Australia this morning. Not only was it boring, bland and pathetic, but it was predictable and immensely disheartening. Dropped catches, poor captaining and lazy cricket led to a farce of a first ODI.

Once again England’s top order failed and put too much pressure on the middle order, who made an adequate but still far from acceptable job of making a decent total. Cook was out in the first over (once again!) for just 4 runs. Root, batting third in the line-up, made 3 runs off 23 balls (He was told this was a one day international wasn’t he?) Bell made an awkward 41 off 56 before gifting his wicket to Doherty after a lazy shot and being bowled out rather cheaply. Stokes and Bopara made starts, but keeping in tradition to the Ashes series failed to build on them. Balance and Morgan were England’s best two batsman of innings of the side making 79 and 50 respectively. Bresnan and Buttler hit the ball around the ground a little at the end of the innings, including 12 off the last over, giving England a total of 269-7. I felt though England were still a good 30 to 50 runs short.

The only way England’s score could be competitive was if they managed to take early wickets and keep Australia from getting settled in and piling on early runs. Once again though England left me disappointed and bewildered. Australia’s openers, unlike England, took full advantage of the opening ten overs, with Finch and Watson making a partnership of 163 (a new Australian ODI opening partnership record against England). Aaron Finch put on an excellent 121, after Gary Balance dropped a simple catch, whilst Finch was only on 8 runs. How it slipped through his fingers is anyone’s guess. Australia then proceeded to waltz to victory. 

Any highlights from England’s bowling? I felt Jordan stepped up well to the game but was let down by any solid bowling support from his team mates. The decision to open the bowling with him and Rankin mystified me a little. Stokes and Rankin or maybe Bresnan and Stokes, but those two? No. Both were too inexperienced and too new to the side. Rankin looked most inconsistent with his line and length and just failed to have any ‘bite’ in his bowling. Alistair overplayed him and brought Stokes on after it was too late to stop the Australian steamroller from flattening any remaining English hopes.

Jordan was unlucky after Cook decided to move Bell from second slip when a delivery later Finch edged the ball to where Bell had been. Patience is a virtue Ali, you could see Jordan was getting movement and hadn’t been far from getting a couple of edges. Jordan rightly looked angry and frustrated and did little to hide it. Poor judgement there from the captain, on what proved the theme of the game for England. Jordan also had a decent LBW shout go against him after a referral of ‘Umpires call’, as Hawkeye showed us the ball just clipping leg stump.

England thought they had Warner out for 22 when a poor shot was bottom edged to Buttler. Initially given out, the catch was reviewed by the third umpire who deemed the ball bounced before being caught by the wicket keeper. Sky Sports commentator Sir Ian Botham adamantly declared it bounced off his fingers into his hand. England perhaps again unlucky, but they did fail to make their own luck. Watson went on to make 65. 

Australia then went on to easily win the match as England’s bowlers resigned themselves to defeat and gave up any consistent bowling, much like they did in the test series. England’s lack of bite and desire are still evident in the side. We never did get that fresh start I hoped for. It’s good to see though that the women are doing well in their ashes series, other than that, it’s very tough being an English cricket supporter right now.