England defeat defending champs in opening game

May 07, 2010 Sports

By Sean Devers in Barbados In
association with Carib Beer & Leisure Inn

Watched by a fair size and noisy crowd, England beat defending champions Pakistan by six wickets in the opening match of the Super Eights stage of the 2010 T/20 World Cup here at the Kensington Oval yesterday.
Salman Butt top-scored with 34 and got support from Kaman Akmal (30) as Pakistan, who beat Sri Lanka in last year’s final after losing to India in the inaugural final in 2007, were limited to 147-9 off their allotted overs.
Michael Yardy (2-19), Stuart Broad (2-25) and Ryan Sidebottom (2-28) were the most successful bowlers for England who responded with 148-4 from 19 overs.
South Africa-born Kevin Peitersen led the way for England with his 4th 20/20 International fifty, a 60-ball unbeaten 73 with 8 fours and 2 sixes.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal had dropped three catches in the first 5 overs of the English reply, took 2-15 in a losing cause.
On a gloriously sunny morning, England, trying to qualify for only their 3rd semi-final since losing the 1992 World Cup final, won the toss and invited Pakistan to bat on a track with good bounce and carry and a lush green outfield.
England squeezed into the 2nd round despite failing to win any of their 2 matches and started their Super Eights campaign with Sidebottom’s first ball of the contest being pulled for six by Akmal.
Sidebottom responded by beating the edge of Butt’s bat on three consecutive occasions before the left-hander hammered him through the cover for four off the last ball.
In conditions much more suited to fast bowling than the slower pitches at Providence where England lost to West Indies and had a no-result against Ireland due to rain, Sidebottom and Tim Bresnan were expected to restrict the top order inside the first 6 overs.
Bresnan’s first ball was hammered to the cover boundary by Akmal but the pacer responded with five consecutive dot balls and a keen contest was anticipated by the English dominated crowd.
Akmal’s top-edged hook was skied to the Keeper off Broad at 31-1 in the 5th over after he had hit 2 fours and a six in his 18-ball 15.
Mohammad Hafeez and Butt took their team to 50 in 7 overs before Butt (34) drove off-spinner Graeme Swann to extra cover to leave the score on 71-2 in the 10th over.
When Hafeez (18) was removed by Yardy and Shahid Afridi ran himself out for a first ball duck, Pakistan had lost two wickets at 76 in the 11th over and they were never allowed to recover.
A stupendous catch by Peitersen; running and diving on the boundary, accounted for Akmal who hit 2 fours and a six in his 30 as Sidebottom left Pakistan on 118-6 in the 17th over. Kieswetter was given a life before had had scored in the first over of the English reply by Ajmal at mid-on off Abdul Razzaq. The ball fell out of Ajmal’s grasp as he attempted to celebrate the easy catch and this type of careless cricket from Pakistan is a reason why the highly talented by very inconsistent Asian side is often described as ‘hot and cold’ without ever being warm.
The England openers (Kieswetter and Lumb) capitalised on loose work in the field to add 43 for the first wicket as Lumb dumped Mohammed Asif over the square-leg for six and Kieswetter spanked him gloriously to the cover boundary in 4th over of the innings which cost 19 runs.
Two more grassed chances by Ajmal and Pakistan were once again aiding in their own demise on the big stage. Ajmal compensated for his poor catching by having Lumb, who hit 3 fours and a six from 13 balls, stumped in his first over as he made the break-through in the 6th over.
Peitersen, without much runs in the first round in Guyana, joined Kieswetter who lofted Mohammed Hafeez for a mighty six as the pair took the score to 65-2 in 9 overs before Kieswetter (25) was taken on the boundary off Razzaq.
Skipper Paul Collinwood (16) and the 29-year-old Peitersen batted their team to within 23 runs to victory before fell to Afridi in the 16th over to leave the score on 125-3.
Eoin Morgan (5) was bowled by Ajmal at 140-4 in the 18th over before Luke Wright and Peitersen were together when victory was achieved.
Scores: England 148 for 4 (Pietersen 70*) beat Pakistan 147 for 9 (Butt 34, Yardy 2-19) by six wickets.

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