Story England's International Season (Sep 2004 Onwards) [C2005]

[m_vaughan]

England manage just 238

England 238-9 (50 Overs)
I. Bell 43(64) N. Boje 3-42
G. Jones 41(44) S. Pollock 2-37
M. Vaughan 40(46) J. Kallis 2-49

South Africa need 239 runs to win from 50 overs

Reqd. RR: 4.78

David Gower: The last 20 overs saw 105 runs being scored with the loss of 5 wickets. For England the star performer during this period was Geraint Jones, hitting 41 from 44 balls, with two sixes and five fours.

Nasser Hussain: No definately not. 239 is a very reachable target, and I am sure a well planned and patient run chase from the South Africa will get them there without any troubles. England lost the plot after losing those three quick wickets of Bell, Strauss and Vaughan, somewhere around 17-20th over.

Ian Botham: I agree with Nass there. England were looking good when Vaughan and Bell had that partnership going, but after Boje struck for South Africa, England werent able to recover, as a result their run rate also suffered a setback. But I think 239 will not be that easy to chase on this wicket, and especially under lights. But its definately not the toughest target one has to chase.

David Gower: Well you've got a good point there Ian. But I think England will have to bowl really well if they want to win this match. Anyways lets just go through the last 20 overs.
The first wicket to fall was that of Paul Collingwood.



Ian Botham: Well a short pitched delivery that Collingwood tried to lob, but mistimed the shot, and ended up hitting the ball straight to Dippenaar.

David Gower: Kevin Pieterson scored 37 before being run out. I thought he was very unlucky here.



Ian Botham: Yes David. I thought there was a run there, but Geraint Jones refused to take the risk, and Pieterson didnt have enough time to run back.

David Gower: After this we saw some aggressive batting by Geraint Jones as he hit two towering sixes.

Nasser Hussain: Well Jones is just what England needed in a wicket-keeper. An aggressive batsman, with lots in common with the Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. He really played well today, some superb shots.

David Gower: Yes but he was dismissed on 41 after he tried to go for the maximum, and ended up being caught by Ntini just inside the boundary line. England managed to add just two runs after that, finishing at 238-9.
Let us have a look at the scorecard.

 

[jazz]

this is going to be a hard match for england to win

 

[The Champ]

Suddenly my inner voice goes with England for this particular chase by SA.


Come on England.

I have a question vaughan, r england players drained because their performance from Test matches r different from these odis

 

[m_vaughan]

 

[m_vaughan]

this is going to be a hard match for england to win

Yes. I will have to bowl very well and also hope that SA dont bat as well as they have been in this series so far.

Suddenly my inner voice goes with England for this particular chase by SA.


Come on England.

I have a question vaughan, r england players drained because their performance from Test matches r different from these odis

Lets hope that your inner voice is right, because a defeat here for England will hand SA the series which will be a big disappointment after the 4-0 win in the tests over the home side.

Well you could have said that in real life cricket, but after all I am playing individual exhibition matches, so I dont think fatigue is factor. Its just that South Africa are really playing well and are keeping the momentum going.

 

[The Champ]

Yes. I will have to bowl very well and also hope that SA dont bat as well as they have been in this series so far.


Lets hope that your inner voice is right, because a defeat here for England will hand SA the series which will be a big disappointment after the 4-0 win in the tests over the home side.

Well you could have said that in real life cricket, but after all I am playing individual exhibition matches, so I dont think fatigue is factor. Its just that South Africa are really playing well and are keeping the momentum going.

Just to add more realism to the story i asked that question mate, really eng should win this one

 

[Briggsey]

239 will be a tough score to chase, hopefully England's bowlers can lead the way and bowl out SA! Cmon England!

 

[Johann]

Well, I hope SA can keep up the good batting! This is a great opportunity to take the series! :happy

 

[fardin]

vaghun I hope you take this suggestion as an advice if more then anything,If you want a better view on a shot or on a wicket go to reply thencapture the image up close or better,It makes the images look so releastice you have seen in cherry blossom sharjah cup of mine,I have just start doing that it is great.

 

[m_vaughan]

England pickup three early wickets!!

Match Update- South Africa lose Smith, Gibbs and Bacher in the first 15 overs


South Africa 53-3 (15 Overs)
J. Kallis 5*(14) J. Anderson 2-18
B. Dippenaar 1*(15) A. Wharf 1-10
G. Smith 26(39)
H. Gibbs 15(23)
A. Bacher 0(1)

South Africa need another 186 runs to win from 35 overs
(Current RR- 3.53, Reqd. RR- 5.31)

Bob Willis: Well England have probably had the best start to their bowling innings in this ODI series, dismissing three South Africa batsman in the first 15 overs, as well as keeping the run rate down as low as 3.5.

Michael Holding: Yes, Bob. England have bowled well. James Anderson and Steve Harmison have been able to beat the South Africa batsmen on a number of occasions. But this is what we expect under lights, and I still think Smith's decision to field first in this match was a poor one, despite his reasoning for it. I think you cant relate previous encounters to what is going to happen today.

Bob Willis: Yes I think Smith lost the initiative in that coin toss. Anyways lets have a look at the wickets. The first to go was Graeme Smith.

Michael Holding: Well Smith wanted to loft that one over the man at extracover, but unfortunately he dint have enough room to exercise the shot properly. He ended up giving Kevin Pieterson a rather simple catch. But South Africa till then were going along steadily, not doing anything extraordinary, just getting the runs as needed.

Bob Willis: Yes indeed, Michael.
The next to go was Herschelle Gibbs. Well, he tried to go for maximum was he couldnt get enough bat onto that one, and England's only deep fielder at that time was in the right position as the right time.

James Anderson then made it 2 in 2, when he had Adam Bacher out bowled off a yorker, the very next delivery.

Michael Holding: Well that is the James Anderson we all know and love. He is now starting to get that dangerous late swing working, something that got him so many wickets in his early days. This is great news for England.

Bob Willis: Cant agree with you more Michael. James Anderson looks to be back to his best, and if maintains this, then along with the likes of Harmison and Flintoff, he can form one of the most deadly bowling attacks in the world.

 

[The Champ]

I think the match will go in Eng's way this time around

 

[m_vaughan]

35 over update

Match update- Wickets tumble as Ashley Giles picks four!

South Africa (35 Overs) 170-8
S. Pollock 29*(28) A. Giles 4-61
A. Hall 12*(19) J. Anderson 2-26

South Africa need another 69 runs to win from 15 overs
(Current RR- 4.85, Reqd. RR- 4.60)

Paul Allot: Well England have a good chance of winning the match now, though South Africa even after losing 8 wickets have two good batsmen in the middle.

David Lyold: Thats rights Paul. Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall are both quality batsmen, and with a required run rate under 5 even at this stage, I can by no means rule the South Africans out of this one. But wickets have been falling regularly for them, something that they will have to avoid, because Ntini the last man in is one who is not recognised as a batsman.

Paul Allot: Yes they have had any sort of partnership going. England had players getting out in the 40s, while South Africa have had players losing their wickets in the 20s. But full credit to England, their fielding, especially, has been fantastic today.

David Lyold: Oh yes Paul. England have been superb in the field today. Some classic catches, two of them by the captain Michael Vaughan. But the overall fielding has been excellent, which has saved them a lot of runs.

Paul Allot: Well lets have a look at the wickets that fell in the last 20 overs, the first to go was Boeta Dippenaar, caught by Vaughan off Giles.

David Lyold: A superb catch this one. Superb reflexes shown here by Vaughan.

Paul Allot: He was soon followed by Kallis out LBW to Giles for 25.



David Lyold: Well Kallis is a dangerous batsman and is capable of winning matches single handedly, so this was a big wicket for England and Ashley Giles.

Paul Allot: Mark Boucher was then beaten by a superb inswinging delivery from Collingwood. Boucher managed just 4.

David Lyold: Yes a nice delivery that surprised Boucher, and before he could react to the inswing, his stumps were already uprooted.

Paul Allot: Justin Kemp was playing well before he was caught by Anderson off Giles for 26.

David Lyold: Well Kemp has caused England a lot of problems, and is one guy who can explode in the last few overs, so I am sure England must have been glad to see his back.

 

[m_vaughan]

Paul Allot: Nicky Boje then became Ashley Giles' fourth victim, as South Africa slumped to 139-8, still needing another 100 runs to win.

 

[m_vaughan]

Pollock holds the key for the home side.

Paul Allot: Well we now hand you over to Ian Botham and Nasser Hussain.

Ian Botham: Thanks Paul. So South Africa are eight down and still need another 69 runs to win this match. With the two batsman at the crease at the moment, its definately not impossible but I must say, England surely has this match in the bag.

Nasser Hussain: I dont know Ian. People were saying the same thing in the ICC Champions Trophy final, when England had the match in the bag, only for two Windies lower order batsmen to take it away from them in the end. Nothing is certain in ODIs.

Ian Botham: Very true Nass, with Pollock and Hall, two reputed batsmen in the middle, South Africa have every chance of scoring those 69 runs, especially since they need just 4.6 runs per over from now on.

 

[indiancricketer]

Great story man