Story World Cup 2008

[Roofrom50]

England Batting Innings

The Stage was set. Australia vs England at the Worlds greatest sporting Stadium. The lights of the MCG were lite. Australia fans packed the MCG for the match, with the Barmy Army on the other side filling up the Southern End.
Number 1 vs Number 2 in the World, and what kind of match will it preduce?

Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick were opening the batting for England again. Both men, left handers, and Australia couldnt find a way to beat them. Strauss and Trescothick played like it was their last game, smashing every perfect ball they could reach and blocking every ball that they thought might be a difficult one to judge. The opening pair put on 73 between them, before it was Strauss 1st to go. But it was leg spinner Michael Clarke who had to finish the job, as Ponting had to bring in Clarke, beacsue the quick bowlers werent producing. Michael Clarke pitched a ball at middle stump, and Strauss atempted to pitch the ball down to leg man, but was caught by Brett Lee

Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke celebrate the wicket of Andrew Strauss

Captain Michael Vaughan came in, and it didnt take him long to be finding the middle of the bat. Smashing 4's and 6's all over the place, it was like Vaughan was playing in a 20/20 match, not a 50 over match. Vaughan hit 42 runs in 30 minutes of play, with Trescothick scoring himself 43 up the other end.


England Batting Stats

A. Strauss: c. Lee - b. Clarke - 30
M. Trescothick: run out - 43
M. Vaughan: c. Hogg - b. Symonds - 42
K. Pietesen: c. Symonds - b. Hogg - 19
V. Solanki: b. Hogg - 24
A. Flintoff: not out - 20
G. Jones: b. Lee - 32
A. Giles: not out - 4

Extra's: 8
Total: After 50.0 overs: 222


Australia needs 223 runs to win off 50 Overs

 

[Roofrom50]

Just letting every know, that this match ends up very entertaining, and something contreversy will happen.

 

[surendar]

Just letting every know, that this match ends up very entertaining, and something contreversy will happen.

A England win i guess! Nice batting by Vaughan but the enire team cud have done much more in batting!

 

[Roofrom50]

Australia Batting Innings

The Stage was set for Australia now, they need 223, a reasonable score by England. Australia had 50 overs to post 223 if they were to win.
Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden were the openers for Australia.

3rd ball of the Match was balled by Harmison, it was a slower ball to Gilchrist who opened, it was just off middle stump, and Gilchrist went for the slogg, missed timed the shot and was caught by Andrew Flintoff.. Gilchrist was gone for 1 run. Who would of thought Gilchrist would be gone, 3rd ball of the game? Gilchrist was filthy with himself after trying to smash the ball for six early in the Innings.

Adam Gilchrist 3rd ball of the game, goes SMASH

But straight into the hands of Flintoff, Stephen Harmison the bowler, afterwards Flintoff and Harmison chat what to do with Ponting

Not long after Batsman Gilchrist was dismissed by Harmison and Flintoff, following batsman Matthew Hayden was the next to be dismissed. Hayden hitting 11, tried to hit the ball on the on side, but slighty edged and ended up in the hands of Jones the keeper, Both Gilchrist and Hayden gone. Australia in trouble 13/2

Veteran's Damien Martyn and Ricky Ponting, got the scoreboard ticking up a bit, but still hadnt put on a decent score to let England start worrying yet. James Anderson got the all important wicket, bowling out Ponting, with a yorker, taking out the middle stump, Ponting furious with his decision on bat shot. Anderson then took his 2nd victim, take out Martyn only a couple of balls after. Martyn was caught by Jones, his 2nd catch for the match. Ponting 34 and Martyn 28 gone, Australia in real trouble, top 4 batsman gone with the scoreboard still under 100.

Simon Katich and Michael Clarke steady the ship a little bit, Katich was gone before he knew it bowled Anderson again, and caught by Solanki only making 21. And out came Andrew Symonds, the big hitter. And a big hitter he is, smashing Anderson for 6 of his 1st ball, Symonds looked to put on a big score. He also had Clarke up the other end, smashing 4's. Australia looked steady again, with Clarke hitting 54 and Symonds 40.

With the dominace of Clarke and Symonds, Australia only needed 30 runs to win, with 6 wickets in hand. Vaughan thought he had no chance. So he bought in Kevin Peitersen and Ashley Giles to take the final overs of the match, just for fun. As soon as we knew it, Clarke was gone, bowled by Pietersen and caught by Giles. But still they needed 5 wickets, with 20+ only runs to win for Australia. Brad Hogg replaced Clarke. Hogg started off well, hitting 14 runs. But it was Pietersen again who struck, but this time it was Vaughan the catcher. Australia, needed 10+ runs to win, and with 4 wickets in hand. Will it turn out to be a grand slam finish?

Considering the quick wickets to England, Symonds was dominating

Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee were at the crease. Australia needed 10 or so runs to win. If Symonds went, Australia may be gone. And that is exacly what happened, Symonds was gone. Bowled Flintoff and caught by Jones, his 3rd catch of the match. Symonds nipped the ball, and was caught out. It was now down to Lee, McGrath and Gillespie to post 10 runs for Australia to win. Brett Lee smashed a 4 of Giles, and Australia needed 3 runs to win, with 2 wickets reamaining. Giles next balled, got Lee of the back foot, hit the ball 5 meters in the air, and was caught by J. Anderson.

It was now down to McGrath and Gillespie to put on 3 runs, with just 1 wicket reamaning. Everyone in the crowd. 80+ thousand hearts beating fast. It was the most intense atsmophere you could of been in. Vaughan had his field set up close to the batsman, knowing that McGrath and Gillespie are tail enders and dont hit the ball far. Gillespie was on strick from Giles. Gillespie hit the ball over Vaughan's head, there was a man down there, but it landed 10 metres in front, and McGrath and Gillespie picked up a run. McGrath saw what Gillespie had done, and had done the same thing, the ball after. Now Australia needed 1 run to win, with 1 wicket in hand. Kevin Pietersen was on and with Gillespie on Strike. The Field was still the same, and Gillespie played the exact shot that he played the previous over. Over Anderson's head, there was a player down on the boundary, but he was too far back, the ball landed 15 meters in front of him, and Gillespie made the Run.

Australia had won the match, by 1 run, with 1 wicket remaining. The Crowd went nuts. What a game it was, defiently will go down as one of the matches of the Decade.

Australia players run onto the ground, after beating England by 1 run


Australia Batting Stats:

A. Gilchrist: c. Flintoff - b. Harmison - 1
M. Hayden: c. Jones - b. Gough - 11
R. Ponting: b. Anderson - 34
D. Martyn: c. Jones - b. Anderson - 28
S. Katich: c. Solanki - b. Anderson - 21
M. Clarke: c. Giles - b. Pietersen - 54
A. Symonds: c. Jones - b. Flintoff - 40
B. Hogg: c. Vaughan - b. Pietersen - 14
B. Lee: c. Anderson - b. Giles - 4
J. Gillespie: not out - 2
G. McGrath: not out - 1

Extra's: 13
Total: after 48.2 overs: 223


England Bowling (runs - wickets)

D. Gough: 23 - 1
S. Harmison: 52 - 1
J. Anderson: 56 - 3
A. Giles: 9 - 1
A. Flintoff: 63 - 1
K. Pietersen: 18 -2



Full Scoreboard: England: 222/6 - Australia: 223/9 - Australia have won - Man of the Match: M. Clarke (Aus)

 

[surendar]

Great.. I was expecting England to win by one run though! Shd be a sleepless night for England team

 

[Roofrom50]

An interview with Michael Vaughan will be happening in a later tonight. See what the captain has to say, about what could have been, if England won against Australia.

 

[WORLD CHAMPIONS]

WOW AUssie won Despite of not hving good players . THATS AUSSIE.

 

[Roofrom50]

Michael Parkison: Join me, as i talk to Cricket Captain Michael Vaughan, on Parkinson. 7.30 on Uk-Tv (Austar)

"interview coming shortly"

 

[Roofrom50]

Parkinson with Michael Vaughan

Michael Parkinson: Ladies and Gentlemen, will you please welcome, England Cricket Captain Michael Vaughan

Michael Parkison: Thankyou for coming in Michael, now before we get down to business, how is Australia?

Micahel Vaughan: Australia has been brilliant so far, we love coming down here and playing cricket. We love to bring the Barmy Army down with us, and it is a great rivalry we have going with the Aussies, its a great atsmophere.

Michael Parkinson: Its pretty hot here during the summer, i know for a fact that when its summer over there, it rains a fair bit aswell, but here, we are in the middle of a drought, is that taking any toll towards the players?

Michael Vaughan: Nah not really, we are sometimes used to this heat, we do get this weather back in England, and when we are on tour somewhere like Sri Lanka or West Indies, it is hot like Australia, so its not that different to other players, although sometimes at training the boys are laying on the ground exhausted from the heat. Either that or it is just the way Warne is training us.

Michael Parkinson: Now lets talk cricket. It's good to see you back in the action again, after your injury. Tell me what it is like to be out of the game, not being able to play, and watch your team get paralyized in the Ashes Series?

Michael Vaughan: It's very hard to be honest. Watching your mates out on the field, getting hammered by a great cricket team, just knowing that i cant get out there and help them is bad enough. But knowing i am the captain of the team, (but in this case Flintoff was because of my absence) Thats even harder. Its even hard for them, knowing there captain isnt out there to help them with everything, its not the same having someone like Flintoff who is vice captain, and hasnt had much leadership role in the main position, captaining the side for a full 2 months basically. But i had to learn to deal with it, i had to stay in England, and work on my injury. Get fit for the World Championships, and the reast of the season which i have done with succes.

Micahel Parkinson: Now when you saw the end result for the Ashes Series, what was going through your mind?

Michael Vaughan: It's hard to explain really, alot of amanzment, or suprisment as you mentioned was defiently throbbing in my mind. I mean how can the number 1 team, beat the number 2 team in the World, as easy as they did. Its sometimes hard to believe, that Australia won it 5-0 when just 18 months earlier we bet them in England.
Alot of people have been saying to me, so the win in England was a fluke then, or it was rigged. But beleive me, it wasnt anything like that, we had to play extra hard to win the Ashes in 05, because Australia were again hard to beat. I dont know what it was, weather it was being in Australia, or the players werent fit enough, or just that Australia was just too good for us, its just will never be shown what actually happened to England on that basis. But the Ashes are over now, thats just another chapter in the book. This is now, and we are ready for the World Series.

Michael Parkinson: Lets get onto the World Series. You guys had a great win against West Indies in the 1st round, and i must congradulate you on that win. But that game against the Australian's was defiently one to remeber?

Michael Vaughan: It certainly was. I think we played extremely well. Our batting was good, although we only got 6 players out, who knows what score we could of put on if we had more overs. Flintoff and Giles were still in at the end of 50 overs, so with Flintoff in, who knows what score we would of made, we could of put another 50+ runs on, if it was a test series or something. But Australia played really well, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds played superb.
I thought we really had them there at the start, getting both Gilchrist and Hayden very early in the piece. But Ponting, Clarke and Symonds put on the runs for them pretty quick. It was around the 44th over when they needed 20 or so runs to win, and we needed 6 wickets in hand to grab, thats when i probably thought we couldnt win the game, and thats when i bought in Pietersen and Giles to have a bowl. Little did i know, i nearly made the match winning moves.

Michael Parkinson: Yes, Peitersen grabbed 2 wickets, Flintofff grabbed 1 and Giles grabbed 2 awswell. And that was all within 5 overs.

Michael Vaughan: When you think about it, its astonashing we got 5 wickets in the space of 5 overs. And with our lower bowlers, such as Pietersen and Giles bowling, it was astounding how we came out with those wickets.

Michael Parkinson: Now tell me about the atsmpohere out on the ground. With 3 runs to win, and you guys having 1 wicket to grab, 80 thousand fans at the MCG, it must of been something you have never experienced before in England?

Michael Vaughan: Oh no, its defiently something i havent expiriecned before in my career. It was the best atsmophere you could ever have. I mean as a cricketer, you learn to drown out the crowd when your batting or bowling, or evern in the field. But you just couldnt drown out the crowd this time. When 80 thousand people are screaming at 1 pitch in the middle of the ground, its hard to drown out the crowd. And i was just in the middle of the ground, i could imagine what it would of been like for Giles, Pietersen, McGrath and Gillespie. It must of been really difficult for them, to keep their mind on the game, but to all players credit, we gave the fans what they wanted, an entertaining match. And despite what the reuslts ended up like. i was happy with our teams performance.

Micahel Parkison: But you would of liked to have won the match though?

Michael Vaughan: Of course we would of, if a game is that close, and you loose, all you can really think about, was what if?? What if we played a few more shots early in our innings, what if we put the field like this. Thats all we can say now about that game is what if, what could of happened if we had done this, and done that. But now we look forward to our next match against Australia which is tomorrow, and hopefully we can produce another great game like we did this afternoon.

Michael Parkinson: Well Michael thankyou for coming in on short notice, and good luck for the game against Australia and the rest of the World Series

Michael Vaughan: Thankyou Michael

Michael Parkinson: Ladies and Gentlmen, would you please thank Michael Vaughan.

 

[dynamite_kid]

Well done, but two things, 1 doesn't Parkinson live in England, and 2 they wouldn't only talk about cricket, but otherwise very good.

 

[Roofrom50]

Well done, but two things, 1 doesn't Parkinson live in England, and 2 they wouldn't only talk about cricket, but otherwise very good.

Yeah mate true, but i had to cut it short, people wouldnt be interested in the other stuff they would tlk about. And also, lets just make it a interview via telephone

 

[surendar]

WOW AUssie won Despite of not hving good players . THATS AUSSIE.

What a great spirit for Aussies u have got mate

Btw, nice work with the interview mate! Its neat

 

[plympilgrim]

what a win for the aussies

 

[Roofrom50]

Australia vs England - World Series match @ Brisbane
Night - Hard - Clear - Mild

Australia have won the toss and elected to Bat

 

[sir cricket]

suberb win by the aussies who'd have thought coming down to mcgrath and gillespie