England won by 7 wickets (18 balls remaining)
Australia 147/6(20 overs)
England 148/3 (17/20 overs)
Australia
1 Shane Watson, 2 David Warner, 3 Brad Haddin (wk), 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 David Hussey, 6 Cameron White, 7 Michael Hussey, 8 Steven Smith, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Dirk Nannes, 11 Shaun Tait.
England
1 Michael Lumb, 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood (capt), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Michael Yardy, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Ryan Sidebottom.
Regardless of whether England emerges triumphant against Australia, the form team of the tournament, they have turned a corner in terms of public perception. In many ways, the tale of their shortcomings in ICC global events is less a matter of their failure to take home any trophies, but their failure to give themselves a chance to compete. On two occasions in the modern era of one-day cricket, they’ve found a formula that came close to ending the drought – namely, at the 1992 World Cup, when their greatest player, the ageing Ian Botham, was arguably their weakest link, and in the 2004 Champions Trophy, when Michael Vaughan’s men were already building towards the following summer’s Ashes.
In almost every other tournament of note they have been little short of a rabble, and that includes their previous forays in the World Twenty20, in South Africa in 2007, when they opened the batting with the bits-and-pieces Darren Maddy, and in 2009, when the Netherlands (including a certain Dirk Nannes) stunned them in the tournament curtain-raiser. At the third time of asking, however, England have hit upon a formula that deserves to succeed precisely because it doesn’t see success as a birthright. Every player from 1 to 11 is up for a scrap, and against an Australian side that doesn’t know when it’s beaten, a scrap is precisely what they can expect.
It has taken the Australians five years to shed the view that Twenty20 is a format for fun. However, Michael Clarke’s team is playing the game in the same serious, clinical and tunnel-visioned manner that has been so successful for them in Tests and ODIs over the past decade. Under Clarke’s captaincy the side’s worst result in 14 matches is the tie against New Zealand in February, which turned into a Super Over defeat.
Since then they have won six matches in a row, including the breath-taking semi-final triumph over Pakistan, in a record that is more suited to Ricky Ponting’s all-conquering outfits in 50-over World Cups. Not only are they well balanced, with frightening bowlers and muscular batsmen, but they now expect to win everything. And the only thing that can motivate them more than capturing a trophy they have never held is to beat England in doing it.
Form guide (Most recent first)
Australia WWWWW
England WWWWN
Australia squad
MJ Clarke*, DT Christian, BJ Haddin†, RJ Harris, NM Hauritz, DJ Hussey, MEK Hussey, MG Johnson, DP Nannes, TD Paine†, SPD Smith, SW Tait, DA Warner, SR Watson, CL White
England squad
PD Collingwood*, JM Anderson, RS Bopara, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, C Kieswetter†, MJ Lumb, EJG Morgan, KP Pietersen, A Shahzad, RJ Sidebottom, GP Swann, JC Tredwell, LJ Wright, MH Yardy
262 – gbs, At least you got the team right. I went with Oz.
If you stick around we can break the magic 100 000 mark in comments
we need less than 250
Puma,I know for a fact that Sharky will support the Bulls,no doubt about that 🙂
EEE got the point for closest. Where is she so by the way?
274@ SuperBul – Trippies had an operation… she was on the blog on Friday, I think…
273 – Winston and you and Sharky keep up the Sharks blogging support here while I am away. From Thursday away for 11 days. I may make over a 1000 posts before then. Well maybe but will be kinda busy this week.
super, ken jy daai man wat ek van gepraat het ?
Ek ken hom nie, kennis van ‘n kennes, maar hy vat ons altyd tot bo, by die kamp daar of sal ek se dorpie…
Its a work in progress Blouste 🙂 Super,you should put up a thread to commemorate 100000 comments and the person that puts that comment up gets beers from Gbs 🙂
Ooo Shame hoop sy is alraait, sterke EEE if you see this.
275 – Tripps had carpal tunnel. Hope she is getting over that op. If you read here Tripps get well.
It is a wonder we all don’t have it. Too much working on the pc can cause it.
279 – Super, Doubt she will be at her pc while getting over that op. typing makes it worse. So she needs time to rest it. I know a few people who have had it. Many who work on their pc a lot get it. Cyclists, golfers too.
Cricketers also prone to getting it.
Are the final results up yet for Bru Super?
278
ek hoop GBS het al aan sy speech begin werk, en ek hoop nie hy noem ons weer alerande fieslike afstootlike name nie. Mopkoppe , slangsnuiwers ens is uit. Ons soek respek. 😀
Hello Pill, How you doing? You still in Denver?
KP man of of the series. What a batsman he is. Saffa too how we lost such great sportsmen is a shame. I know he is arrogant but still a brilliant batsman
283
no they only prepared for a Aussie win, now they must rewrite the whole program.
284@ SuperBul – Pantyruikers, Broekbeskyters, Ouvroubekruipers
Puma i dont hate a player that go and play for another country , after all the World is a global village. How many of us are all over the world.
But i admire his determination, that is great.
Get involved with your speech Gbs 🙂
super, jy my post gesien of is stilbly ook ‘n antwoord ? 🙂
289 – Super, I do admire his him for sure as a sportman. Really great to see that.
Read that NZ will allow from next year in the S15 a contract for two overseas players to each of their teams.
Hope they don’t come scout here. Rather let them look in Arg and NH.
290 @ Winnie – It’ll go something like this..
Damduikers, Roofkykers
Onrusstokers, Boomrokers
Miskruiers, Rugryers
..and all my Bulls friends
Fanks a moer of a lot!
He he he…
Dam duiker,now there is a word I.ve not heard in years..
Damduiker, poepruiker !!! 😆
291
nee Blouste ek ignoreer nie jou. Ek ken nie die ou nie so my brein grawe in sy argiewe vir matches.
Maar ek dink die dorpie waarvan jy praat is moertoe. Ja daai pragtige tuine vergaan, die Lugmag het afgetrek na Drakensig toe . So daardie woongebied word nou deur n sekuriteits maatskapy opgepas, daar is niemand meer daar nie.
Die meeste van die ouens is verplaas na Ellisras toe, daar was n Pieterse wat ek goed geken het. Jy ken seker die stories van die mis?
Tell me, who is going to play on the Wing now that Van Den Heever is suspended for this weeks semi?
Nee, vertel …
Ek weet wel die ou het daarbo gebly, nog in die lugmag en kan ‘n man nog opvat to bo…
Dit is hartseer om daai plek nou te sien, daar teen die berg het troepe gewens hul kon huis toe gaan , daar was op klippe geverf , min dae. Moes moerse eensaam en koud daar gewees het.
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