Any tournament in the West Indies is characterised by garishly colourful dancers and a cacophony of out of tune whistling and the uncoordinated banging of inanimate objects in various shapes and sizes. England’s form in the shorter form of the game has also been just as random and hard to predict. Sometimes seemingly unplayable in 50 overs, while at T20 they seemed at times unable to compete. They had the look of an anachronistic unit unable or unwilling to grasp the nuances of this new smash and grab spectacle that had been forced upon them.
However there is revolution quietly evolving within the upper echelons of English cricket, and it has nothing to with the pursuit of money and self aggrandisement that drives Giles Clarke and the ECB, but the steely determination and tactical insight of Andy Flower coupled with the level-headed leadership and understated man management of Andrew Strauss.
Flower has quickly transformed the T20 team into a focused, complete, tactically aware unit that can score runs frequently and in an unconventional and flamboyant manner. By adopting this approach they take the game to the opposition and make it hard for a team to dominate them. As well as knowing how to use power-plays correctly and therefore restrict the batting capabilities of the opposition and take their own opportunities with the bat, they are able to maximise their run scoring potential in a form of the game in which games are won and lost on the smallest of margins.
Clever bowling changes are also a key difference in the tactics from even a few months ago. In particular the use of Swann to not only reduce runs but take wickets as well as the development of the slow ball bouncer from Broad and Sidebottom, shows that England are no longer playing catch up in world cricket, but are in fact at the forefront of shaping the tactics of the game and trying to find new ways to play to our strengths, something that England has not always done.
There has also been a change in the batting order as Wright was moved from down from opening and Yardy brought in to add a journeyman workman-like attitude to the middle order. With Morgan and Kieswetter operating as explosive runs scorers at vital places in the order adding runs to innings that would before have seemed below par, thus taking away the constant and worrying dependence on Pietersen for a decent total. These slight tweeks to the line up, along with a dose of self confidence, were all it was felt was need to change England’s fortunes. Flower made the right ones
It is ironic that this victory came at a time when Collingwood’s future as T20 captain was being brought into question, and now he is being exalted as a pioneer and saviour. As if to add greater sweetness to the victory it came at the expense of the old rivals Australia, a country who’s greatest spin bowler regularly jibed at Collingwood’s inclusion in the 2005 honours for an MBE despite his meagre runs total in that series.
What now for the Ashes in the winter? The main problem for England in the last tour of Australia was taking twenty wickets. Perhaps the arrival of Steven Finn into the attack will resolve this issue only time will tell as to how his development progresses as he undergoes strengthening training prior to the winter. As England’s test team has gradually improved, after a dip following the first Ashes win, and now the one-day team can now hold there own at the highest level it seems the future could be its brightest for some years. After years of Australian domination many of their legendary generation have now retired and there is now developing a state of equilibrium and parity between the two nations. It could be that the Ashes changes hands much more regularly and may in fact stay with whoever are the home side that year.
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