Supporters were queueing behind the stands to be photographed with the World Twenty20 trophy last night and, barring a change in momentum, it will be a mere matter of days before Andrew Strauss wraps his hands around another piece of silverware.
Australia showed with a late rally as the floodlights took hold that they will never give England an easy ride, not even with batsmen undercooked and a bowling attack that is severely depleted. But they are 2-0 down in the NatWest Series and must win all three remaining games to deny their great rivals.
Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, became irritated with some of the questioning afterwards, raising eyebrows by suggesting that his side still have the edge in Test, 50-over and Twenty20 formats. “Look at the head-to-heads and see who has bragging rights,” he said.
Strauss, who generally sees little value in media skirmishes, responded: “Australia have had a very good 12 months or so. They played well against us last summer, but ultimately that was last summer. Times have moved on and I am quite happy with where we are at the moment.”
Victory represented something of a personal triumph for Strauss after his captaincy had been criticised for its caution at the Rose Bowl two days earlier. This time, his field settings complemented hostile bowling that softened certain batsmen and is sure to be logged with the Ashes in mind.
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In contrast, Strauss encountered few difficulties as he set the reply in motion with 51 from 56 balls. Significantly, he scored at better than a run a ball through the first powerplay, his strike-rate hastened by only the eleventh and twelfth sixes of his one-day international career, which spans 102 matches.
The Australia innings mirrored their previous effort: a 51-run opening stand followed by collapse and recovery. This time, Stuart Broad, on his 24th birthday, was the principal architect of their downfall after Shane Watson had given the innings a flattering start with three fours in James Anderson’s first over.
Broad claimed his 100th one-day wicket when Tim Paine tickled down the leg side. The batsman was clearly uncomfortable after being rapped on the finger by Tim Bresnan. Length drew Ponting into pushing outside off stump and Michael Clarke was rattled by bounce.
On a two-paced pitch, England bowled a lot of cross-seam and went for Clarke with the short ball. He has a front-foot technique and a history of back trouble, which must affect his ability to rock away from danger. Strauss put out two men for the hook and was rewarded for posting a short leg when Clarke gloved a looping catch.
“I think a lot of batsmen are vulnerable to the short ball early and he [Clarke] is one of those, definitely,” Strauss said. When Anderson returned to nip one through Mike Hussey’s defence, Australia were 118 for five and the loss of wickets meant that Cameron White could not play as adventurously as he likes.
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Steven Smith, a batting rather than bowling all-rounder at the moment, added 84 with White, whose unbeaten 86 came from 98 balls and included a strong six against Graeme Swann over wide mid-wicket. Generally, though, England offered little to hit and rarely strayed off a straight line.
Ponting acknowledged that 239 for seven was 40 or so runs short, especially with a quick outfield giving value for shots. Craig Kieswetter profited twice in the first over as edges against the unlucky Doug Bollinger raced to the boundary and although the bowler soon took revenge, England were almost halfway there after 20 overs.
Kevin Pietersen was undone by his ambition, attempting to follow a four against Smith with another boundary. Ponting held on athletically at mid-wicket and Strauss, who struggled against Nathan Hauritz last year, chipped a return catch when his feet became tangled trying to hit over the top.
Ponting had to attack the two new batsmen. He recalled Bollinger and Eoin Morgan began nervously, as though under pressure to repeat Tuesday’s hundred. But Paul Collingwood helped to draw the sting and by the time he edged on to Bollinger, England were only 48 runs short.
Yet within four overs, England had lost Luke Wright, too, and then Morgan, whose fifty came from 59 balls and became increasingly better controlled. It took a good ball by the wholehearted — and skilled — Bollinger to generate a catch behind, leaving Bresnan and Swann to steady a listing ship.
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So England will seal the series with victory at Old Trafford on Sunday, when a capacity crowd of 22,500 will not be distracted by the football. Lancashire’s hopes of erecting a big screen behind a stand to show the EnglandGermany game were ruled out yesterday on grounds of health and safety.
Australia
S R Watson c Kieswetter b Wright 57
†T D Paine c Kieswetter b Broad 16
*R T Ponting c Kieswetter b Broad 13
M J Clarke c Swann b Broad 1
C L White not out 86
M E K Hussey b Anderson 14
S P D Smith c Collingwood b Broad 41
J R Hopes run out 8
N M Hauritz not out 0
Extras (w 2, nb 1) 3
Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 239
C J McKay and D E Bollinger did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-67, 3-77, 4-94, 5-118, 6-202, 7-238.
Bowling: Anderson 10-1-63-1; Bresnan 9-0-44-0; Broad 10-0-44-4; Wright 9-0-38-1; Yardy 8-0-31-0; Swann 4-0-19-0.
England
*A J Strauss c and b Hauritz 51
†C Kieswetter c Paine b Bollinger 8
K P Pietersen c Ponting b Smith 33
P D Collingwood b Bollinger 48
E J G Morgan c Paine b Bollinger 52
L J Wright b Hopes 10
T T Bresnan not out 12
G P Swann not out 19
Extras (lb 2, w 3, nb 5) 10
Total (6 wkts, 45.2 overs) 243
M H Yardy, S C J Broad and J M Anderson did not bat.
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Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-91, 3-109, 4-192, 5-211, 6-211.
Bowling: Bollinger 10-2-46-3; McKay 9.2-0-60-0; Hopes 5-0-30-1; Hauritz 10-0-56-1; Smith 8-0-40-1; Watson 3-0-9-0.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and N J Llong.
Third umpire: I J Gould.
Match referee: J Srinath (India).
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Series details: Tuesday: England won by four wickets (Southampton). Sunday:
Old Trafford. Wednesday: Brit Oval. Saturday, July 3: Lord’s.