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DATE : 02-02-2005

VENUE : Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein

MATCH : England in South Africa 2004-05, 2nd ODI

Writer : Karthik Narayan

Welcome once more to Cricketfundas.com’s Exclusive Coverage of the tied One-Dayers. Even as we were discussing the heroics of yesteryear, cometh yesterday, marked 2nd February 2005, an exciting clash between England and South Africa, the 2nd ODI of the series. This was the crucial match of the series, the first having been won by England. (England had also won the test series played before this ODI series).

The Toss: Michael Vaughan and Graeme Smith walked out for the toss for this match played at the Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein. Smith won the toss and elected to field first. For the Proteas, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers made his ODI debut (as a non-wicketkeeper, Boucher being the keeper).
 

The England Innings: England with a belligerent team started the match with their new opening pair of Marcus Trescothick and Geraint Jones. For South Africa, Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini shared the new ball. Just as England celebrated their 50 run opening partnership by the end of the 10th over, Pollock struck first blow with the wicket of Trescothick. Jones followed him back to the dressing room soon after, with Andre Nel picking up his wicket. From a decent start of 50 in 10th over, England slumped to 67/3 in the 16th over, with Andrew Strauss. The stage was set for Kevin Pietersen to make his mark. Coming in at number five, he and the skipper made some useful runs and stemmed the flow of too many wickets in too little time. When Vaughan was dismissed run out to de Villiers throw, Sough Africa looked like clawing back into the game, scores at 147/4.  But Paul Collingwood, and that relatively new International cricketer, Pietersen steadied the course of things. Pietersen in fact started ruling the roost challenging most of the South African bowlers by taking them on. Even Pollock and Ntini who had a tidy opening spell started going for runs. With strong on side play and some stunning drives through the off side, Pietersen went haywire with his first ever ODI hundred off 91 balls with half a dozen fours and two solid strikes deposited over the boundary. Collingwood gave him ample support at the other end, making good quick runs when it mattered. He made 40 off 41 balls, and his 92 runs partnership with Pietersen shaped the English score to 239 at the end of the 47th over. Thereafter it was Ian Bell and Pietersen who took control of things to remain unbeaten till the 50th over, thereby helping their team to a good total of 270/5.

The Protean Pursuit: South Africa needing 271 for a much-needed win started their chase with Smith and de Villiers opening the innings. It was a steady start for South Africa until they were rocked at 47 and 51 with the openers dismissed in the 13th over. Hoggard and first change bowler, Kabir Ali had picked up a wicket each. Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs walked in together to frame a good partnership, the crux of the entire South African innings was this great partnership of these two good players. Kallis eventually after making a fine 68 lost his wicket to Ashley Giles. Gibbs and Justin Kemp shared a half-century partnership before Gibbs lost his cool and lost his wicket to a good catch by veteran Gough off Matthew Hoggard. And when Kemp started finding some lusty blows to beat the boundary, things looked firm for South Africa to romp home. But then cricket is not game of individuals – it’s a team game comprising of the contributions of individuals. Kemp after being the only batsman for South Africa to hit sixes in this match tried too many things. And Darren Gough’s experience proved his worth when Kemp was cleaned up by a smart yorker.

At 239/5 in the 47th over, there was little to choose between the two teams at this stage. England was very much in the same state, except that they had one man in Pietersen going strong and hard at things. It was upto Boucher and Pollock, the most experienced of the rest of the batsman to take South Africa to victory. With little time and more runs to make, the heat was turned on. This match was very well going down to the wire; 32 of 22. Kabir Ali erred in bowling some no-balls at this stage and a couple of boundaries by both Pollock and Boucher helped the Proteas inch closer.

Eight of the last 6 balls! With Vaughan off the ground with an injury, the stand in skipper, Trescothick had to think all he could to make this match result with a favorable position for England. He placed all faith on Kabir Ali, a bowler who had been taken for so many runs, as many as 13 in one over to bowl that ultimate over. The first ball was a no-ball, waist high and promptly put off to the boundary by Boucher. All boiled down to simple cricketing sense now – 3 off six balls. A cakewalk, one might say.

The next delivery was another full toss but it was a legal one this time. 9 times out of 10, Boucher would have cleared that ball outside the fence. Not this time. It went straight down the throat of Giles at deep-midwicket. Ali had to cripple both runs as well as prepare himself for bowling wicket-taking balls now. His next two deliveries were better bowled, and that gathered just a single by Pollock. That brought the newcomer to the strikers’ end. The pressure was mounting on both Ali, and the newcomer to the crease, Ashwell Prince. A good length ball proved to be the much needed thing at this point of time. And Ali did just that – a perfectly pitched ball outside off stump. Prince managed to turn it around to midwicket. But pressure breeds confusion, and cricketers who fail to use their heads and cool suffer. Prince managed to contact ball with bat, but the ensuing confusion between him and Pollock saw him stranded with a lot of ground to cover. That run-out meant respite for Ali and a ray of hope for England more than anything else. Pollock managed just a single of the next ball. Neither team would lose the game now. One run required of the last ball. Andrew Hall has been in these circumstances before, (he himself has been the bowler producing the magic in a game at the Indoor Stadium in 2000), but now, he had to just make sure he and Pollock each grounded the bat at the opposite for the Proteas to conjure up a much desired win. Ali proved his mettle, he had to make this one ball too good to lay bat on ball – and his last ball of the match proved why this game is full of glorious uncertainties. A completed paradox to the game, as the possibility of an easy win for South Africa was thrown out of proportions and the game ended in a super TIE!

This was the 20th tie in ODI cricket played till date and South Africa have been in 5 of those! And again, after the horrs de combat of 1999 and 2003, South Africa yet again fumbled upon the chances of winning an ODI, which by any means, they should have won.

In the meantime, a hero was born for England. A brave Knight had essayed a magnificent display of batting prowess, and a gamble paid off. With Andrew Flintoff unavailable, the gamble was taken by Vaughan taking Pietersen into the team, and it paid rich dividends. Pietersen was the super star of the game, born in South Africa, now playing for England, there might have been pangs of dismay when the Proteans found out what they have missed. Needless to say who was the unanimous choice for man of the match – it was that ironic Protean turned Super Pom of the Day, Kevin Pietersen.

England have an upper hand in this series, with a win in the first ODI and the remaining 5 matches of this 7 match series have much more excitement from these two teams with dazzling stars and young ones on their paths to glory!
 

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