Collingwood, Flintoff spur England to victory
By Vemen Walter
Guyana Chronicle
March 31, 2007
PAUL Collingwood fashioned a superb 90 runs and Andrew Flintoff snarled four wickets to spur England to a 48-run victory over a determined Ireland in their Cricket World Cup Super Eight match yesterday, at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
The 30 year-old Durham right-hander fell 10 runs short of a fifth ODI hundred but his brilliant knock that was decorated with eight fours and three sixes off 82 balls was the centrepiece in England’s formidable total of 266 for seven in their 50 overs of which Ireland responded with 218 all out in 48.1 overs.
Ireland, although losing by a 48-run margin, nevertheless made a spirited challenge, in what could be described as a below par England triumph.
Niall O’Brien stroked an accomplished 63, Andrew White 38, William Porterfield 31 and skipper Trent Johnston 27 in Ireland’s reply but the Irish, who stunned Pakistan by three wickets in the group stage, were undermined by the medium pace of Andrew Flintoff with figures of four for 43 and the left-arm-spin of Monty Panesar two for 31.
Ireland lost the wickets of opener Jeremy Bray for a first-ball duck in the first over, caught at gully by Ravinder Bopara, looking for an expansive drive off fast bowler James Anderson (1-35), and Eoin Morgan run-out for (2) in the fourth over. Niall O’Brien and Porterfield then featured in a steady 61-run third-wicket partnership that kept Ireland in the hunt.
Porterfield’s demise in the 19th over, caught by Ian Bell off the probing Flintoff with Ireland on 72 for three saw Niall O’Brien teaming up with Andre Botha (18) in putting together a valuable stand of 44, but once Panesar got rid of Botha and Kevin O’Brien (12) and Michael Vaughan’s off-spin (1-34) in-between left Niall O’Brien stranded down the track to terminate an entertaining knock laced with four fours, off 88 balls, defeat was inevitable for Ireland, as they slipped to 139 for six in the 37th over.
Johnston and White tried desperately, hammering a few fours and sixes in a seventh-wicket partnership that accumulated 58 runs. But Flintoff, back for a new spell from the southern end, sprawled the stumps of Johnston before medium pacer Collingwood (1-38), later named man-of-the-match, forced White to nick a catch to the wicketkeeper.
It was then 209 for eight in the 46th over and it didn’t take Flintoff long thereafter to wrap up the proceedings.
England, having won the toss and taken first strike in sultry conditions, on a pitch that offered some lateral movements for the bowlers earlier on, were led to their formidable total, mainly through the 30-year-old Collingwood and solid contributions from Kevin Pieterson, Flintoff and Bell after paceman Boyd Rankin (2-28) presented an early scare when he dislodged openers Ed Joyce (1) and Vaughan (6) within the first six overs.
Joyce, offering no stroke, had his off stump rocked back with one that straightened on him in the first over while Vaughan edged a beautiful leg-cutter to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien.
Bell (31) and Pietersen (48) joined forced with England on 23 for two and batted intelligently in posting 66 for the third wicket while Flintoff, 43 from 62 balls spiced with four cracking fours, and Collingwood put together 81 for the fifth wicket prior to Collingwood and Paul Nixon (19) adding a quick-fire 51 for the sixth wicket in the latter part of the innings.
Pietersen, whose knock lasted 47 deliveries treated the fair-sized crowd with some audacious stroke play, savagely pulling Rankin wide of mid-wicket for four and following up with an ostentatious on-drive that rocketed to the boundary off David Langford-Smith to bring up his team’s 50 in the 11th over before greeting medium pacer Johnston, with consecutive fours in the next over.
Bell hit two fours from 74 balls before he gloved a lifting delivery from Kevin O’Brien (1-26) to the keeper and with Pietersen flicking off-spinner Kyle McCallan (1-38) low to Porterfield at short mid-wicket, the Englishmen in the 27th over, had slipped to 113 for four.
However, Collingwood and Flintoff countered a spirited Irish effort not only with the ball but also with some outstanding ground fielding in pushing the score to 194 in the 44th over, when Flintoff was bowled off the inside edge by Johnston (1-70).
That paved the way for Nixon to partner the well-entrenched Collingwood as they proceeded in launching a brutal assault with some lusty hitting.
Collingwood notched up his 15th One-day International 50 and second in this year’s tournament off the 65th ball with a simple push into the off-side for a single simultaneously bringing up England’s 200 in the 42nd over and quickly celebrated the landmark with a couple of huge sixes, including one off Botha that sailed into the Southeast Stand for a spectator to take a well-judged catch.
In the quest for quick runs, Nixon tried to smack Botha (1-56) for a second six in succession, but lofted a catch to Morgan at wide mid-on in the penultimate over before Collingwood, looking for a second, was run-out with three deliveries remaining.
England blasted 94 runs in the last 10 overs, exposing their opponents’ inexperience, as they wilted under pressure.
Ireland battle South Africa in their next match on Tuesday at the same venue while England face Sri Lanka on Wednesday in Antigua.
ENGLAND innings
E. Joyce b Rankin 1
M. Vaughan c wkpr N. O’Brien b Rankin 6
I. Bell c wkpr N. O’Brien b K. O’Brien 31
K. Pietersen c Porterfield b McCallan 48
P. Collingwood run-out (White/Johnston) 90
A. Flintoff b Johnston 43
P. Nixon c Morgan b Botha 19
R. Bopara not out 10
S. Mahmood not out 0
Extras: (lb-2, w-13, nb-3) 18
Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs) 266
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-23, 3-89, 4-113, 5-194, 6-245, 7-258.
Bowling: Langford-Smith 7-0-38-0 (nb-3, w-3), Rankin 7-1-28-2 (w-4), Johnston 10-0-70-1, Botha 10-1-56-1, K. O'Brien 4-0-26-1 (w-2), McCallan 10-0-38-1 (w-2), White 2-0-8-0.
IRELAND innings
W. Porterfield c Bell b Flintoff 31
J. Bray c Bopara b Anderson 0
E. Morgan run-out (Mahmood) 2
N. O’Brien stp. Nixon b Vaughan 63
A. Botha c Flintoff b Panesar 18
K. O’Brien lbw b Panesar 12
T. Johnston b Flintoff 27
A. White c wkpr Nixon b Collingwood 38
K. McCallan b Flintoff 5
D. Langford-Smith lbw b Flintoff 1
B. Rankin not out 4
Extras: (lb-3, w-9, nb-5) 17
Total: (all out, 48.1 overs) 218
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-11, 3-72, 4-116, 5-139, 6-139, 7-197, 8-209, 9-210.
Bowling: Anderson 7-1-35-1 (w-4), Mahmood 8-2-34-0 (nb-1, w-1), Flintoff 8.1-1-43-4 (nb-4), Collingwood 6-0-38-1 (w-1), Panesar 10-1-31-2, Vaughan 9-0-34-1 (w-1).
Points: England 2, Ireland 0.