Rain forces match to be abandoned by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Old Trafford, Manchester
Scorecard:	England v Australia
Player:	B Lee, MJ Clarke, CL White
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2009

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DateLine: 30th August 2009

 

Rain caused havoc on a contest that was promising to be a nail-biter. Australia after being thoroughly being outplayed in the final Test of the Ashes series gained the upper hand when the clouds opened up as rain poured down heavily. Though the rain stopped, the conditions were far from fit for the match to continue as the officials had no option but to call off the match.

 

Earlier, England won the toss and elected to field first on a grey, chilly Manchester day which did not look like a T20 setting. The tourists struggled for momentum for most part of their batting as only Cameron White looked like suited to the conditions as he smacked 55 of 36 balls to lift the Aussies to 145 for 4. White was lucky though as he survived a dropped catch at 12 by Joe Denly. He made the English pay hefty for that as the right-hander hit three huge sixes after the visitors had laboured at around a run-ball for the first 15 overs.

 

The English bowlers though started off on a brilliant note as the Australians could only manage six fours in addition to White's three sixes. All the bowlers used the two-paced surface to full effect with brilliant change of pace.

 

The only good thing that came for the tourists was the 78 run stand between skipper Michael Clarke and White which kind of formed the backbone of the innings.

 

The Aussie openers started off slowly looking to study the nature of the surface. The England bowlers had a strategy in mind and that was to concentrate on the back-of-the-length attack that did them good service in the World Twenty20.

 

Stuart Broad gave the hosts their first wicket when Watson put a pull straight into the hands of Ravi Bopara at mid-wicket. Warner looked good for his brief stay as he kept finding the boundary but the hosts managed to keep a tab scoring rate.

 

The skipper Paul Collingwood introduced captain himself and that probably had the biggest impact in the Aussie innings as Collingwood operating in cutter mode first trapped Warner leg before and then two balls later David Hussey became his victim trying a senseless slog shot off only his second ball.

 

England pretty well dominated the first 10 overs as after the first half of the innings, Australia were scoring at a run-a-ball with just Warner's three boundaries to have reached and touched the fence. White then started to add to that count when he drove Collingwood inside-out through cover. He was then given a life in the next over as Joe Denly on debut, spilled a fairly straightforward chance at backward point off Anderson.

 

Cameron White, much known for his big hitting ability in this part of the globe was the only batsman to look comfortable in the conditions. The right-hander opened up during the final five overs starting with a powerful pull off Broad which brought up the 100 and also was the first six of the innings. White then followed this by depositing Swann over long-on.

 

It must be said though that he saved his best shot to raise his 50 off 33-balls. He flicked Ryan Sidebottom onto the committee balcony and raised a special knock. Then Broad struck to send back White caught at cover at the start of the 19th over. This was a decisive blow considering him at the crease for the last two overs could have swelled the total considerably.

 

England got off to the worst possible start as they lost openers in very quick time. Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson were quick, hostile and accurate from ball number one as the English openers were softened up the pacemen. The previous match hero, Joe Denly who was making his ODI debut got a rude welcome into the international arena with a vicious bouncer from a rejuvenated Lee. Had he not got wood on the ball, it would have taken his head away, but unfortunately for him the ball travelled straight to short square leg who gobbled up the catch.

 

Brett Lee did not let the intensity drop in the over as he continued to generate raw pace and bounce and to mix up things an excellent slower ball was thrown in. Trott the new man in looked completely at sea against a fired-up Lee.

 

Bopara took his patchy form into the T20 format as he attempted one of the worst shots in the summer, an uppercut off a ball that was not short enough and Watson at slips did not have any trouble in taking the catch as England slipped further to 4 for 2 in 1.1 overs. Just when it seemed that England will be facing an uphill task the heavens opened up and further play was not possible.