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Match facts

Friday, April 9
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard haven’t had a major impact on Mumbai’s campaign•Indian Premier League

Big picture

The fortunes of these two teams could not be any different. With 14 points on the board, Mumbai Indians need just one more win from their five remaining matches to progress to the semi-finals. Kings XI Punjab, at the bottom of the points table, are all but out of contention for a final-four spot.With all their departments firing – that collapse against Chennai was an aberration – and comfortably perched at the top of the table, Mumbai have no real concerns. A win against Punjab will guarantee a spot in the final four and with it an opportunity to give some of their players a rest from the remaining league games. Three of those are against teams in the top four, as well as a resurgent Kolkata Knight Riders, so sealing vital points against Punjab is imperative.For a team that is yet to prove it can compete against the top sides, three of Punjab’s remaining games are against the most formidable outfits of the tournament – Mumbai, Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. Punjab have been the worst fielding side, the batting has been inconsistent, and their problems have been exacerbated by the failure of their bowlers, who have taken just four wickets in the last two matches. Despite trying several combinations, Punjab’s woes have continued and their only incentive to win is to boost their chances of avoiding the wooden spoon.

Form guide (most recent first)

Kings XI Punjab LWLLL
Mumbai Indians LWWWW

Team talk

With R Sathish having little impact, his omission could be one of the changes in Mumbai’s XI. The man to step in could be Abhishek Nayar or Aditya Tare, the team’s primary wicketkeeper. Ambati Rayudu, in that role, has had trouble keeping to genuine fast bowlers. Zaheer Khan, who was rested against Chennai as a precautionary measure because of a swollen knee, is likely to return, as is Sachin Tendulkar, who suffered from dehydration in Chennai.Punjab have been chopping and changing their XI regularly but the results haven’t been significant. Juan Theron and Sreesanth were drafted back in for the last game but both bled runs, so Brett Lee could get another look-in despite his inability to manage a wicket in three games. Shaun Marsh is fit for selection and he could replace Ravi Bopara.

Previously…

Punjab 3 Mumbai 2
In 2008, Punjab won the first ever encounter between the two teams by 66 runs and then clinched a thriller in Mumbai by one run. In their first meeting last year , in Durban, Yusuf Abdulla helped Punjab win a last-over thriller. Mumbai then fought back with an easy eight-wicket win in Centurion. In 2010, Mumbai won a close match at home.

In the spotlight

Sachin Tendulkar has spoilt the Mumbai crowd with his spectacular batting and the PCA Stadium will expect nothing else.Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard: The West Indian stars were disasters with the bat during the loss against Chennai when a lot was expected of them. Bravo is a floater in the batting line-up but so far it seems he’s in the team primarily for his bowling. Pollard’s place in the line-up also hasn’t been settled but there’s a concern he’s being kept too low down. Against a side completely shorn of confidence, it may not be a bad idea to push this pair up and get their mojo going.Piyush Chawla: Just why he has been picked to go to the West Indies as part of India’s World Twenty20 squad is lost on many, because Chawla only has five wickets from ten games as compared to the 14 Delhi’s Amit Mishra has from as many outings at a far better economy and strike-rate. Chawla came in for heavy praise after the first IPL from Kumar Sangakkara but this season he’s not even been remotely dangerous.

Prime Numbers

• The fact that Irfan Pathan (204) has outscored both Kumar Sangakkara (183) and Yuvraj Singh (198) this season highlights their lack of contributions to the team.
• Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga are all tied on 11 wickets – leaving them joint No. 4 on the list of highest wicket-takers.

Match facts

February 27, 2010
Start time 14.30 (09.00GMT)With India fielding a young batting line-up, there will be added responsibility on MS Dhoni•Associated Press

The Big Picture

India have made the challenge of accomplishing their first clean sweep against South Africa much harder by resting regular openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Their absence means India will line up at Motera on Saturday without seven of their first-choice XI.South Africa will be relieved to not have to deal with the openers but they still have puzzles in their own game to solve. They were soundly beaten in Gwalior and got close in the first ODI only because of Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell’s performances – with the bat. Their batting order, apart from AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, hasn’t pulled its weight. They will hope Hashim Amla can build on the momentum he showed in a cameo in the second ODI but, in the absence of Graeme Smith, much depends on Herschelle Gibbs.It’s not just their batting, though, that has been a cause of worry. The bowlers have been a let down as well. The fast bowlers have gone for pace and erred in line and length and have leaked runs on flat pitches. Surprisingly, for a team that prides itself on preparation, South Africa haven’t bowled many cutters or slower ones to make batsmen fight that little extra bit to find their timing.The Indian seamers have had their problems too but have been shored up by slower bowlers such as Ravindra Jadeja and Yusuf Pathan, who have succeeded in choking runs in the middle overs.

Form guide (last five completed games, most recent first)

India WWLWW
South AfricaLLLWL

Watch out for…

Dinesh Kartik: He played well in the second ODI but fell attempting another pull against a delivery outside off stump. He got out in the similar fashion in Jaipur and faulty shot selection has often been Karthik’s undoing in the past. There is no question about his talent as a batsman – he has nearly all the shots in the book. Saturday offers another chance for him to get to a big score but will he be able to exercise self control?Hashim Amla: He is a classy, stylish batsman in rich form. Of late, in Tests, he has combined grace with steely determination with successful results. Amla averages 46.42 in 23 ODIs at a strike rate of almost 85. He has enough talent to become a good ODI player as well and the third ODI gives him a chance to cement his place.

Team news

India have rested several players and have brought in the likes of M Vijay, Rohit Sharma and Abhimanyu Mithun. With three of India’s first-choice openers – Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gambhir – missing, Vijay is in line for an ODI debut.India (probable) 1 M Vijay 2 Dinesh Karthik, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Sreesanth, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Sudeep Tyagi.JP Duminy has headed home to South Africa because of a finger injury sustained in Gwalior, opening up a spot in the middle order. It’s a toss up between Loots Bosman and Albie Morkel, who could get the nod because he provides a bowling option.South Africa: (probable) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Alviro Petersen, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Van der Merwe, 11 Charl Langeveldt.

Pitch and conditions

“There’s not going to be much grass and a score of 250-260 would be a good total,” Dhiraj Parsana, the curator, said. The toss could prove crucial as dew is expected to play a big role later in the contest. “Over the last two days the dew fall has been quite heavy because of clear skies and little wind. If it’s windy it drives away the dew.” The curator said a run-fest was unlikely and there would be something in for the bowlers. If so, it would make for an interesting change from the high-scoring games that have become the norm in India.

Stats and trivia

• Ahmedabad should offer hope to South Africa. India have lost six of their 11 ODI games here, including all of the last three.
• This is the first time South Africa have lost three one-dayers in a row since their dismal showing in the 2008 ODI series in England

Quotes

“The bowlers are quite young, so it is pretty tough for them coming out here and bowling to some of the best players in the world. I think the most important thing for our young bowlers is to learn and I think they did that.”

“It is great to have a lot of young players in the side and it is a good opportunity for them to prove their mettle. The more these players respond in a pressure situation the better for Indian cricket.”
India coach Gary Kirsten isn’t too concerned that India are missing many of their experienced players

Amla prospers in silence
Eden Gardens had not even started to fill in when Virender Sehwag bowled the day’s first ball. So when Hashim Amla raised his bat, having taken a single to reach his half-century, barring a few isolated claps, no one seemed interested in acknowledging his efforts.Mishra needs a Ranadeb Bose pillRanadeb Bose, Bengal’s medium-fast bowler, has never bowled a front-foot no-ball in his entire first-class career. Perhaps, Amit Mishra needs to pay Bose a visit, now that he is in Kolkata. The legspinner over-stepped the line on 13 occasions in this Test to carry his series tally to 18.Dhoni’s left theory
When in Bengal think ‘Left’. With Amla well set MS Dhoni opted for a bizarre leg-side field comprising a backward square leg, square leg, midwicket and a mid-on along with the short leg for a couple of early Harbhajan Singh overs. Not sure what exactly the Indian captain had on his mind, but to the normal eye it seemed pure left theory.Boucher, the cutman
Each time there was a drinks break or the batsman signalled the dressing room for any sort of assistance, Mark Boucher rushed to the middle to inject a fresh dose of motivation and inspiration in equal proportions to Amla. Just like a cutman in a boxing ring, Boucher had towels, wet and dry, across his shoulders with a water bottle at hand as he lent the exhausted Amla a shoulder, whispering words of wisdom into his team-mate’s ears. It did help Amla who played a gallant knock and held his head high despite the lows.Harris distracts himself
The needle had already been established in the first innings after Ishant Sharma had seen off Paul Harris with a , having forced the South African to nick. Today, as Amla pushed the game into the final session the Indians grew desperate and an equally anxious Harris decided to play with their nerves. As Ishant charged in to bowl and was about to take the leap before delivering the ball, Harris moved back out of the crease, waving towards the sight an irritant behind the sightscreen.Viru’s foul play
With the game entering the final five overs, the Indian desperation reached levels where players were willing to cross the line. Amla cut Sachin Tendulkar to the point boundary, but the ball stopped a few inches inside the ropes, but Virender Sehwag tapped it with his foot, which was, picked up by the TV cameras and India were penalised five runs.

Away from the limelight, Mitchell Johnson has quietly worked his way back from the horrors of the Ashes last year into something resembling his best form. He is no longer Australia’s opening bowler, but a new role at first-change has brought considerable success.With one Test still to go in the home summer, Johnson has picked up 28wickets almost unnoticed in five Tests against the West Indies andPakistan. Against the latter, he has bowled several critical spells,taking two wickets in the first over of the final morning at the MCG toset Australia on the path to victory and then two again in an over on thetumultuous fourth day at the SCG.”I’ve had a fair bit of time to think about it [being first change] andrecently it’s been on my mind a lot,” Johnson said. “To be honest I’mhappy where I am and it’s something I have learnt to do well. It probablystarted with ODI cricket, bowling first change and using those change-upsso it’s something I’ve had a bit of time to deal with. If I get theopportunity to bowl with the new ball again I will put my hand up. I’mhappy to do whatever is best for the team.”Through the West Indies series I was a little slow through the air. Iprobably wasn’t quite at my best. But sometimes you come up against thoseteams and you relax a little bit. But as they showed they are a quality side and we almost let them off the hook a little bit. And comingup against Pakistan we know how good they are. I guess I’ve stepped up inthe second half of the summer.”With 31 Tests behind him now, Johnson is the most experienced member ofthe attack and even though he no longer has the new ball, he remains thekey man. He is also reaching a period in his career widely regarded as thepeak years for a fast bowler.”I guess leading is showing the guys on and off the field training, goingat a 100% and speaking to the guys about knowledge of the game,” Johnsonsaid. “I’ve played 30 games and some of the guys coming through now haveonly played a few so I feel it’s my responsibility to speak to those guysabout conditions and the guys we are playing against. Leading the attackout in the middle is going out there and really just doing the things I dobest. I try to break those partnerships and that is one of the big thingsI try and do and just enjoy my cricket.”You’ve had guys like Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee and guys in the pastthat have talked in the past about being at their peak around 27, 28 and29. I feel like I’m starting to know my game a hell of a lot better thanin the past.”Johnson’s had good support through the summer from Doug Bollinger andPeter Siddle, even if Siddle hasn’t been rewarded for all his spells witha proportionate number of wickets. It is not, says Johnson, a majorconcern.”Sid’s not too fussed at the moment,” he said. “He hasn’t spoken about ittoo much. He’s still pretty pumped up and he’s doing a great job for us.He might not be getting rewards but he is still a big part of the side,tying down ends or being aggressive. He’s still doing a great job for us.Doug brings a lot of energy to the side and he is great to have around.”

Ricky Ponting has predicted Nathan Hauritz’s five-wicket haul at theMCG will be a career-turning moment for a spinner who was, only last week, challengedto stand up as a fourth-innings match-winner. Hauritz helped knock Pakistanover for 251 to deliver a big win for Australia and his 5 for 101 was anoutstanding result; he had never before taken five wickets in an innings in a first-class game.His previous best at first-class level was 4 for 86, and in Tests he had nottaken more than three in an innings. In particular, his poor record in thefourth innings of Tests led the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch tochallenge Hauritz prior to the Boxing Day Test. Hilditch asked Hauritz to stand up towards the end of games, when the captain needs to be able to turn to a wicket-taking spinner.The words seemed to spark something in Hauritz, who on the fourth afternoonput Australia firmly in command with a sharp-turning offbreak that spunthrough the gate of Faisal Iqbal and collected his off stump. On the fifthday it was his flight and bounce that troubled Pakistan, as he had two mencaught in close, another stumped, and he finished the Test with a fifth wicketwhen the No. 11 Saeed Ajmal skied a catch to midwicket.The Australians flocked to Hauritz and embraced him, happy that the No. 1spinner in the country was taking positive steps after a year inthe team. Ponting said the five-for would give Hauritz confidence that hebelonged at Test level and develop into a dangerous strike bowler for Australiain the later stages of Tests.”Unless you’ve actually got over the line and done it when it really matters,you always have doubts about yourself and whether you can do it,” Pontingsaid. “Today, in Nathan’s career, could be one of the really big turning points.That’s his first-ever first-class five-for and it happens in a Test match- you couple that with the fact that there was an article written at thestart of the week about the selectors wanting him to stand up late in thegame, he’s done that really well.”There’s no doubt that’s a great thrill for him, it’s a great thrill forall of us as well. If you saw everyone when he took that last wicket, everyonerushed to him because we all knew how much it meant to him. It’s great tosee that spirit is around the team and all the hard work that guys are puttingin, they finally get the rewards.”Hauritz spent time speaking to Shane Warne on the fifth morning, keen forsome advice on how to be the match-winning fifth-day spinner that Australiahave craved. The words of wisdom involved altering his line and Ponting saideverything that Hauritz had done at the MCG had indicated he was moving inthe right direction.”A great sign for him was the first wicket he got last night, when he gotIqbal with one that caught the rough and spun back through the gate,” Pontingsaid. “They’re the sort of wickets we want offspinners to be getting. Hechanged up his line a little bit this morning, he bowled that little bitwider outside off stump and might have gone for a few more runs through theoff side, but that’s what we want to see from him. Batsmen scoring runs throughthe off side on the fifth day of a Test are always going to be taking risksagainst an offspinner.”Despite the general consensus that Australia’s spin-bowling depth has beena worry over the past couple of years, Ponting said he was pleased with theway the slow men were developing. Hauritz is stepping up as a Test player,Jason Krejza remains in the frame, the Victorian left-armer Jon Holland isviewed as a future prospect and the legspinner Steven Smith has been in thesquad for the past two Tests.”I’m very happy with the way our spin bowling stocks are looking at the moment,”Ponting said. “Krejza has shown a lot of improvement this year in domesticcricket. His wicket numbers might not suggest that but if you talk to a lotof the players who have played him and seen him bowl this year, they seemto think that he’s definitely on the right track.”Jon Holland spent some time with us in India in the one-day squad over there,unfortunately didn’t get a game, but it’s great to see him get an opportunityto play a first-class game for Victoria last week and get a few wickets.And then you’ve got Smith, so there are a few guys around at the moment.That’s a real positive for us.”

LAHORE, Aug 22: Three Pakistani umpires were nominated Thursday by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to officiate in the tri-nation starting in Nairobi, Kenya, from Aug 29.Aleem Dar, Asad Rauf, Nadeem Ghauri will share the umpiring with Rudi Koertzen and Russel Tiffin of South Africa and Zimbabwe.Former South African all rounder Mike Procter has been named as the match referee.The umpires for the Sept 7 final will be announced later by the ICC.The tournament feature Pakistan, Australia and Kenya.Following is the schedule:Aug 29: Pak vs Kenya: Field Umpires:Aleem Dar, R.Koertzen TV Umpire: Asad RaufAug 30: Pak vs Australia Field Umpires:Nadeem Ghauri, Russel Tiffin TV Umpire: Asad RaufSept 01: Pakistan vs Kenya Field Umpires: Aleem Dar, R.Koertzen TV Umpire: Asad RaufSept 02: Australia vs Kenya Field Umpires: Nadeem Ghauri, Russel Tiffin TV Umpire: Asad RaufSept 04: Pakistan vs Australia Field Umpires: Aleem Dar, R.Koertzen TV Umpire: Asad RaufSept 05: Australia vs Kenya Field Umpire: Nadeem Ghauri, Russel Tiffin TV Umpire: Asad RaufSept 7: Final.

Stuart Clark is preparing to step into state captaincy knowing that his chances of continuing his Test career could depend on injuries hitting Australia’s younger fast men. While Clark is in Perth getting ready to lead New South Wales for the first time, his international colleagues are in Brisbane ahead of Thursday’s first Test against West Indies.Clark was part of Australia’s most recent Test team, the side that lost at The Oval and conceded the Ashes, although Doug Bollinger beat him into the 12-man squad for the Gabba. In his two Sheffield Shield games this season Clark has five wickets at 31.20 but at 34, his chances of further Test action have slimmed.”I feel what has happened in the last couple of weeks in Shield cricket has really given me some heart that I can still do it – and do it well,” Clark told the . “I think it’s all pretty simple: take some wickets and hopefully a spot becomes available.”There’s probably going to be an injury. The guys that played in England at different times did a really good job and deserve their spots. Doug bowled well in India, they went down that path.”With Brett Lee’s Test future uncertain, Clark’s experience could be valuable to Australia if the younger fast men falter this summer. Clark hopes he can be part of the team that aims to win back the Ashes in a year’s time.”I think that is one of the benefits of me playing if I do play, I have played a lot of cricket over the years and I have played quite a few Test matches,” he said. “I’m not sure if it will come down to that. It will come down to experience if I’m bowling well. If an opportunity arises, I think there is every chance I could get picked. Physically I’m fine, and mentally I know I still want to play for Australia. I definitely want to be part of the Ashes again next year after unfortunately losing them in England this year.”For the time being, he will have to content himself with the challenges of captaincy. In the absence of senior New South Wales players such as Simon Katich, Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke, all of whom are in the Test squad, Clark has been handed the opportunity to test his leadership skills against Western Australia.He begins his captaincy career with an FR Cup game on Wednesday and will follow it with the Sheffield Shield match starting on Friday. The challenge for bowling captains is knowing how many overs to send down themselves, and Clark is confident he can make the right calls with some input from the coach Matthew Mott.”I will do what I have always done – bowl when I need to,” he said. “It’s probably one of the harder things when you are captain, that there is so much else going on that you may neglect yourself. There are different times when it is between Matthew to work out when the best time to bowl is. I won’t just leave myself standing out in the field.”

The captain Simon Katich ranks New South Wales’ Champions League Twenty20 win as one of the proudest moments of his career. Katich, who said the thrill of reaching the semi-finals of Celebrity Masterchef was almost as good as a century for Australia when it aired last week, arrived back in Sydney on Sunday following his side’s US$2.5m victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Hyderabad on Friday.”I’m very proud of everyone,” Katich said in the Daily Telegraph. “We needed everyone firing and everyone did a great job right through the tournament. It’s certainly one of the proudest moments I’ve had in my cricketing career.”Katich, who has played 43 Tests and 45 ODIs, was praised for his captaincy during the tournament, which included opening the bowling with the spinners Nathan Hauritz and Steven Smith during the last two games. The moves were successful and they finished off the inaugural event with a 41-run victory.Stuart Clark was another key performer, taking nine wickets at 12.44, and he said the win was his third most satisfying achievement in the game. “I think international cricket is always the pinnacle,” he told the Australian. “The Ashes series in Australia is my greatest cricket memory and achievement, I only played one game in the [2007] World Cup, but for most people that is second and this to me runs third, but it is a very close battle between one, two and three.”He said the successes were great for different reasons. “This win meant so much for all the NSW people sitting at Moore Park and for all the young guys in our team, some who may never play international cricket,” he said. “This is the highlight of their careers and they will thoroughly remember it.”Clark has tipped Smith and Moises Henriques for big things following their efforts in the two-week tournament. “Moises’ improvement shows day by day and he is going to be an Australian player as soon as there is a spot available,” he said. “Steve Smith is on his way too. You would think the writing is on the wall for a 20-year-old who can bowl leg breaks, given there are not too many leg-break bowlers around in the country. Then there is Phil Hughes and David Warner, sometimes they need a bit of guidance but they are super players with super talent.”The squad is due for a let down over the next week as they return to Australian domestic duties. Their first game of the summer is against Western Australia at North Sydney on Sunday in the FR Cup.

Iain O’Brien has been cleared to replace Daryl Tuffey in the New Zealand squad for the remainder of the Champions Trophy.O’Brien, 33, will replace Tuffey, who was ruled out of the tournament after breaking his hand while fielding. Tuffey will return to New Zealand for surgery.O’Brien has featured in 10 ODIs for New Zealand, picking up 14 wickets at 34.85. He last played an ODI against India in Auckland in March this year.New Zealand, having topped Group B, will play the second-placed team in Group A in the second semi-final at the Wanderers on Saturday.

England 177 for 6 (Denly 53) beat Australia 176 (Ponting 53, Swann 5-28) by four wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outGraeme Swann’s offspin was the difference between the sides•Getty Images

England’s desire to avoid humiliation proved a greater incentive (but only just) than Australia’s desire to complete an arduous tour with an unprecedented 7-0 whitewash, as Graeme Swann’s maiden five-wicket haul proved the difference between the sides in the final match of the series at Chester-le-Street.England being England, they still managed to make a meal of their chase of 177 to win, slumping from 106 for 0 to 141 for 5 before Paul Collingwood dragged them kicking and screaming to a spectacularly inglorious victory. Coming on the last official day of summer, and comprehensively overshadowed by a pulsating Manchester Derby in the Premier League, this was quite simply a contest too far. Tomorrow the teams jet off to South Africa for the Champions Trophy, and on the evidence of the past three weeks, you might as well send England straight back home again.Even better, you might as well leave half the players behind in the first place, specifically England’s guileless middle-order who, for the umpteenth time this summer, treated the loss of Andrew Strauss’s wicket with the same grief and disorientation that a clutch of baby chicks might greet the devouring of their mother by a fox. Strauss made 47 from 74 balls, a continuation of his unfulfilled form in this series. He had the game at his mercy until for some strange reason – perhaps it was boredom, perhaps it was experimentation – he chose to reverse-sweep Nathan Hauritz, and chipped a looping catch to Ben Hilfenhaus in the gully.And then the panic set in. Joe Denly had batted with poise and confidence to bring up his second half-century in ODI cricket, but the arrival of Ravi Bopara reduced his game-brain to mush, as between them the two batsmen decided to take on the bullet arm of Ricky Ponting in the covers, and lost. Bopara then fell lbw to Shane Watson for 13, Owais Shah snicked a drive off James Hopes for 7, before Eoin Morgan completed a collapse of 4 for 11 in 34 balls by edging a cut off Brett Lee for 2.Twenty-one runs later, Matt Prior drove Ben Hilfenhaus to Ponting at short cover for 11, but Collingwood, on his home ground, finished his Australian summer as he had begun it in vastly different circumstances back at Cardiff in July, clinging on with the tail for company to swipe the momentum from Australia’s grasp. That’ll show ’em.In fairness, England did just about deserve their victory, because they possessed in Swann the day’s stand-out performer. He came into the attack in the 25th over of Australia’s innings, with Ponting and Michael Clarke sitting pretty in a third-wicket stand of 79, and produced a spell of hand-grenade uncertainty, finding flight, loop and bite to unsettle a previously serene batting line-up. His first wicket was also the most crucial, that of Ponting, whose 53 from 67 balls had enabled Australia to recover from a shaky 17 for 2, but who fell to Swann’s fifth ball of the innings, as he was deceived in the flight and plopped an attempted cover-drive into the hands of Collingwood at midwicket.Three overs later, and Clarke, the sheet-anchor of Australia’s innings, was also on his way back, courtesy of a badly-judged run to Morgan at short fine leg. His 38 from 81 balls was a broken promise of a performance – given that sort of a batting tempo, he really couldn’t afford not to push onto a big score – but at 110 for 4, the innings was clearly wobbling. Five balls later and it really was in trouble as Cameron White, a centurion at the Rose Bowl, was bowled through the gate by a beautiful turning offspinner from Swann.Though Michael Hussey remained among the specialist batsmen, the way into the tail had been opened, especially with Swann settling into a magnificent rhythm. Hopes was the next to go, caught by the bowler himself as he looped a leading edge towards mid-on, before Mitchell Johnson and Lee fell in the space of three deliveries – Johnson to another leading-edge, this time to James Anderson in the covers, and Lee bowled through the gate to complete Swann’s first five-wicket haul in ODIs.Having committed the cardinal sin of failing to play out their full 50 overs, Australia then started grimly with the ball, as Lee conceded nine runs, including four byes, from his opening over, before Hilfenhaus – given his first outing of the series at Nathan Bracken’s expense – effectively relegated himself to the bench for the Champions Trophy with a shocking first spell that included four front-foot no-balls and a beamer from a free hit. Fittingly he returned at the end of the innings to produce another over-step with the scores level, to finish the tour with the dampest of squibs.Denly took 12 deliveries to get off the mark, but once he had done so he grew in confidence, as did Strauss, who has not lacked for that aspect of his game at any stage of a superb year. Collectively, however, England are a bereft unit, this pyrrhic victory notwithstanding. An ICC 50-over world event comes around every two years, and each and every time, England manage to embark on their campaign with their hopes and expectations as low as they could possibly be. That’s quite a feat, it has to be said.