The thoughts of Adil Rashid, who bowled marvellously and took the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. Lovely. One more game and hopefully we’ll get there. I thought we bowled exceptionally well – we were happy chasing 169. There was a bit of turn. You have to get used to being able to bowl in the first Powerplay, I’ve been practising that so that I’m ready if the captain needs me.
The player of the match is Alex Hales
It’s a huge occasion, India in a World Cup semi-final, and I’m really happy with the way I played – it’s as special as it gets. This is one of the best grounds in the world to bat on, especially in the Powerplay.
I never thought I’d play in a World Cup again, so to get the chance – in a country I love – is very special.
So, 30 years on from Wasim Akram’s ball of the millennium, England will play Pakistan in another final at the MCG. We thought their seven-match series was a World Cup warm-up; turns out it was a World Cup final warm-up.
The partnership of 170 is the highest for any wicket in a men’s T20 World Cup. Buttler can’t stop beaming as he embraces his team mates. He set the tone by taking 12 off the first over from his nemesis Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and then Alex Hales went ballistic. Buttler almost caught him up with a starburst of strokes at the end.
Buttler 80* (49 balls, 9×4, 3×6)
Hales 86* (47 balls, 4×4, 7×6)
And we still don’t know who was down to bat at No3.
ENGLAND WIN BY 10 WICKETS!!!!
16th over: England 170-0 (target 169; Buttler 80, Hales 86) Hales backs away to clatter a slower short ball from Shami over extra cover for four. It almost went for six. Dear me, this is savage.
Buttler finishes an unbelievable runchase in the grand manner, pinging Shami back over his head for one last six. He takes over his helmet, leans back and roars to the heavens.
That, surely, is the best T20 performance in England’s history. They have marmalised a great India team with ten wickets and 24 balls to spare.
15th over: England 156-0 (target 169; Buttler 71, Hales 81) A quiet over from Axar Patel, two from it. Both batters have faced 45 balls; Buttler has a strike rate of 158, Hales 180.
“This is like Brazil losing 7-1 to Germany,” says Vivek Jaitly. “Only if India manages to take a wicket here.”
Ah but Brazil were hosts. That’s what gave it an extra layer of WTF.
14th over: England 154-0 (target 169; Buttler 70, Hales 80) Jos Buttler took a mid-innings break to admire Alex Hales from the non-striker’s end, but he’s back to his spine-tingling best. He dumps Shami over extra cover for four and then makes room to launch a 100-metre six straight down the ground. That’s an unreal shot.
He tries again next ball, doesn’t get hold of it and is dropped by Suryakumar Yadav running back from mid-off. To compound India’s abundant misery he can only punch the ball to the boundary for four more.
“I’m all for a redemption arc but Alex Hales was banned for recreational drug use and the captain refused to pick him after this,” says Niall Mullen. “Seems tough but fair?”
I think it’s the length of the ostracism that most people were unhappy about. I can see both sides, and not only because my subconscious is so terrified of cancel culture that I haven’t expressed an opinion since 2018. Look, I’m sorry, I just don’t feel that strongly either way about Marmite.
Another great stat from Tim
England spinners: 7-0-41-1
India spinners: 5-0-55-0
“Wasn’t expecting that!”
13th over: England 140-0 (target 169; Buttler 56, Hales 80) Hales backs away, Pandya follows him, and Hales muscles the ball over mid-on for three.
Buttler scoops the next ball for four, a particularly good shot because Pandya followed him outside off stump. And then he reaches his half-century with a stunning flat six over midwicket. England are taking India to the cleaners.
“At the moment,” says Harsha Bhogle on commentary, “it looks like a contest between two boxers from different weight categories.”
12th over: England 123-0 (target 169; Buttler 42, Hales 77) Ravichandran Ashwin returns to the attack. He bowled a very good first over, even though it went for 12.
England are so far ahead of the rate that they are able to work Ashwin around for low-risk ones and twos. Buttler hasn’t hit a boundary since the last ball of the Powerplay; with Hales running amok, he hasn’t needed to.
There he goes again! Hales gets down on one knee to dump Ashwin over backward square leg for six more. That’s his seventh six, which equals Jason Roy’s record for an England opener in T20Is. The overall record is Liam Livingstone’s nine, and it’s imperilled.
This is sensational stuff from Hales, up there with his amazing hundred against Sri Lanka in 2014. He slaughters Ashwin’s last ball to the cover boundary to move to 77 from 40 balls. England now need less than a run a ball.
11th over: England 108-0 (target 169; Buttler 38, Hales 66) Pandya’s first ball is pulled flat and hard over midwicket by Hales. That’s his sixth six – I SAID THAT’S HIS SIXTH SIX – and it brings up the century partnership from just 64 balls.
It’s so easy to think of Hales as a punisher, and by heaven does he punish, but his shot selection has been immaculate tonight. We probably don’t give him enough credit for his intelligence.
Source – The Guardian
In other news – Mihlali Ndamase EXPOSED
Well-known nightclub Saints Lounge CPT has come out to put Mihlali Ndamase on blast, just as she did to it.
Two weeks ago, Mihlali exposed all the brands that hadn’t paid her for the work she’s done for them, and the club was one of the brands. Learn more
