Image courtesy of David Molloy via Flickr.com
Sunday 28th February saw the conclusion of the five match ODI series between Australia and England, the tourists emphatic 4-1 victory proving just how far their limited overs side has progressed in the last couple of years.
Following a disappointing test series against their Australian rivals, England’s hopes turned towards the ODI series not only to salvage their tour down under but continue their dominance in the shorter format of the game. England are a long way from the side that last toured down under for the 2015 ICC World Cup, where their approach to fifty over cricket was outdated and scores of over 300 could only be dreamed of.
Their development since then has been quite extraordinary.
The dramatic change in ethos within the side, implemented by Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss, has been embraced by each and every member of the squad, their no fear approach to ODI cricket translating into runs on the board and records being broken. Perhaps the most important aspect of this newly enforced ethos is, not only the encouragement for players to play their natural, free-hitting game but also the support behind them when it does not always come off. Players go through peaks and troughs of form and a player can’t be expected to score big every game. There are going to be times where each member of the team experiences a lean patch and what the current England set-up have done so well is not only supporting players through this but sticking by them too. England, like many international teams have, in the past, been guilty of a revolving door of selection, equating in unsettled and ever changing teams where not enough faith and support has been shown to the players. Though that is not to say that competition for a place in the side is lacking.
The battle for a place within the final XI is fierce, something which Jason Roy knows all too well, having been dropped from the side following a disappointing lead up to the Champions Trophy and tournament in general. However, since being reinstated into the team following the omission of Alex Hales at the end of the summer, Roy has shown his true abilities with the bat and why he is an invaluable member of the team. Whilst Roy performed well in the final two matches of the summer, it was his performance in this series in Melbourne that is without a doubt his most career defining performance to date. Roy’s performance highlighted his incredible control and free-hitting ability with the bat, but also how capable he is of going on and making a big total. His record-breaking 180 off 151 balls surpassed Hales’s previous high score for England of 171, making it a match winning contribution alongside his 221 run partnership with Joe Root.
Root is another example of not only the success of England’s new approach to limited overs cricket but also of the strength in character of those currently in or around the squad. For Root it cannot have been easy coming off the back of an incredibly difficult, physically and mentally demanding test series, however his response with the bat was fantastic. He put to bed his Ashes demons to perform consistently across the five matches, which rightfully earned him the man of the series title. Root’s role within the side is a pivotal one. He is the anchor, the man who steadily goes about his game whilst others bat around him. The dynamic and fearless cricket in which England play is essential for them to progress and to succeed, yet so too is the technicality of Root, to be there on the days when it doesn’t work out and be there to support them when it does. Whilst perhaps not always the stand out player, like the performance of that of Roy, Root’s contributions more often than not are integral and his own approach to the game fits perfectly within this England set-up and mindset for the very reason that it is his own, successful, brand of cricket.
England’s success with the bat has always been the main talking point when it comes to their prominent rise in limited overs cricket. With high team totals and individual accomplishments, there has been plenty to talk about, and more often than not the result is talked about in terms of whether England succeeded or failed with the bat. Bowling has become somewhat of a second fiddle, which is arguably similarly characteristic of limited overs cricket in general. However, this series served as a bit of a turning point in the field, with England putting on some dominant performances with the ball, particularly from the likes of new-comer Tom Curran, and, from a few perspectives, some of their best performances to date. England showed just how clinical they could be with the ball against Australia, restricting the home sides scoring considerably and keeping the pressure on the batsman throughout the innings. In recent times it could be argued that England have, to an extent, struggled to maintain pressure in the middle stages of the innings, failing to continue to take wickets and allowing partnerships to build, however this was not the case in Australia.
What was perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the bowling performances throughout the series was the unit’s ability to deal with high pressure situations, such as the loss of Liam Plunkett to a hamstring injury early on in the innings. Losing a seam bowler mid-way through a game piles an enormous amount of pressure on the remaining bowlers within the side, however England rose to the occasion and handled it remarkably. So too did the captain, Morgan, whose intuitive, collected and attacking captaincy throughout the series not only enabled England’s success but played a huge role in creating it. His attacking field placements and his handling of the bowlers, never allowing a batsman to get comfortable or settled played a huge role in England’s success in the field and further highlighted the team’s mantra of competitive “no fear” cricket.
It is the mark of a highly talented and exceptionally ambitious side that they should win a series 4-1 and highlight that they are not playing their best cricket. England acknowledged that there were areas of the game that they could improve in and highlighted their one loss as an indication that they are constantly learning and developing. As aforementioned, with the brand of cricket England are playing, there will inevitably be occasions where the side’s batting, bowling or both, doesn’t come off. However, England’s overarching goal is to make those instances few and far between, always looking to improve their game and building towards World Cup victory and being the best in the world.
With the conclusion of the ODI series, England will be hoping to recreate their winning performances in the tri-series against Australia and New Zealand. Having lost the first match in the series to Australia, they will be hoping to adapt their game to this shorter format in order to secure victories in the remaining games of the series. Twenty20, of course, poses different challenges to that of the fifty over game, however there are certainly aspects of this series that will test England in similar ways to that of a world tournament. The tri-series will be a real test for the squad, with their greatest challenge being their travel itinerary between games which are spread across both Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, the challenge of facing to completely different sides will test the squads ability to adapt to different opponents.
Whilst England’s squad may not entirely be the finished article, their passion and positive attitude towards limited overs cricket is a refreshing sight for England fans and makes them thoroughly enjoyable to watch.
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