Due to our recent sojourn back to the UK, we haven’t seen much World Cup action in the last ten days, but it is inexplicably clear that England are the most entertaining (if some distance from the best) side in the tournament.
Indeed, it would seem that unlike the other 13 teams battling it out on the sub-continent, England are the only side not trying to win the bloody World Cup.
England’s aims are much more noble:
1. Save ODI cricket
With Twenty 20 threatening to surpass and eventually replace its more sedate 50 over cousin, England seem to be on a one-team mission to save it from extinction. Whether it is squeezing past The Netherlands, sensationally tying with India, coming back from the dead against South Africa or snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Ireland and Bangladesh, no cricket fan dare take their eyes off England in this World Cup. Who needs the IPL?
2. Save the Associate Nations from a World Cup cull
With Ricky Ponting stating his opposition to the presence of the Associates, Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower would appear to have not been able to resist yet another opportunity to wind up the hapless Australian skipper. In conceding 292 runs to The Netherlands and then allowing Ireland to reach a victory target of 329, England have shown up the ICC’s decision to cull the Associates from the next World Cup as an inept and foolhardy move. They even managed to make Canada look good in the warm-up before the tournament - and that takes some doing.
3. Make friends with David Attenborough
It’s a little known fact that as well as being the world’s most foremost naturalist, David Attenborough is also a patron of the Optimum Population Trust (OPT) think-tank. The OPT believes that the population of the UK should be 20 million (rather than 60+ million) and argues that population growth represents a far bigger problem to the world than global warming (and they are not wrong there). Strauss and Flower obviously agree. The number of heart attack victims that must have resulted from the photo-finishes to each of England’s five matches thus far must now be touching 5 million. Another close finish against West Indies and Attenborough could be bringing out the bunting.
4. Be awarded the tag of the great entertainers
Let's face it before the tournament started no-one would have had England down as the most flamboyant and exciting side. A Pakistan side always prone to self-destruction? Yes. India's stellar batting line-up? Maybe. Australia's all-out pace attack? Possibly. But surely not a normally steady and efficient England side containing the likes of Strauss, Trott and Collingwood in its batting line-up? It just goes to show how wrong you can be. England are now like the French rugby team - brilliant one minute, woeful the next. And who'd have thought that?
Where next?
Read about our cricket heroes and zeroes
Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs
Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here
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If by "entertaining" you mean watching grown men behave like spoilt brats!!
Posted by: Ian Jackson | Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 09:17
Swanny may have acted like a pratt the other night, but it was must-watch cricket!!
Posted by: The Reverse Sweep | Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 09:37
England are now like the French rugby team - brilliant one minute, woeful the next.
Posted by: pembe maske | Friday, September 02, 2011 at 08:51