Spectators have long been advised to get to sporting events early and they could miss the key part of today’s ICC Champions Trophy opener between England and Bangladesh at The Oval in London if they are not in on time.
Even in June, early morning cloud cover that aids swing is often a key part of English cricket conditions.
The proof came on Monday when, across London at Lord’s, England collapsed to 20-6 in five overs — the worst start in one-day international history — against the South Africa new-ball duo of Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell.
Photo: AFP
A green-tinged pitch did not find favor with England captain Eoin Morgan, but even on more placid surfaces the issue of how best to bat under gray skies, which can often set in all day in England, as many a cold fan knows, remains.
Bangladesh highlighted the issue in dramatic style by collapsing to 84 all out in reply to Champions Trophy title-holders India’s 324-7 in their final warm-up match at The Oval on Tuesday.
Defeat by 240 runs was certainly not want Bangladesh wanted any more than England, a much-improved one-day side since the Tigers knocked them out of the 2015 World Cup, wished to see their top order suffer such a spectacular slump against South Africa, even if they were already 2-0 up in the three-match series.
Yet it says something about England’s current “white-ball” approach that Jonny Bairstow, their only batsman to make a half-century at Lord’s, might not play at The Oval if all-rounders Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes are fully fit.
“I haven’t seen a team win a global tournament playing defensively,” England coach Trevor Bayliss said.
“It’s always a team that backs itself and plays bold cricket,” added the Australian, looking to guide England to their first major one-day title. “From that point of view the message won’t change.”
Bangladesh collapsed to 22-6 in 7.3 overs against India, not as bad as England on Monday, but concerning all the same.
However, Mehedi Hasan, who top-scored for the Tigers with 24, said they still believed they could beat England.
“Yes. We have done well in our last few matches against England and we are confident,” Hasan said.
Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha tried to minimize the impact of Tuesday’s reverse by saying: “Obviously, it affects the confidence a little bit, but this is a practice game.”
“It’s a big game for us, the first game of the Champions Trophy, but our preparation was good apart from this game so we are confident anyway,” added the former Sri Lanka batsman, with the Tigers having beaten both New Zealand and Ireland in a triangular warm-up event in Dublin last month.
The Champions Trophy opener is set to feature several survivors on both sides from Bangladesh’s 2015 World Cup win over England at the Adelaide Oval.
“Whatever you have done in the past gives you a little bit of confidence, but then you have to start again,” Hathurusingha said. “So whatever we do first against England, we need to start well and that’s what we are focusing on.”
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