Frank Gregan talks medieval jousting and underwater bingo as he assesses England's mixed start to the Twenty20 World Cup...
The Jekyll and Hyde of cricket were at it again at the weekend as England discovered new levels of embarrassment when losing to the Dutch in the Twenty20 World Cup.
Cricket in Holland is not very popular, having the same kind of following as medieval jousting and underwater bingo! Matches are watched by a couple of tulip sellers and a few old blokes wearing clogs, yet England managed to slump to a defeat against a side that Somerset, Wiltshire or the Isle of Wight would be competitive against.
It was a desperate loss and could have cost England dearly. As soon as stumps were drawn the hosts faced the prospect of not qualifying for the super eight had they lost to Pakistan. Qualification was no longer in their hands, it was up to the likes of Michael Fish and co and there would have been much checking of the web weather forecasts on Saturday night. A washout would have been a disaster but fortunately it never happened and Collingwood and his men were given the chance to redeem themselves.
Pakistan were the opposition, a serious heavyweight in World Cricket and with about eight million supporters for every Dutchman that follows the game. Nothing short of a stellar performance would suffice and, given that this English side blows more hot and cold than an air conditioner in a Tenerife nightclub, nobody quite knew what team would turn up.
It was their 'A' team with their 'A' game and it was a great performance and a victory that keeps their hopes of winning the trophy on home soil alive. But how on earth did they find themselves in that position? How could they lose to Holland?
It's because of the format and with that the same old - same old is debated as to whether this form of cricket should be played at international level. It's an argument I've had many times with many different people; I am a great fan of this short game and defend it resolutely. It's cricketing Marmite - you either love it or hate it but one thing is for sure - Holland would not beat England in a five day game. It's the unpredictability that makes it riveting!
It's only the fourth day of the tournament and already there have been shocks galore dished up because of the format. There is no recovery time - if you have a bad spell then your team will have a bad result. And if you put together back to back poor performances, the tournament is over.
Incredibly, Australia could find themselves out of the competition if they don't manage to overcome Sri Lanka today. Even a win might not be enough because of their poor net run rate after their seven wicket defeat by a West Indian side that looked as if they had been seized by aliens and reincarnated. One guy was seen shaking the West Indian skipper by the shoulders and shouting: "Who are you and what have you done with Chris Gayle?"
New Zealand were almost humbled by Scotland after a weather adjustment meant that the game took on the format of a school yard match. It was over in a flash and you couldn't help wondering if they were going to invoke the "one handed catch off the wall" rule in conjunction with the "tip and run' that both sides played. Great entertainment!
Betfairians can't make their mind up who is going to win this event and it's a belting market because of that. It's time to build up a portfolio and keep working the market in play. I backed England before the Pakistan game at odds of 17.0 - they are currently at 10.0 but they are still a back because if they make the semis their odds will halve.
The West Indies are 10.5 to back and if they continue in the same vein of form that they displayed against Australia that is a massive price.
The Australians have lost their last four Twenty20 internationals and have little appetite for this format, referring to it as "a hit and a giggle" because they have been unable to master it. However, they have a massive competitive streak and the 9.2 currently available will shorten dramatically if they roll Sri Lanka.
It's a tough call but I'm going to recommend England and pray that they replicate their form against Pakistan rather than Holland for the remainder of the tournament. It's a great tournament and it is promoting the format in a very positive manner.
I was having a heated debate about Test cricket v Twenty20 at the weekend with a mate and defending the shorter version I was well on top. That was until he threw in an absolute gem which won him the argument. "So what have you been looking forward to most this summer, the Twenty20 World Cup or the Ashes?"
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