Eng Aus ODI 1: Australia Survive Rashid Reignition by Four Runs

England appeared to have dozed off to sleep in the middle overs, leaving in vain the efforts of Luke Wright and young spinner, Adil Rashid, to get England back into the game by a heart breaking four runs.

owais shah

The Oval saw a most unusual run chase. There was a rapid trail blaze by the England captain but Andrew Strauss disappeared faster than his boundaries. Brett Lee looked charged up and the greeting at the crease for England's batsmen appeared testimony of it, even though the Australian bowler seemed to get carried away a bit.

ravi bopara1

Ravi Bopara opened once again to prove Australia wrong. His patient forty-nine runs were the mainstay of the top order but the balls that the England were eating up in the process of following a cautious path was beginning to take its toll.

Nathan Hauritz picked up Matt Prior and then, Bopara, leaving England at three down for 124 in twenty-eight overs. England tried rebuilding again, this time with Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood.

owais shah

But the hit wicket as Shah stepped onto his own stumps, batting on forty, was not unlike England's approach in this game towards chasing the target of 261.

Collingwood was the more planned wicket for Mitchell Johnson. But Luke Wright and Adil Rashid looked like showing Australia that they had got less runs than they should have.

Wright's thirty-eight from twenty-seven gave England an outside chance. And the follow up thereafter from Rashid gave England fans plenty to cheer about as the Australians were beginning to think this was closer than they had imagined, even though they have picked eight wickets.

But requiring thirteen runs from six balls proved a task too much for the tail enders and Rashid's thirt-one from twenty-three balls meant that England had lost the match but not their dignity despite making a mess of their run chase. Australia and stand in Michael Clarke, who was really pressed to bring his cards to the table, would like to have had a more comprehensive win than they could muster at the Oval.

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