England are out of the World Cup after being beaten emphatically by South Africa. This was a match that promised a lot, with both teams fighting for a semi final place. England just can't get their act together in the One Day game. It's as if they just don't know how to play this form of the game and it showed yesterday with another collapse engineered by the impressive Andrew Hall who took five wickets and put the final nail in England's coffin. South Africa now join Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the semi finals
I was at the Kennington Oval yesterday, scene of England's Ashes celebration in 2005, which seems so long ago. Preparations were underway for the first Championship match of the season between Surrey and Yorkshire and there was a buzz around this famous ground where I saw my first live cricket match and holds such cherished memories.The players were training on the field and I gave a shriek as I spotted a favourite of mine, Darren Gough with a big smile on this face going through the training drills.
The staff around the ground were all busy but had an eye or an ear to proceedings at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. I caught a quick glimpse of the match in the cricket shop and had a quick chat with the guys there and we were all pleased at that stage when England had only lost two wickets and there was still the promise of Pietersen and Flintoff to come. When I next checked the score a few hours later, I was surprised to hear of the pitiful display and knew that a defeat was assured bar some miracle and so it proved to be.
England will now have to do a post mortem on yet another disappointing outing at a World Cup. It is surely time for Duncan Fletcher to depart and some new blood to be injected into the set up, which has had much success in his tenure, but now is in need of a shake up. Michael Vaughan's place in the One Day team must also be a question after he failed to improve on his below par record. Paul Collingwood must surely be in contention to lead the side as one of their best players, with a good cricketing brain.
The fans rightly booed the players after the match, as they had failed to deliver and let everyone down, not least themselves.
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