Broad inspires crushing English win
Thursday, 28 August 2008
TRENT BRIDGE, Aug 27 (Cricinfo): Stuart Broad produced the best bowling figures of his professional career, and Matt Prior followed up his haul of six catches with a rumbustious 45 not out from 36 balls, as South Africa were subjected to the heaviest and most humiliating defeat in their 406-match ODI history.
From start to finish the contest lasted a mere 37.1 overs, 23 of which were used up by the South Africans themselves, as England routed them for 83, their second worst total after the 69 they made against Australia at Sydney in 1993-94.
It was a performance of utter dominance from England, who have undergone a renaissance in the weeks since Kevin Pietersen took over as captain.
On this occasion, however, the plaudits belonged to the least heralded member of their pace attack, a man whose cutting edge has occasionally been called into question in his first full year of international cricket.
In front of his home crowd at Nottinghamshire, Broad scotched all such notions by producing a waspish length on the line of off stump, and for once found the edge, as he surged to his first five-wicket haul in all limited-overs cricket.
There wasn't even a morsel of comfort for South Africa to take from the match, and afterwards Graeme Smith felt obliged to apologise to a packed crowd for the early curtailment to their evening's entertainment.
Doubtless he repeated those sentiments to the Trent Bridge authorities, who were unable to showcase their spanking new floodlights.
England 85 for 0 (Prior 45*, Bell 28*) beat South Africa 83 (Broad 5-23) by ten wickets.
From start to finish the contest lasted a mere 37.1 overs, 23 of which were used up by the South Africans themselves, as England routed them for 83, their second worst total after the 69 they made against Australia at Sydney in 1993-94.
It was a performance of utter dominance from England, who have undergone a renaissance in the weeks since Kevin Pietersen took over as captain.
On this occasion, however, the plaudits belonged to the least heralded member of their pace attack, a man whose cutting edge has occasionally been called into question in his first full year of international cricket.
In front of his home crowd at Nottinghamshire, Broad scotched all such notions by producing a waspish length on the line of off stump, and for once found the edge, as he surged to his first five-wicket haul in all limited-overs cricket.
There wasn't even a morsel of comfort for South Africa to take from the match, and afterwards Graeme Smith felt obliged to apologise to a packed crowd for the early curtailment to their evening's entertainment.
Doubtless he repeated those sentiments to the Trent Bridge authorities, who were unable to showcase their spanking new floodlights.
England 85 for 0 (Prior 45*, Bell 28*) beat South Africa 83 (Broad 5-23) by ten wickets.