England thrashed in $20m showdown
Monday, 3 November 2008
Superstars 101-0 (12.4 overs) beat England 99 (19.5) by 10 wickets England were embarrassed in the finale of the Stanford Super Series as the Superstars team won by 10 wickets to pocket the $20m (£12.4m) prize fund, BBC reports.
England slumped to 33-4 and then 65-8 after 15 overs before Samit Patel's 22 took them to 99 in 19.5 overs, still easily their lowest Twenty20 total.
Superstars skipper Chris Gayle smashed England out of sight, striking five sixes in a devastating unbeaten 65.
He and Andre Fletcher (32 not out) took just 12.4 overs to bring home the cash.
The Superstars XI take home $1m each - with fsour of them winning the money despite neither batting nor bowling - but England's players go away with nothing after a difficult week.
The five remaining members of the winning Caribbean squad share $1m, with their back-room staff members pocketing $1m as well.
In addition, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the West Indies Cricket Board each receive $3.5m.
The tourists had actually begun reasonably brightly with the bat after Kevin Pietersen had won the toss. Matt Prior struck a couple of clean boundaries as he and Ian Bell steered the tourists to 19-0 after three overs.
But Jerome Taylor bowled Bell with a fast and full delivery and two balls later Prior moved across his stumps, missed with his attempted swipe, and also had his stumps re-arranged.
Pietersen never got going, and the excellent Darren Sammy - an unsung seamer from St Lucia - flung himself onto his back in exultation after removing the England captain.
By then, Sammy had seen Owais Shah well caught at square leg off his bowling. And the wicket of Pietersen - almost a carbon copy of Prior's demise - left England in tatters at 33-5.
England slumped to 33-4 and then 65-8 after 15 overs before Samit Patel's 22 took them to 99 in 19.5 overs, still easily their lowest Twenty20 total.
Superstars skipper Chris Gayle smashed England out of sight, striking five sixes in a devastating unbeaten 65.
He and Andre Fletcher (32 not out) took just 12.4 overs to bring home the cash.
The Superstars XI take home $1m each - with fsour of them winning the money despite neither batting nor bowling - but England's players go away with nothing after a difficult week.
The five remaining members of the winning Caribbean squad share $1m, with their back-room staff members pocketing $1m as well.
In addition, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the West Indies Cricket Board each receive $3.5m.
The tourists had actually begun reasonably brightly with the bat after Kevin Pietersen had won the toss. Matt Prior struck a couple of clean boundaries as he and Ian Bell steered the tourists to 19-0 after three overs.
But Jerome Taylor bowled Bell with a fast and full delivery and two balls later Prior moved across his stumps, missed with his attempted swipe, and also had his stumps re-arranged.
Pietersen never got going, and the excellent Darren Sammy - an unsung seamer from St Lucia - flung himself onto his back in exultation after removing the England captain.
By then, Sammy had seen Owais Shah well caught at square leg off his bowling. And the wicket of Pietersen - almost a carbon copy of Prior's demise - left England in tatters at 33-5.