propensity to choke.
You can’t weigh England up can you? Struggle against the Dutch, lose to Ireland, while tying with the tournament favourites and now beating a side picked by many to do well and so far cruising.
I mean England were pretty much skittled, all out for 171 with four and a bit overs left unused This should have been another cruise for South Africa, after all they usually only choke when it really matters, semi-finals and such.
But while the batsman failed, bar Trott and Bopara – the latter thankfully in for the walking wicket Collingwood – the bowlers actually turned up her. My god even the Burnley Bumpkin produced two magic balls for his two wickets. Though he almost tempered that by slinging down two wides in succession when South Africa were closing in on victory, that could have negated everything.
Of course Broad finally looked fit after his illness with a magnificent spell at the end, only to pull up lame after and now fears his tournament is over. Could be a killer blow that.
Not a killer blow is Pietersen deciding to come home, only thing he might be missed for is his bowling. Reading the coaches comments you feel the player is bottling it and the talks of a 50 over game retirement might be moot as he might now be seen as someone willing to give his all.
His replacement Eoin Morgan quite frankly is more needed with very little coming from down the order late in games and there being no natural finisher.
So with the way things are going a capitulation to Bangladesh is on the cards, isn’t it?