Dismal England get out-shined by Superstars

It was 20/20 for $20 million, but England didn’t even deserve 20p after their dismal batting performance after winning the toss on a pleasant Caribbean Saturday evening. No-one got going and if it hadn’t been for Samit Patel and Stuart Broad’s calmer heads, the final score might have been even more pathetic than the paltry 99 they mustered up in just 19.5 overs. Some say it was the nerves of the vast sums of money which was riding on their performance, whereas others are labelling it as just a bad day at the office. It couldn’t have come at a worse time as the two Stanford Superstar openers showed just what was possible as boundaries kept coming in the first few overs of their reply. England needed wickets but even Super Fred couldn’t stem the flow of runs. Old-hand Chris Gayle’s fluent drives and serene cuts were contrasted coolly with the belligerent front-foot pulls and wild upper cuts of the 20-year-old keeper-batsman Andre Fletcher, and the game was all but sealed with the score at 67 – 0 off just 7 overs. No signs of money pressures on the two batsmen as they continued to score freely off the lacklustre England attack and the aptly-named Superstars squad linked arms as the requisite runs fell to just 4. In true Caribbean style their faultless captain Gayle hoisted Flintoff high over Mid-on to win the match with a towering six, and the congregation swarmed the field to congratulate the two not-out batsman. 15 instant dollar-millionaires were made just like their lives were changed forever in the space of three hours.Not the spectacle the neutral were hoping for, but any cricket lover will see how much that money will mean to West Indian cricket. Undoubtedly it will be used on more fruitful pleasures than fast cars and expensive houses, many players stating before the game it would be invested into family life and community cricket. The $3.5 million going to the West Indies cricket board will do wonders for cricket over there and although one must feel commiserations for Pietersen and his squad, the undoubted champions of the inaugural tournament will feel they definitely earned their cash in this very special match.