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Untitled Document
 Joyce steers England into Super Eights
25th Mar 2007 19:36 IST
Agencies
Ed Joyce's 75 helped see England to a seven-wicket victory in the winner-takes-all clash against Kenya that booked their place in the Super Eight phase of the World Cup.
England, set 178 to win in a match reduced by rain to 43 overs per side, finished on 178/3 at the Beausejour Cricket Ground at Gros Islet in St. Lucia Saturday with 10 overs to spare.
They now face shock second round qualifiers Ireland, the country Dublin-born Joyce used to represent, in their opening Super Eight clash on Friday in Providence, Guyana.
Joyce and Kevin Pietersen, who was dropped on seven before making 56 not out, put on for 103 for the third wicket after England had wobbled at 52/2. Paul Collingwood was unbeaten on 18.
Both England and Kenya knew a victory would see them join Group C winners New Zealand in the second stage of the World Cup.
England had an early setback when captain Michael Vaughan was brilliantly caught for one, by a diving Collins Obuya at backward point, after a Peter Ongondo delivery got 'big' on the batsman.
Ian Bell, who'd almost run himself out on 15, fell for 16 when he lofted Thomas Odoyo straight to substitute fieldsman Rajesh Bhudia at mid-off.
Pietersen then settled England nerves by getting off the mark first ball with an off-driven four against Thomas Odoyo.
Andrew Flintoff marked his return to the England team with two wickets as they bowled out Kenya for 177.
Kenya captain Steve Tikolo, dropped on 52, top-scored with 76 before he was expertly yorked by Flintoff.
No other batsman made more than the 17 of Jimmy Kamande, who put on 39 with Tikolo for the seventh wicket.
Flintoff's Lancashire teammate James Anderson led England's attack with 2/27. Paul Collingwood took 2/33 and Flintoff 2/35.
This was Flintoff's first match since he was stripped of the vice-captaincy and dropped from England's 51-run victory against Canada on Sunday after being one of six players fined for late night drinking following the six-wicket defeat by New Zealand.
Tikolo decided to bat first on winning the toss despite the overnight rain, which may have freshened the pitch and reduced the match to a 43 overs per side contest.
Anderson, swinging the ball at a lively pace, made an early breakthrough when Ravindu Shah, who'd scored 71 in Tuesday's 148-run defeat by the Kiwis, was bowled off stump for four by a delivery that kept low.
Anderson struck again when opener Maurice Ouma (13) tried to loft him over mid-on only to be caught there by Collingwood.
Kenya were 35/2 in the 11th over but Tikolo responded with two fours in as many balls off Anderson.
And he then off-drove fourth seamer Ravi Bopara straight down the ground.
But runs weren't coming so freely at the other end and fast bowler Sajid Mahmood, on his World Cup debut after replacing Liam Plunkett, had Tony Suji (14) driving early and Vaughan took a smart catch at short-cover.
Then 73/3 became 74/4 when Tanmay Mishra chopped on for nought against medium-pacer Collingwood.
Tikolo, on 29, then drove Collingwood fiercely with the ball just flicking the bowler's fingernails on its way to the boundary.
With Kenya 99/4 off 23 overs, Vaughan switched from pace to the left-arm spin of Monty Panesar.
Three balls later England had another wicket. Non-striker Collins Obuya was run out by a distance, after Tikolo failed to respond to his call, when Bopara threw from short third man to Panesar.
Flintoff then got in on the act when the fast bowler had Thomas Odoyo lbw for four, Kenya 112 for six in the 26th over. Kamande was fortunate not to exit the same way next ball.
And Tikolo, who completed a 58-ball fifty with seven fours, should have been out to Flintoff on 52 when a miscued drive was dropped by Joyce at mid-on.
England did strike when Kamande, heaving across the line, was bowled by Collingwood to leave Kenya 151/7 as the innings petered out. |
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