KEY POINTS:
England have swept past Australian arrogance and self-assuredness to be within one match of winning the Tri-series one-day cricket on the back of successive centuries from batsman Paul Collingwood.
After his match-winning 120 not out on Friday night, it was possible to wonder what had possessed Collingwood to score so well after being able only to scrape together a mere, unhappy, 132 runs from nine innings in January?
According to Michael Vaughan, England's injured captain, it is swapping the colour of his bat grip.
Before last week's eliminator against New Zealand, Andrew Strauss had been sent a batch of pink bat grips by his bat sponsor, who are attempting to raise awareness and money for breast cancer. Strauss, needing no more than a couple himself, offered the remaining grips to the England team.
Prompted by Vaughan, Collingwood agreed to see whether the change would alter his luck. After watching Collingwood strike a hundred in Brisbane, the injured skipper approached his friend and they agreed it was all down to the pink rubber bat grips.
Bell, donning a white grip, gave Collingwood excellent support on Friday and the pair put on 133 runs for the fourth wicket. England needed the partnership after making a dire start to their run chase to be 15 for 3 in the sixth over. But the confidence gained from consecutive wins prevented Bell and Collingwood from panicking, although they had a stroke of luck on 18 when Bell was dropped by Glenn McGrath on the fine leg boundary.
Collingwood placed the ball beautifully into the gaps and ran hard between the wickets. The approach put the fielders under pressure and on this occasion, with fumbles and overthrows, they cracked.
Captain Andrew Flintoff also played a part, staying with Collingwood after Bell was yorked out.
"In all my time playing one-day cricket for England, that is the best innings I have seen," Flintoff said. "The way he paced it, his stamina and his concentration were a lesson for everyone watching. It was fantastic to see Paul playing like that and all the lads really do appreciate it."
After all the flak they have taken from the Australian propaganda machine, England can now win Tri-series, while also puncturing Australia's infuriating air of self-satisfaction.
All in all, it was not a bad night for the outfit dubbed the worst team ever to leave England.
- INDEPENDENT
