Unlike the longer forms of the game, the ICC has decreed that the T20 World Cup (held, confusingly, every two years instead of four) is very much a Come All Ye affair. No less than twenty teams compete, largely from Associate members. The important thing about this is that in the game’s short form, the gap between amateur and professional is greatly diminished. These lesser sides get a minimum of four matches, and they have showed themselves well and truly up for it. Had it not been for a difficult dropped catch from the hapless Max O’Dowd, Netherlands would have beaten Pakistan. Scotland were well in the game against West Indies until George Munsey was brilliantly caught by an acrobatic leap by Shimron Hetmeyer. England only survived against Nepal thanks to a nerveless final over by Sam Curran. Not that England played badly. Rather the Nepalese played out of their skins and kept fighting on despite losing wickets at crucial moments. Even mighty India found the USA troublesome, and their victory was narrower than the final margin suggests.
There are a few surprising newcomers. Who even knew that Italy had a cricket team? Despite a brilliant 84 from Munsey, and a five-ball unbeaten 22 from Michael Leask, Italy were well in it while the Manenti brothers (definitively Italian, though both are South Australians) were batting, and belting the ball everywhere. But the standout game happened earlier today, where South Africa and Afghanistan fought out a bewildering finale. Many a time the Afghans looked completely out of it, yet they kept on coming; and thanks to a brace of no-balls in the final over Noor Ahmed smashed his way into a tied match and a Super-over. Thanks to Azmat, Afghanistan set the Proteas 18 to win. With a final ball six from Stubbs the scores were tied again. The answer to the question What Happens Now? is apparently a repeat performance of the super-over. This time South Africa managed 23: which looked utterly beyond hope. With four balls to go the target was still 24. Ramanullah Gurbaz, who had made a superb 84 earlier, then smashed the next three balls for six, and only fell at the final hurdle.
So Australia would not have turned up to Colombo feeling overconfident. Half the side’s best XI is missing through injury or otherwise, and the thrashing they had received in Pakistan recently would not have filled them with joy. Head won the toss, stared at the low, slow turner and decided to bat first. He then inexplicably ran himself out. But Inglis and Green hopped into the Irish bowling, knowing that the best time to bat was right now. After five overs the score was 2/56. Thereafter the going became more laboured. Trying to score quickly on a vast arena where the ball does a bit, and refuses to come on to the bat, hanging back instead like a reluctant maiden on an alien dance floor, is not easy. It is like trying to thread a needle in gardening gloves while wading through warm molasses.
Inglis departed to a magnificent catch by Stirling, who launched himself like a flying cement-mixer and hauled in a screamer. Alas, the red-bearded veteran strained a fetlock in doing so. Maxwell came and went without troubling anyone overmuch, as he is all too prone these days. But Renshaw and Stoinis kept their heads and pushed the score along against a battery of probing spinners. The lessons of the Pakistan debacle seem to have sunk in. Instead of trying to hit the ball into the Maldives they collected ones and twos. There were 22 of the latter during the innings, which was a fine adjustment to the unpromising conditions. Stoinis’ biceps and forearms resemble those of the village blacksmith, but even he could find the fence only three times. But their stand of 61 from 44 was highly meritorious. Australia finished on 6/182, which looked enough for comfort on what was most likely a 150 pitch.
The belligerent Irish captain limped off after the first ball. Stirling was still inconvenienced, and much worse was to follow as Ellis took three wickets with his first seven deliveries. Tucker kept his head without threatening anything much, and when the fifth wicket fell at 43 the contest was over. Zampa and Ellis shared four wickets each as Ireland subsided for 115. The only innings of substance came from Dockrell at number eight, whose 41 from 29 was full of merit. Australia has an easy draw, and should qualify as a matter of course for the next round. The best bit was that the batting was sensible, the fielding excellent, and most of the players had a fine workout. With Marsh’s injury Steve Smith has been summoned at the last moment. If Australia intends to proceed beyond the Super Eights, then fitting him in would seem a sensible choice, should this be possible.