CRICKET/Challenge final: Kevin Pietersen can surely now expect a Test debut against Australia at Lord's next week, but he would have been careful yesterday not to smile about it. Another animated batting display by Pietersen contrasted markedly with England's downcast mood as they were overwhelmed by Australia in the deciding match of the NatWest Challenge
England have matched Australia all summer but, in the last one-day international before the Ashes series, traditional Australian superiority was imposed. England were humbled at precisely the wrong moment and will do well to forget it by the time they begin the real business next Thursday.
Pietersen is a maverick, but even he will have sensed any pleasure gleaned from his 74 from 84 balls had to be tempered. England's collapse on a good batting surface suited his Test ambitions by demanding initial caution. Then when he switched to licentious mode, his success was amplified because of the failures of others.
He remained off the field for treatment on a groin strain ("Just a niggle," said captain, Michael Vaughan) as Australia were propelled to victory with more than 15 overs to spare by an unbeaten 121 from Adam Gilchrist, from 101 balls with 17 fours and two sixes. Gilchrist was at his most destructive as he revelled in a surface of reliable pace and bounce.
The first two matches in this series had been overly influenced by the toss: England were victors by nine wickets at Headingley, Australia having seven wickets in hand at Lord's. Australia again won the toss and inserted, even though the pitch this time offered no favours. Not only do they believe England are happier chasing, the substitutes rule is tipped in favour of the side batting second.
England's substitute was employed in the 28th over, at 93 for six. Vikram Solanki joined Pietersen to general confusion as to which bowler had been given the day off. After a bit of a muddle, David Shepherd eventually discovered that it was Simon Jones. It all looked a bit amateurish.
England never settled. Marcus Trescothick fell for nought, uppercutting Brett Lee to third man, a shot that later accounted for Geraint Jones. Vaughan was run out by Ricky Ponting. Andrew Strauss did dig in for 36, but it was a laborious affair, ended when Michael Kasprowicz switched around the wicket. Kasprowicz then had Andrew Flintoff caught at the wicket before Gillespie induced Paul Collingwood to slice to extra cover.
Had Australia's catching not been so fallible, it would have been worse. Gilchrist dropped Strauss on 14, chasing backwards for a top-edged pull. But the slapstick drop was Jason Gillespie's, a sitter at long leg when Vaughan mis-pulled Glenn McGrath, the first runs off McGrath after 28 balls.
Solanki, with 53 not out from 63 balls, was more support act than supersub. When Pietersen swung Michael Clarke over long-on, Kasprowicz clung on brilliantly but fell over the line. Pietersen's second six was staggering - Gillespie banged one in short but was pulled on the charge over long-on. Six overs remained when Gillespie yorked him, backing away, but England remained so far off the pace his extravagance could be forgiven.
Australia's victory soon became inevitable. Gilchrist's assault was so disdainful Steve Harmison, given the new ball in Jones's absence, went for 81 in 9.5 overs, only two short of England's worst one-day analysis, 83 conceded by Derek Pringle against West Indies in the 1987 World Cup.
At the end, Shepherd received handshakes all round, and hugs from Vaughan, Darren Gough and Ashley Giles. A few seconds earlier, the scoreboard had shown 222 for two and Shepherd lifted a tubby leg a few inches in the air to ward off the perils inherent in double nelson. Had he been a true patriot, he would have planted both legs rebelliously on the ground and prayed for nelson to prove its worth.
