West Indies knock England out of ICC World Twenty20

England are out of the ICC World Twenty20 after losing to West Indies by five wickets in a game shortened by rain.

England hit 161/6 off their 20 overs, with Ravi Bopara top-scoring with 55 from 47 balls.

But after an hour had been lost to rain, West Indies were set a target revised by Duckworth-Lewis to just 80 from nine overs.

Though England took regular wickets and had the Windies at 45/5, Shiv Chanderpaul (17*) and Ronnie Sarwan (19*), surely the most experienced sixth-wicket partnership going, saw them home.

England, omitting Dimi Mascarenhas and again refusing to include Graham Napier, again laid a solid foundation but lacked any firepower in the final overs of their innings. Remarkably, they did not hit a boundary between the 11th and the 20th overs. Stuart Broad came in at No 8 for the last two balls of the innings and hit a four and a six, but it was much too little much too late.

At the top Luke Wright (6) fell again top edging a hook from a ball that got large on him. Today, it came from Kieron Pollard.

KP hit 31, before top-edging a sweep from medium pacer Simmons. After that Shah (18), Collingwood (11) and Foster (13) all managed to score at a run a ball but there was no sense of the innings taking flight, despite a massive hooked six from Shah.

In fact, it was after that Shah six in the 11th over – he fell in the next over to a brilliant catch from Fletcher on the square leg rope – that the boundary drought began, lasting until the penultimate ball of the innings.

The first rain break, midway through the 17th over, came at a bad time for England, as they were already struggling to rebuild momentum after the dismissal of Bopara. England failed to hit a single boundary between the 11th and 20th overs and, though the Duckworth-Lewis calculations appeared to favour the chasing side, it was this lack of adventure that ultimately cost them the game.

Defending the meagre, rain-adjusted total, England bowled well and fielded tenaciously. Ryan Sidebottom yorked Chris Gayle in the second over and James Foster pulled off another brilliant stumping, of Bravo off Swann, leaving the West Indies 45/5.

With Windies needing 30 off 18 balls, a James Anderson over went for 13, thanks to some clever batting from Sarwan that brought him two successive fours – the first saw him sweeping a ball from wide of off-stump for four .

After that, the Windies were in the box seat, and soon they were though to the semi-finals. Ryan Sidebottom came to the last over trying to defend three runs; England spent an age shuffling their fielders around but it was all too late; Sarwan smashed him for a four over extra cover and England were out.

At last…
it’s Ryan Sidebottom

August 2007: Ignored for six years, Sidey has burst back into the England team and is already a Monty-style fans favourite. SPIN asks him: where did it all go right?

From SPIN August 2007

Ryan Sidebottom made his England debut in 2001. After one wicketless game against Pakistan at Lord’s, filling in for Matthew Hoggard, the left-arm swing bowler was dropped and, over the next six years, appeared destined to be a one-cap wonder, just like his dad Arnie. He won county titles with Yorkshire (in 2001) and with his new club Nottinghamshire (in 2005 – when he took 48 wickets at 23) and acquired a reputation as an on-the-spot one-day bowler: in 2006, he was the most economical bowler in the country in Twenty20, going for just 4.05 runs an over. Finally, this May, with Hoggard out again with injury, Sidebottom returned to the Test side. In perfect conditions at Headingley, he opened the bowling – and within four overs had trapped both West Indies openers leg-before with his late in-swing. He finished with 4/42 there, and picked up his first Test five-for at Durham in the last match of the series. SPIN: How did you learn to bowl? Sidey: It was watching my dad and getting advice off him, mainly, I think. He wasn’t a big stickler for telling me what to do, he left me to it and let me work things out for myself. As a young lad, you just want to go out and enjoy what you’re doing rather than being told what to do… When I was a little lad, my mum would take me down to Headingley when my dad was playing for Yorkshire. They had a big grass area round the back of the ground, and I used to play football and cricket on there. Later, my dad went to be pro at Holmfirth and I followed him there. I went and played under-13s, under-15s and under-17s and progressed from there. Did you have a lot to do with the Yorkshire team when you were a kid? I remember going down to Headingley and Geoffrey Boycott, David Bairstow and Phil Carrick being there and all having a bit of banter. Obviously, I had to put my fingers in my ears sometimes. But I’d hang around the players and carry bags for them and then going out on the outfield before Sunday league games – my dad would let me bowl to him for a couple of minutes on the boundary edge. That was a nice thing, as a lad: sitting in the car park, waiting for my dad to come out and him signing autographs. As I got older, I realised that was what I wanted to do too. Do you remember your dad’s Test match, in the 1985 Ashes? You must have been about seven…. No: I had no idea. But I do remember seeing Yorkshire win the Benson and Hedges in 1987 – I was staying at my grandma and grandad’s and seeing dad hit the run that brought the scores level on the telly. Your dad played for Manchester United as well – and you had a chance to be a footballer too, didn’t you? I had trials with Sheffield United and I was on a YTS there. I played centre-half or left-back. I used to try and chop them up a bit like my dad! But it didn’t last very long. There was a bit of a clash with cricket even from an early age. I had to make a choice. I chose cricket and went onto the YTS at Headingley, which helped my game. Scrubbing toilets and stuff was probably a good thing. It stood me in good stead, helping the groundsman and coaching young kids in the winter. That helps you grow up a little bit more. Bowling at the first-team batsmen: people who you’d looked up to like Martyn Moxon coming in and wanting a net. To be around players like Darren Gough was fantastic. When you came into the England side in 2001, there was an very established older generation of players in there – Hussain, Atherton, Thorpe, Caddick, Gough. What was that like as a newcomer? At the time I’d only played a handful of matches for Yorkshire – that winter I’d been lucky enough to go on the A tour to the West Indies and I performed really well and then got picked for the full England side. 
I was probably a bit overawed. I’d never played in front of a crowd bigger than 1000 people, probably. So playing in front of a crowd of 15- or 16,000 was a massive thing. I probably didn’t perform to the best of my ability. I don’t want to make excuses but I was quite inexperienced. If you’d been picked two years later, you might have had a longer run… In hindsight, you can always talk about that, but I don’t think like that, really. I just went away and worked on my game, learning how to bowl and how to swing the ball – which I probably didn’t do regularly in my younger days – and working out what works for you. Learning how to bowl on different wickets. Steve Oldham at Yorkshire was fantastic with me. I learned so much from him. I’d have liked to have played again for England sooner. I was performing well for Notts. You never give up hope of playing for England. So to finally be back is fantastic. There was an A tour to the West Indies a couple of years ago and I thought i may have had a chance for that. But it wasn’t to be. You’ve got to keep going and working hard on your game. I suppose it’s helpful that I’ve been brought up with it – it’s been helpful with the background I’ve got: my dad does give me good advice, just telling me to give it 100 per cent and keep trying and play with a smile on my face. 
 At what point did you think you should have come back into contention? In 2005, when Notts won the title? You don’t judge anyone else – you just judge your own performance. That was a great year for me, taking 50 wickets and helping Notts win the title. Notts have helped my game massively; to open the bowling in all forms of cricket has really helped me. But, England-wise, it wasn’t to be. If anything the Test selection this year came as a big surprise: I thought I had a chance in the one-dayers, because I’ve been pretty consistent over the last two or three years… You are seen as one of the best one-day bowlers in the country: what’s the secret of going for four an over, even in Twenty20s? Mixing your pace up is massive. And yorkers. Bowlers have got to come to the party now – the batters have got bigger bats and the boundaries are smaller and they’re hitting more fours and sixes. It’s all about mixing it up and thinking on your feet. I’m still learning. I still want to get better. Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher always said that England needed extreme pace or mystery spinners. Does your recall suggest a new way of thinking? People like to call you an ‘old-fashioned’ bowler… I suppose with the new regime, maybe there is a bit of change. Me knowing my own game and being able to swing the ball – that’s what they’ve gone back to. You look at Australians like Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark and people like that and maybe they’re ‘old fashioned’ bowlers too. You just keeping working on your game and working on your swing . Anything to take wickets. When they say I’ve been dragged out of county cricket, well, in a way so has everyone else. Talk us through your comeback Test… On my first day back, we were batting. I think I had my pads on the second afternoon – I didn’t get to bat – and I was probably more nervous then than when I came to bowl, believe it or not. I’d seen the West Indians swinging the ball around and I knew if I did what I did for Notts then I’d be in with a chance of taking wickets. The ball swung around – it’s about making the first over a good one and getting it out of the way. After that, you feel at ease, get into that groove. It was a great feeling to take my first wicket – my family were there and my fiancé, and I was quite fired up. Getting those two wickets early on was great; after that, you get into a bit of a rhythm. Was it important being given the new ball and taking the first over? To be honest it was a massive boost for me. To be given the new ball in Test cricket when I’d been out for such a long time… it was an amazing feeling when they threw the ball to me to take the first over. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. It’s what I’ve learned at Notts: get things off to a good start, set the platform. It was a great feeling. Compared to England the first time round, what was surprising to you about the England set-up this time? The laidback atmosphere. Peter [Moores] is a big stickler for working hard on your game and we worked hard during the training sessions – but we eased into it: not too much and not too little. There’s no pressure. I know most of the lads from county cricket and for the two or three days prior, you’re just easing into the game. It’s a very laidback atmosphere. Six years back, there were big players in the dressing room and I was only a young lad and didn’t know what was going on, really. I wouldn’t say anything about Nasser or Duncan Fletcher or the way they ran the side then but that was just the way it was for me. This time, being older and wiser and knowing my game, that was key – I didn’t put myself under too much pressure, which helped.
 Can you tell us how Allan Donald’s been helping England as bowling coach? He comes across as very passionate and, because he was such a great bowler, when he talks, you make sure you listen. What does he help us with specifically? Obviously, tactically – hitting the pitch, 
being at the batsmen all the time, being aggressive. Not letting up, basically. Also technically: it’s not about changing your action – it’s more about working with what you have: don’t get lazy, make sure you’re driving through in your delivery. Having a little bit more aggression rather than just going through the motions, making sure I’m hitting the pitch with every single ball; really bowling it. Being aggressive – not with the batsmen, but with yourself. Little bits of advice that do make a massive difference. Are you aggressive off the field? No – I’m pretty laidback, to be honest. But when I cross the line I get a bit fired up! And if that helps to get the other guys fired up, that’s great. When I’m aggressive I bowl better. What felt different about Test cricket, after six years of county cricket? Everything: the crowds; people knowing who you are. The atmosphere within the team is laidback but when you’re on the field in a Test match you’ve got to be on the boil all the time. I was talking to Matt Prior after we’d fielded for 70 overs at Old Trafford. Normally, we’d field for 104 overs in county cricket – but we were absolutely shattered after 70. You’ve just got to keep on the boil all the time, concentrate and watch everything. You don’t really get a minute. You’re 29 now: have you set yourself any targets? I’ve never been one for setting myself targets – I just want to keep improving. I just want to keep working hard and carry on performing for England for as a long as possible. SIDETRACKED Sidey off the park Are you getting recognised a lot now you’re playing for England? Yeah – it’s been a bit weird, being out with my fiancé and lads coming up and saying, “Well done, we love your bowling”. It’s really nice. I suppose you can’t miss me with my big bushy hair. But I just intend to give it my best and enjoy it. I think people like that. It’s been nice, having pictures taken and signing autographs. Just a nice feeling. What’s going on with your hair? I’ve had long curly hair since I was at school; since I was about 16. I’ll probably keep it. I’ve always had it so there’s no point changing. Me mum and grandma are always on me back saying, ‘Don’t you dare cut your hair.’ And you’ve got to listen to your mum, haven’t you? I’ll keep it as long as I can. I might end up bald like me dad. You must get a lot of stick for it… Of course, I get called all sorts. I just laugh. It’s quite funny and I really don’t mind. When I first played when I was young I didn’t really know how to take it. But now I just enjoy the banter. What’s your ideal day off? I go to the cinema with my fiancé quite a bit – the last thing we saw was Fantastic Four. And I’m a massive rugby league fan. I must mention Bradford Bulls – they’re my team. 
And I’m no different to any other lad: I like a night out with my mates every now and again. Can it be true that your nickname is Sexual Chocolate? Yes. There’s a band in the Eddie Murphy film, Coming to America: black guys all with shiny, curly-perms – and they’re called Sexual Chocolate. So Craig White and Goughy gave me that name when I was a young lad at Yorkshire and it’s always stuck. But everybody calls me Siddy. [Apart from SPIN – we call you Sidey - Ed]