Elementary My Dear Watson (This Time)

There must have been times over the last few days when Shane Watson must have felt that he was playing England on his own, such has been the excellence of his performances. Here he effectively did with a truly great innings that won the game for his side. Having failed to capitalise on numerous starts in the test series, here he not only capitalised but made the second highest score ever in a one day international at the MCG. It was a remarkable achievement.

England will be disappointed not to have won the game, especially after the start that they had, but the dismissal of Strauss and the run ut of Kevin Pietersen when he was looking well set and destructive slowed their momentum and their total of 294, while decidedly useful, was short of what they would have hoped for. Lee was the pick of the Australian bowlers – having been denied the wicket of the rather scratchy Davies because of a reviewed no ball (something for which the commentators seem to afford a mystifying level of sympathy to the bowler) he knocked over both Strauss and Bresnan when they were well set and was comfortably the most economical of the Australian quicks. Mojo Mitch, who was having one of his scatter gun days, and the returning Doug Bollinger were both expensive, but the eighteen overs bowled by Watson, Doherty and Smith were effective in keeping the scoring rate down to manageable levels and Smith picked up two cheap wickets that suggested that he is more effective here than in test cricket.

Australia started positively with Haddin providing an admirable foil for the in-form Watson’s lightning start. Although Haddin eventually fell to the impressive Swann and Clarke and Smith (surely batting too high at number four) both lacked fluency Watson thundered on. Well supported by a typically perky one day innings from Mike Hussey and a sensibly played knock from Cameron White, Watson saw Australia home in style, belting the first ball of the fiftieth over for six for a deserved win.

England will be looking forward to getting Anderson and Broad back since both Bresnan and Tremlett, so parsimonious in the tests, were expensive, but Shahzad continues to show considerable promise and the spinners were reasonably effective in slowing the game down, although Yardy will be disappointed at his figures. Ultimately, though, they had no answer to the power of Shane Watson. The two sides, at the moment, look to be pretty evenly matched, so it may well turn out to be an interesting, if rather overlong, series.