T20 World Cup 2010: England wins its first major ICC trophy

Marshalled by a 33-year-old Paul Collingwood, England won by seven wickets in the final against Australia.

Published : Oct 19, 2021 15:26 IST

Unbridled joy: England’s Kevin Pietersen celebrates with his Player of the Tournament award in the dressing room after his team’s victory against Australia in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Unbridled joy: England’s Kevin Pietersen celebrates with his Player of the Tournament award in the dressing room after his team’s victory against Australia in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bridgetown, Barbados.
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Unbridled joy: England’s Kevin Pietersen celebrates with his Player of the Tournament award in the dressing room after his team’s victory against Australia in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Ten months after a forgettable outing at the 2009 T20 World Cup that included a shock defeat to the Netherlands in the tournament opener at home, England lifted its first major ICC trophy.

Marshalled by a 33-year-old Paul Collingwood, England squeezed into the Super 8 despite going winless in the group stage. Rain played spoilsport as it went down to the West Indies by Duckworth/Lewis (D/L) Method after posting 191/5. However, the rain gods compensated as they bailed it out against Ireland, which was chasing a paltry 121 for the win.

READ: 2007: India’s moment of reckoning

To England’s credit, however, it made most of its fortuitous escape. A six-wicket victory over Pakistan showed glimpses of a balanced unit finally gelling together before a 39-run drubbing of South Africa reiterated its resurgence. England then sneaked home by three wickets against New Zealand to cement its place in the semifinal.

Asked to bowl first, England reduced Sri Lanka to 38/3 in the Powerplay before spinners Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy further tightened the noose in the middle overs, leaving England to chase an under-par 129. Openers Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb made quick work of the Lankan attack with an opening stand of 68 as Kevin Pietersen (42 not out from 26 balls) saw England home by seven wickets with four overs to spare.

Meanwhile, Michael Hussey’s rampage of 60 from 24 balls against defending champion Pakistan in the other semifinal set up the revival of the oldest rivalry in cricket in the sport’s newest format. The promise of the epic clash however petered out as a clinical England romped home by seven wickets with plenty to spare.

READ: 2009: Pakistan stamps its authority in the shortest format

At 8/3, Australia was off to a nightmarish start as Ryan Sidebottom sent Shane Watson and Brad Haddin packing, and David Warner was found short of his crease. David Hussey (59 off 54) and Cameron White (30 off 19) then took Australia to a middling 147/6.

After Lumb’s departure in the second over, a 109-run partnership for the second wicket between Kieswetter and Pietersen staved off any other hiccups in the chase. Skipper Collingwood eventually hit the winning runs in the 17th over in a befitting end to England’s title drought.

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