da pixbet： Both finalists will be happy to be back in Barbados, a venue which hastreated them well in this tournament
Andrew McGlashan in Barbados15-May-2010
Dirk Nannes will be aiming to push the speed gun again•AFP
Both finalists will be happy to be back in Barbados, a venue which hastreated them well in this tournament. England warmed up here and thenreturned to beat Pakistan and South Africa in the Super Eights after astressful time in Guyana, while Australia were too good forBangladesh, Sri Lanka and India on a bouncy surface.The wicket has been a revelation and is expected to provide anengrossing contest again with rewards on offer for bowlers and batsmen- Twenty20 is as much about an even contest as any format. Australia’sfast-bowling trio of Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnsonrelished the conditions and will be aiming to push the speed gunagain.England’s seamers don’t possess the same extreme pace and have reliedmore on subtle variation although it’s unlikely that the slower-ballbouncers, used so effectively against Sri Lanka in the semi-final,will be as useful on this pitch. Expect the short balls to be nearingfull pace this time.”Two very good pace attacks will play tomorrow,” Michael Clarke said.”England have bowlers with very good skills for this form of cricket.I don’t think their pace is as quick as ours, we have three guys whobowl over 150 kph, but I think the execution has been very good. Theyare very intelligent T20 bowlers, using their change of pace and theirbounces and I think our batsmen will have to be ‘on’ from the start.They certainly will have plans for all our batsmen, as we will havefor them.”Clarke, though, couldn’t hide his excitement at the prospect of beingable to unleash his quicks again on this surface where they causedplenty of problems during the Super Eights.”This wicket looks very good, very flat and hopefully it has a bit ofpace and bounce in it for both teams, we both like that,” he said. “Iknow our bowlers are very keen to get out there and test the wicket.You have got two very good bowling units on display here.”Australia’s attack will provide a stern test for England’s openingcombination. Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter have played key rolesin the team’s success, setting a rapid pace at the top of the order.Now they’ll have to combat the left-arm angle of Nannes, the leadingwicket-taker in the tournament, and Mitchell Johnson plus the slingypace of Shaun Tait.”We’ve got a plan of action against every team and right the waythrough the tournament, we have been very aggressive and I don’t wantto change our mindset going into the final,” Paul Collingwood said.”There would be no reason at all to change anyone’s mindset in theeleven that are going to play tomorrow.”The England batsmen were discussing Australia’s left-armers in thenets on Saturday while Collingwood, who like Clarke is the batsmanwith least form in his team, was finding his range in the middle withthe highly successful practice skill of standing by the pitch andsmashing throw-downs into the stands. It may sound rudimentary, but ithas been a key reason for England’s successful six-hitting.”That’s why the guys are going to go out with confidence and beliefand keep doing the things they have been doing well throughout thistournament,” he said. “We have done it against fast bowlers, against[Dale] Steyn and [Morne] Morkel, they are two very fast bowlers, wehave got different angles tomorrow that is the probably the only thingwe have got to contend with but we have played against pace bowlingbefore and I believe the guys have got the skills to do it.”There was also a gusty breeze blowing in Barbados the day before thefinal and, as Mike Hussey said after his breathtaking 60 againstPakistan, it has been vital to use the wind. They sound like minorpoints, but in this final it could be the small details that make thedifference.