Andy Bichel lays Poms to rest

World Cup Classics: Australia v England, group match, Port Elizabeth, March 2, 2003

Australia were on an unprecedented winning spree while England were staring at the possibility of crashing out of the World Cup. Like Andrew Symonds against Pakistan, here they found another improbable hero in Andy Bichel to tow them out of the quandary once again. As a result England’s campaign ended in gloom while Australians kept marching on with boom.

After winning the toss England started rousingly on a slow pitch. Marcus Trescothick and Nick knight had no difficulty in picking Brett Lee and McGrath for boundaries. McGrath who was frustrated after seeing his deliveries dispatched to the boundary felt incensed to the extreme when Trescothick found another four through to the third man. They raced to 66 in the 10th over. Andy Bichel came to bowl and turned the match upside down by removing Knight, Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain in his first 8 deliveries. The ball which bowled Hussain was a beauty. It squared up the English captain after pitching on the middle beating him all ends up and uprooting the off stump like a fast leg break. McGrath joined in and removed well-set Trescothick for 37 and then Paul Collingwood was sent back by a rampaging Bichel to leave England gasping at 87 for 5 in the 18th over. Bichel got the ball talking in front of a vociferous crowd and spell bound English dressing room.

Alec Stewart (46 off 92) and Andrew Flintoff (45 off 80) halted the slide by playing cautiously and added crucial 90 runs for the 6th wicket in almost 25 overs. It was again Bichel who came back to give Australia breakthrough by getting Flintoff out caught behind. He then castled Stewart’s stumps and made Ashley Giles his 7th victim to fall agonizingly short of McGrath’s World Cup record of 7/15 set against Namibia a few matches earlier. He took 7 wickets for just 20 runs. England made 204 for 8 having scored just 33 runs in the last 10 overs thanks to some brilliant death bowling by Australia. Australia were the happier of the two sides at the half-way stage.

In reply Andy Caddick destroyed Australia’s top order leaving them tottering at 48 for 4. Then the man of crises, Michael Bevan took charge of the situation adding 63 runs with Darren Lehmann. At this stage the match see-sawed again dramatically when Australia lost 4 wickets in 24 runs. At 135 for 8 Australia were staring at the defeat while England were thinking of just completing the formality. But they did not know that it was Bichel’s day. Bevan needed a partner desperately to sail his team out of troubled waters. Andy Bichel provided that support magnificently and playing his natural game he helped Australia race towards the target from a hopeless position. Bichel made 34 off 36 balls with 3 fours and a six while Bevan too was not out on 74 from 126 balls. They added 73 runs in an unbeaten 9th wicket partnership which buried a bewildered England team neck and crop. Australia won by 2 wickets setting a new record of 12 consecutive ODI wins. For England Caddick shone with 4 wickets for 35.

Andy Bichel was named man of the match for his brilliant all-round display. It was the day he outperformed the likes of Lee and McGrath by miles in bowling while out-batted Ponting, Gilchrist and Hayden to win the match for Australia against traditional rivals almost single handedly. With this performance he had written his name in the annals of World Cup history with golden words.