England slump to humiliating defeat in $20m game
Pietersen's side suffered a humiliating defeat in the big game
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Sunday, 02, Nov 2008 12:39
England slumped to a humiliating 10-wicket defeat in their Twenty20 match against the Stanford Superstars with the West Indian team taking the $20 million (£12.4 million) prize.
Kevin Pietersen's side batted first but could only muster 99 all out on a slow track. With the low total in their sights Superstars openers Chris Gayle and Andre Fletcher won the match in just 12.4 overs.
The win was so comprehensive that four of the Superstars were not called on to bat or bowl during the match but will still receive their share of the winnings.
After a bright first three overs England's decline began when openers Ian Bell (7) and Matt Prior (12) fell in the space of three balls to the delight of Jerome Taylor.
That brought Pietersen to the crease with he and Owais Shah needing to rebuild England's innings. However, the Middlesex man added only four runs to the total before skying Darren Sammy to square leg.
Pietersen then signalled the beginning of the end when Sammy bowled him for seven. The England captain was trying to work the ball down the leg side but moved too far over and saw his leg stump topple.
The Superstars celebrated his wicket as if they had won the trophy and they were perhaps right to do so as the rest of England's batting order offered little resistance.
Andrew Flintoff (8), Paul Collingwood (10), Luke Wright (1) and Graeme Swann (3) all failed to occupy the crease for long and England's best partnership came between Samit Patel (22) and Stuart Broad (9).
They got the side from 64-8 up to 92-9 when Patel was run out. England finished on 99 all out and it never looked like enough.
Gayle and Fletcher were ruthless with the England bowlers. Fletcher played a supporting role but still scored 32 off 31 balls.
His captain meanwhile was going for his shots. Gayle struck five fours and five sixes during his innings of 65, the final thunderous blow winning the match for the Superstars.