Third time lucky for us as far as making the semi-finals in the ICC World Twenty20 goes. I don't know whether it’s the spirit of the Caribbean, but our entry into the semi-finals has not come with the usual pressure of expectations. We are all just excited at making the last four and want to make the most of this opportunity.
Kevin Pietersen is supposed to land in St. Lucia after going home to be with his wife for the birth of their baby boy. He has been in very good touch so far, and it's wonderful to have him back for the games that count.
As captain, I am particularly proud of the way the boys have adapted to various conditions when other teams have been struggling. We started off on the slow wickets of Guyana and then went to the pacy pitches of Barbados before heading to the slower wickets in St. Lucia.
What has worked for us is the way we have used the first six overs both in batting as well as bowling. Craig Kieswetter has been an absolute asset at the top of the order with Michael Lumb. They have been able to use the power play overs well, and this has ensured that we have always had an above par score when we have batted first.
We first noticed Craig in Abu Dhabi during an England Lions game, and were impressed at his timing and aggression. Fortunately for us, he has been able to carry these qualities into the highest level of the game.
Our bowlers have also been very good, with Tim Bresnan impressing in our last game. They have also done the job for us in the first six overs, restricting all opposition openers and even getting early breakthroughs.
We come up against Sri Lanka, who have a varied attack and a couple of really unusual bowlers in Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis. Malinga has been an exceptional bowler for the last couple of years, but we need to be proactive against him.
The Australian batsmen did not hesitate to use their feet against him and that negated his yorkers as well as his slower ball. We need to try and do the same tomorrow. St. Lucia would suit Mendis, and we must plan well for him.
Our bowlers will also be tested because Mahela Jayawardene has been the batsman of the tournament, with Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan also looking like they are coming back into form. These conditions would suit Sri Lanka more than Barbados did but we can restrict them if our bowlers continue to be in good rhythm.
As mentioned earlier, there is no tension regarding getting into the final or doing well tomorrow. We have a talented unit that is in good form and we just need to keep that momentum going for another two games. (Gameplan)
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