Last year, leading up to the football World Cup, I wrote a series of articles reflecting on tournaments gone by. I poured out my memories and I laid bare my feelings on each of England's agonising exits. A few weeks back it crossed my mind to do something similar for the cricket World Cup, only it turns out I don't actually have any memories to reflect on. It is a tournament that has mostly passed me by, never truly registering on my conscience. Why exactly might this be?
Can England finally win a Cricket World Cup?
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England has made a few finals, beaten first by the West Indies in 1979, then Australia in 1987 and finally Pakistan in 1992, but I have no personal memories of those games. English cricket has never had a 1966 moment for the country to cling onto. Never have the crowd been on the pitch, collectively thinking that it is all over, as Botham or Vaughan or Flintoff thrash the winning runs over the square leg boundary. Where football is awash with visceral near misses that I can replay in my mind, those cricket defeats conjure nothing but half made up grainy images of men with moustaches and square television pictures.
In Australia and New Zealand four years ago, England's cricketers reached a new and embarrassing nadir. Eliminated after a defeat to Bangladesh they lost four of their six games in the tournament. Only Scotland and Afghanistan were defeated and the latter of those victories was a meaningless dead rubber. One day cricket had left England behind, two-hundred-and-seventy was no longer a feet-up-score, all but guaranteeing victory. Modern cricketers thrash fifty ball hundreds and learn their trade in the big T20 franchise leagues around the world. Knocking a few singles around in the middle overs before a big push in the last ten no longer cut the mustard.
The evolution of England's one day side in the four years since that defeat by Bangladesh is one of the more remarkable transitions in sport. Led by Eoin Morgan, a man who might easily have been relieved of duties following the shambles down-under, England has become the finest one day side on the planet. The bowling unit now compares with any at this World Cup but their batting really sets them apart, both from current competition and England teams gone by. Twice since 2015, this England unit has broken the record for the highest score in ODI's, both at home, both at Nottingham, dual feats that were unthinkable just a short time ago. The record now stands at 481, don't be surprised if the 500 mark is eclipsed this summer.
Many an opposition bowler must be lying awake wondering how to cope with a top order of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. If Root is the glue that holds the innings together then the other five are all about raw power and aggression. Any of them can destroy an attack singlehandedly and in short order but when viewed as a whole they must be a nightmare for opponents. Dismiss one of the openers and out walks Root, another wicket and Morgan strolls to the middle, next up Buttler is bounding down the pavilion steps. Taking wickets against this England side might not necessarily be a good thing.
Of course, in sport, there are no certainties. Anything can happen once the tournament finally reaches its knock-out phase in forty-five matches and five weeks time, but England goes into a World Cup as genuine favourites. It could all go wrong but just maybe English cricket is about to make it's own 1966 moment for the nation to savour.
Cricket World Cup Betting
With 48 games to be played at this year's tournament, I have put £50 into an account and will be having a £1 bet on every match. Additionally, I have backed England to win the tournament and the hosts to be joined by Australia, India and Pakistan in the semi-finals.
Today England get proceedings underway against South Africa at The Oval, I've backed the hosts to win at short odds.
