England ‘rode World Cup roller coaster’ before making semi-finals, says Eoin Morgan
Written by News on 04/07/2019
Eoin Morgan says England reaching the World Cup semi-finals is “pretty awesome”, with the side having been on the brink of a group-stage exit.
Back-to-back losses to Sri Lanka and Australia had left the hosts and pre-tournament favourites in a perilous position with two group games to go.
But they rallied to defeat India and New Zealand and seal a last-four meeting with either India or Australia next Thursday at Edgbaston, a venue where they have won their last 10 internationals.
“It’s pretty cool, pretty awesome. The way in which we played is more satisfying than the actual win,” Morgan said after Wednesday’s 119-run hammering of the Black Caps.
“I suppose we have rode the roller coaster of playing well, playing terrible and playing good again. If we had lost, it would have been drawn out for the next couple of days, so it wasn’t really worth thinking about.
“I think we do tap into what we have achieved the last two games. It’s been extremely important to our campaign.
“It is obviously the reason that we have got through – we have been able to play some of our best cricket.”
On Edgbaston, Morgan added: “It’s a place that we really like playing.
“If we had a choice of where we would play our group-stage games, Edgbaston, The Oval and Trent Bridge would probably be the three grounds [we would have picked] if it was just your own World Cup.
“So it is comforting that we are going to one of those three grounds.”
Jonny Bairstow (106) and Jason Roy (60) put on 123 for England’s opening wicket against New Zealand and average 62.45 together as a pair.
“The guys are buzzing, laughing, smiling at how ridiculous some of the shots the two guys are playing,” Morgan said. “Good balls being hit for four or six – how difficult they are to bowl at? You have got to laugh at it.
“We are not asking our guys to average 50 and strike it at 120, that is unrealistic. But pushing the ceiling as to what guys would normally do was part of the process in which we have gone through.
“Looking at where the guys are at now, it is incredible, really – the talent they possess and what they can achieve on a consistent basis.”
Live coverage of the Cricket World Cup continues on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup with Afghanistan against West Indies, from 10am on Thursday.
(c) Sky News 2019: England ‘rode World Cup roller coaster’ before making semi-finals, says Eoin Morgan
