Ten years ago to the day England secured their maiden men’s World T20 title in Barbados, but it could all have turned out very differently had Stuart Broad held onto a simple catch in a warm-up game.
England went into their practice match against an England Lions side on February 17 in Abu Dhabi with an incumbent opening pair of Jonathan Trott and Joe Denly in place. The former made a sedate 27-ball 24 and the latter 4 off three balls, and were given a lesson in the art of T20 powerplay batting by Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter. The latter blasted a 66-ball 81 and the former remained unbeaten on 58 as the Lions secured a five-wicket win from the final ball of the innings.
Come the World T20 itself and England had had a change of heart, with Kieswetter and Lumb each making their England debuts opening the batting in the first game of the tournament. Their explosive partnership played a big part in helping England lift the trophy, with the former named Player of the Final for his half-century.
However, had Broad held onto an “easy” catch at mid-off, England might never have seen Kieswetter’s fireworks up close.
“That day opened our eyes – that’s the way you play this game – it was a big turning point for us,” Graeme Swann, who played every game of England’s campaign, told PA “I don’t think Stuart Broad get the recognition he deserves, though. He dropped Kiesy at mid-off on about four, an easy one, and that probably went on to win us the trophy!”
Lumb agrees that it was a stroke of luck, and it wasn’t the only one England had. “It could have been a different story,” he told Wisden. “I remember Craig getting dropped early on by Broady [Broad] at mid-off or mid-on, and I wasn’t due to open in that game.”
