England had their first glimpse of Pallekele today and immediately felt at home in their bid to retain the ICC World Twenty20 title.
Captain Stuart Broad saw reminders everywhere, at the picturesque stadium near Kandy, of the scene of England’s 2010 success in this tournament in the West Indies.
There is no sea view, of course, at this inland venue. But otherwise it was not difficult, as England prepared to practise before tomorrow’s first Super Eight match against West Indies, to see exactly what Broad was getting at.
The all-rounder was a member of the team when England won their first and only International Cricket Council global trophy, under the captaincy of Paul Collingwood, two years ago. This time, they are at least through to the second stage and know they are only four wins away, in five remaining matches, from lifting the silverware again.
“It’s my first time at the ground and it looks fantastic,” said Broad.
“It reminds me a bit of the Caribbean grounds, so it brings back good memories.”
To sustain the feel-good factor, Broad’s England will need to play much better against the Windies than they did in their final Group A match in Colombo — where India trounced them by a record margin.
“It was important to get through the group stages and this is where it starts for us,” added Broad.
“We are only five games away from winning the World Cup but it’s important we don’t look at it like that and break it down into small bits, starting with the West Indies tomorrow.”
