England is hosting this year's cricket Twenty20 World Cup.
Twenty20 is the shortest form of the game, where matches last for just one innings and each teams bowls 20 overs.
It differs from One Day matches in that One Day matches are the same but with both teams bowling 50 overs, and it is quite different from the normal version, in which the match is played over two innings, with unlimited overs and lasts up to five days.
A series of warm-up matches have taken place.
England, unsurprisingly, beat Scotland - very much a part-time side who also compete in English domestic tournaments with the English county sides - but they were unconvincing.
The Auld Enemy won with just six balls (an over) remaining.
Tuesday 2nd June 2009
BBC News
ICC World Twenty20 warm-up: England v Scotland
(At Trent Bridge, Nottingham)
Scotland: 136-5
England: 141-4
England win by six wickets
Scotland: Hamilton (C), Watts, Coetzer, Smith (W), McCallum, Watson, Stander, Wright, Haq, Drummond, MacLeod, Berrington
England: L Wright, Bopara, Pietersen, O Shah, Collingwood (C), E Morgan, Mascarenhas, J Foster (W), Rashid, Broad, Sidebottom
England recorded an unconvincing six-wicket win over Scotland with six balls remaining at Trent Bridge in a warm-up match ahead of the ICC World Twenty20.
The Scots opted to bat and after a slow start, Kyle Coetzer hit two sixes in 34 and Craig Smith struck four fours and a six in his 45 to help them to 136-5.
For England, Ravi Bopara hit four fours and a six before he was the first of two wickets to fall in two balls.
But Kevin Pietersen hit 53 and finished the match in style with his second six.
How good a preparation this was remains to be seen, but the struggle against spin would have been a concern, and something they will be keen to address in the final warm-up match against the West Indies on Wednesday.
Big hit: Pietersen sends one of his sixes into the stands at Trent Bridge
When the Scots scored only one run from the opening 10 balls it looked as though it would be far easier for England, and had they been more productive at the beginning and end of their innings they might well have had a famous scalp.
England chose Dimitri Mascarenhas with the new ball and put two slips in place, and after the steady start he was swiped for six by Gavin Hamilton in the fifth over.
After Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad impressed, the middle overs were given to spin, with 21-year-old Adil Rashid, who picked up a wicket in his first over when Hamilton was caught at deep mid-wicket.
Pietersen first tested his Achilles with two overs of off-spin, showing no ill effects and fairly racing through the deliveries, although he was launched for one huge six by Smith.
The first 50 came from 57 balls but the next took just 27 deliveries.
Coetzer smashed a short ball from Rashid for six but the next one was flighted and drew him out of his crease.
With the turn the ball was barely on the cut strip when it reached James Foster behind the stumps.
On the ball: Kevin Pietersen looks sharp on his international return
The wicketkeeper somehow managed to take the bails off but though replays showed the batsman was out of his ground, there was no TV umpire and the decision was not out.
To compound matters Coetzer smashed the next ball over mid-wicket for six and 17 came from the over.
Paul Collingwood brought himself into the attack and had Coetzer caught on the long-on boundary.
The England captain also ousted Smith, who got a leading edge that went straight up and was gratefully pouched by the bowler.
Foster was again the unfortunate victim of the absent TV umpire when his sharp work and direct hit should have run out Watson, but though the scorecard might not indicate so, the Essex gloveman had an assured return to the England side.
Captain's slog: Scotland skipper Gavin Hamilton plays a super shot against England
Broad bowled the final over from around the wicket, and conceding only two runs was eventually to prove decisive.
Another experiment by England was to pair Luke Wright with Bopara at the top of the innings.
The Sussex all-rounder struggled to find his fluency and was dropped at mid-off by Craig Wright on nine.
Only 20 came from the first four overs and it needed a wristy flick for six from Bopara to keep the scoreboard ticking.
But wickets began to fall, Wright caught at the second attempt by Haq at mid-off, Bopara held on the long-on boundary and Owais Shah driving straight to short cover first ball.
In the next over Pietersen looked to be plumb lbw on five after missing a sweep and Collingwood almost chipped a catch back to spinner Ryan Watson.
But Pietersen soon got into his stride and sent an imperious lofted drive sailing into the top tier at long-on, followed by a delicious late cut for four in the same over.
Collingwood miscued to long-off, which allowed left-hander Eoin Morgan the chance to play some innovative flicks and drives.
Pietersen's crunching pull shot brought an emphatic end to the proceedings but England know other players will have to step up if they are to challenge for the main event.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
Twenty20 is the shortest form of the game, where matches last for just one innings and each teams bowls 20 overs.
It differs from One Day matches in that One Day matches are the same but with both teams bowling 50 overs, and it is quite different from the normal version, in which the match is played over two innings, with unlimited overs and lasts up to five days.
A series of warm-up matches have taken place.
England, unsurprisingly, beat Scotland - very much a part-time side who also compete in English domestic tournaments with the English county sides - but they were unconvincing.
The Auld Enemy won with just six balls (an over) remaining.
Tuesday 2nd June 2009
BBC News
ICC World Twenty20 warm-up: England v Scotland
(At Trent Bridge, Nottingham)
Scotland: 136-5
England: 141-4
England win by six wickets
Scotland: Hamilton (C), Watts, Coetzer, Smith (W), McCallum, Watson, Stander, Wright, Haq, Drummond, MacLeod, Berrington
England: L Wright, Bopara, Pietersen, O Shah, Collingwood (C), E Morgan, Mascarenhas, J Foster (W), Rashid, Broad, Sidebottom
England recorded an unconvincing six-wicket win over Scotland with six balls remaining at Trent Bridge in a warm-up match ahead of the ICC World Twenty20.
The Scots opted to bat and after a slow start, Kyle Coetzer hit two sixes in 34 and Craig Smith struck four fours and a six in his 45 to help them to 136-5.
For England, Ravi Bopara hit four fours and a six before he was the first of two wickets to fall in two balls.
But Kevin Pietersen hit 53 and finished the match in style with his second six.
How good a preparation this was remains to be seen, but the struggle against spin would have been a concern, and something they will be keen to address in the final warm-up match against the West Indies on Wednesday.
Big hit: Pietersen sends one of his sixes into the stands at Trent Bridge
When the Scots scored only one run from the opening 10 balls it looked as though it would be far easier for England, and had they been more productive at the beginning and end of their innings they might well have had a famous scalp.
England chose Dimitri Mascarenhas with the new ball and put two slips in place, and after the steady start he was swiped for six by Gavin Hamilton in the fifth over.
After Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad impressed, the middle overs were given to spin, with 21-year-old Adil Rashid, who picked up a wicket in his first over when Hamilton was caught at deep mid-wicket.
Pietersen first tested his Achilles with two overs of off-spin, showing no ill effects and fairly racing through the deliveries, although he was launched for one huge six by Smith.
The first 50 came from 57 balls but the next took just 27 deliveries.
Coetzer smashed a short ball from Rashid for six but the next one was flighted and drew him out of his crease.
With the turn the ball was barely on the cut strip when it reached James Foster behind the stumps.
On the ball: Kevin Pietersen looks sharp on his international return
The wicketkeeper somehow managed to take the bails off but though replays showed the batsman was out of his ground, there was no TV umpire and the decision was not out.
To compound matters Coetzer smashed the next ball over mid-wicket for six and 17 came from the over.
Paul Collingwood brought himself into the attack and had Coetzer caught on the long-on boundary.
The England captain also ousted Smith, who got a leading edge that went straight up and was gratefully pouched by the bowler.
Foster was again the unfortunate victim of the absent TV umpire when his sharp work and direct hit should have run out Watson, but though the scorecard might not indicate so, the Essex gloveman had an assured return to the England side.
Captain's slog: Scotland skipper Gavin Hamilton plays a super shot against England
Broad bowled the final over from around the wicket, and conceding only two runs was eventually to prove decisive.
Another experiment by England was to pair Luke Wright with Bopara at the top of the innings.
The Sussex all-rounder struggled to find his fluency and was dropped at mid-off by Craig Wright on nine.
Only 20 came from the first four overs and it needed a wristy flick for six from Bopara to keep the scoreboard ticking.
But wickets began to fall, Wright caught at the second attempt by Haq at mid-off, Bopara held on the long-on boundary and Owais Shah driving straight to short cover first ball.
In the next over Pietersen looked to be plumb lbw on five after missing a sweep and Collingwood almost chipped a catch back to spinner Ryan Watson.
But Pietersen soon got into his stride and sent an imperious lofted drive sailing into the top tier at long-on, followed by a delicious late cut for four in the same over.
Collingwood miscued to long-off, which allowed left-hander Eoin Morgan the chance to play some innovative flicks and drives.
Pietersen's crunching pull shot brought an emphatic end to the proceedings but England know other players will have to step up if they are to challenge for the main event.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
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