England lost £20 million game

Stanford 20/20 for 20

England have learned 'very expensive lesson' - Moores

Cricinfo staff

November 3, 2008

England coach Peter Moores believes the team have "learned a very expensive lesson" after their humiliating defeat in the Stanford 20/20 for 20 match. "The players were trying to get in their heads what the game was all about," he said after the match. "I think that until the game had actually been played, the guys didn't get into their heads exactly what the tournament has been about. I don't know if we were absolutely as clear as we could have been".

England were mauled by the Stanford Superstars in the one-off match, which saw the winners take the biggest purse ($20 million) for a single game. The huge amount at stake nothwithstanding, the England team hardly looked the part as they lost by 10 wickets.

The players, Moores said, were in doubt over the purpose of the match. "Is it for England? Is it for money? In international top-flight sport you can't afford to have any grey areas. You've got to be very clear as a team and as an individual, and I think we weren't as clear as we could have been.

"Was it okay to say the match was about money or not about money? Every time you play for England it is about playing for England, but those questions were in people's minds during the week. They had to square it off in their heads. All credit to the lads for that, what they wanted to do was keep their integrity. They didn't want to be portrayed as not playing for their country but for the cash."

He was also concerned about how the result might affect England's assignments during winter. "We were playing against a very hungry, disciplined side. And we got nailed. That's what hurts, we got nailed in an international match. What we didn't want to compromise at all was our preparation for the winter. It's been a bit of both, because we're going to India for a massive series and we've been concentrating on getting right for that as well."

However, Moores was optimistic about the chances next time around at the Stanford Super Series. " I think we will be stronger and wiser for it. Yeah, honestly I think we will. I think we will know what this is about."

England will now travel to India to play seven ODIs and two Tests from November 14-December 23, before returning to the West Indies for four Tests and five ODIs starting February 4.

? Cricinfo

I'm from the Caribbean and watched the matches leading up to the $20 million dollar match. And no disrespect to the the England team, but I believed that the Caribbean players put up a very good fight against not only the Englland national team but also Middlesex - the english 20\20 county champs.