ICC World Twenty20 - Hero of the day: Jonathan Agnew

Maybe it's just me, but I found it hard to be set on fire by the tournament today. Fortunately other engagements prevented me following the first match of the day - a dreadful mis-match between Australia and Sri Lanka. A fine report of that match can be found a bit below here on this site. For figures alone, Stuart Clark (four for 20) gets a mention here tonight, but he wasn't really tested.

Pakistan tops the group after their win against Bangladesh, but I found little to tickle my fancy there either. Afridi, naturally, was fun for his 39 off 15 balls (five fours and two sixes), but he wasn't in long enough to really charm this viewer today. Bangladesh's Junaid Siddique was top-scorer in the match - 71 including six fours and three sixes, but his colleagues were not up to the job.

This left us with the final match of the day: India versus South Africa, and a match full of meaning. A result that would determine not only the progression of these teams but also that of New Zealand. India losing meant SA and NZ through, India winning, and all down to net run-rate.

At one point with Harbhajan Singh claiming three for 11, it looked as though India were cruising to a victory. But then the Saffers stabilised the innings and we had a tense last five overs. South Africa needing 126 to go through, India needing the last five wickets. The scoreboard gave up - not for the first time in this or any tournament.

Tension was high but India got over the line and South Africa were out.

So why, you may well wonder, after this sterling performance from the Indian bowlers and Karthick behind the wicket (an emergency takeover as Mahendra Dhoni suffered some injury to his back in the first couple of overs), have I not picked one of the Indians as my Hero?

It's simple - I needed a laugh and Jonathan Agnew gave me several today, but his best was:

"I've just congratulated ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed for organising a brilliant tournament here, and he nearly fell off his chair." This on Test Match Special.

Anyone who can discombobulate a lawyer is a hero in my book, and to come close to causing injury to M. Speed ain't bad neither.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]