ONCE they hit the back straight, the feature event, for the ICC Twenty20 Trophy, was purely a two-horse race.After jostling for positions out of the stalls and overcoming a few minor bumps over the first furlong, the entrants in the green and gold and the red, white and blue had left the others stumbling in their wake.Suddenly, as so often in the past, the green of the most dangerous dark horse in the field came storming out of the pack to move into contention to regain the trophy it won last year at equally long odds, forcing the new favourite into frantic action to shake off the challenge and pull clear again. Now Australia and England head for the winning post neck-and-neck after Michael Hussey’s furious whipping and driving, and the skill honed by years of experience helped Australia to see off the fast-closing Pakistan at the top of the straight.That the finish has come down to the two oldest of rivals represents a stunning reversal of form in the shortest distance yet devised for the international game.For a dozen years now, Australia have dominated Tests, the longest and still most revered version, even though beaten by a short head by England in their traditional match race, the Ashes, less than a year ago. They have also completed a hat-trick of triumphs in the middle-distance 50-overs format.
