Flower power in ICC semis

England have never won the prestigious 11-year-old tournament, which features the worlds top eight cricketing nations, with the closest they have come to the winners podium being when they fell (as hosts) to West Indies in the 2006 final.

However, Flower appointed England coach in April this year, and his current side have made known their intent of re-writing the history books, when they qualified for the semi-finals of the sixth edition of the tournament with a game to spare.

England began their account with a shocker, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in a day-night game that was played at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

The five-wicket win was a big upset for the under-achieving England against a Sri Lankan side that, just three days earlier, had achieved an amazing 319 runs in their first game against hosts South Africa.

Flowers boys followed that first win with a 22-run triumph over South Africa, which sent the only African representatives and inaugural winners packing from the tournament.

Flowers side has heavily relied on their fielding strength to restrict their opponents to an easily attainable run rate.

Against Sri Lanka, after winning the toss, England chose to bowl and restricted the 2002 joint winners to 212-10 in just over 47 overs, setting themselves an easy target of 213 runs to chase.

When Flowers side took over the batting, Eoin Morgan steered them on with 62 runs (not out), man-of-the-match – Paul Collingwood scored 46 runs and Owais Shah cruised to 44 runs.

Not even the late fight back of Thilina Kandamby, 53, and Angelo Mathews, 52, that achieved an 82-run stand for the sixth wicket could save the Sri Lankans, whose target England achieved with five overs to spare.

The three batsmen man of the match Shah, 98, Collingwood, 82, and Morgan each turned on a vintage performance again at the Centurion on Sunday, when they set what later proved to be an insurmountable 323 runs target for the hosts.

Englands bowlers then survived a 141-run charge from South African captain Grame Smith to reach the semi-finals, while the South Africans were left mourning the lack of nerve by their players, who were all out at 301.

Flower, who was appointed England coach in April this year, is one of the most respected former players and has so far given an impression that he can also be one of the best coaches of the game.

The first semi-final match of the ICC Champions trophy will be played between the winner of group A and the runner-up from Group B, while the second one, scheduled for the Wanderers, will feature Group B winners against Group A runners-up on Saturday.

The final is scheduled for Monday at the Centurion.

Group A consists of South Africa, Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand, while Australia, Pakistan, India and West Indies make up Group B.