KISHAN VAGHELA AT LORD'S: The England captain paraded the trophy around once again at the iconic ground as enthusiasm for the Blast returned thanks to the bat of the South African
So it began. Cricket returned to Lord's after the mightiest and grandest victories in English cricket history, and there were an abundance of reminders that England's triumph is still to set in in some quarters.
Eoin Morgan's mere presence and additional lap of honour around the ground, World Cup still in hand as an indispensable token of the team's achievement, was one, and he himself admitted the shock of the triumph is still everpresent.
The Essex batsmen on show today and their struggles to get going were another, and the reminders of the tournament as a whole were no more evident than Adam Zampa's continuing woes in English conditions.
Yet despite a testimonial for Dawid Malan having been announced, there was no unceremonious exhibition feel to a match that was full to the rafters and that reaped the rewards of the cricket bubble created by England's World Cup glory.
The buzz of the summer of cricket was growing, not deflating, upon the World Cup's conclusion as those dressed in pink with a tanned forearm as a shield from the sun were undoubtedly blinded from the glare of that shiny metallic treasure paraded round in the mits of England's ODI captain.
Eoin Morgan went on another lap of honour
There were however other such indications that this county T20 competition was ready to make its own name, in its own right. In front of its own packed out crowd.
AB de Villiers came under World Cup scrutiny from afar, but even his most ardent detractors were in awe as he flicked the ball in to the hands of George Scott on the turn to complete a remarkable boundary catch and dismiss Dan Lawrence.
If only Trent Boult had mirrored the South African's awareness of his immediate surroundings on Sunday, eh?
Nevertheless, it was another T20 everpresent with links to South Africa that initially took the limelight at Lord's.
Ryan ten Doeschate would have had the Ben Stokes feel about him as he saw partner after partner disappear back to the balcony, but the Dutch-South African himself was swashbuckling in attack and solid in defence.
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Simon Harmer stated that being instated as captain was supposed to allievate the load on his predecessor ten Doeschate, and the clarity of hitting from the allrounder was testament to that, imbuing a range of strokes characterised by a smash down the ground followed shortly afterwards by a shot carved from the blade of the 39-year-old.
Paul Stirling is no stranger to a brutal bash himself, and even after he was presented with a couple of lives owed to the simplest of chances going to ground, he eventually nicked behind.
That sort of swish outside his off stump from the Ireland opener will have England's bowlers licking their lips ahead of next week.
Nevertheless, the mere fact that these two sides, who finished in the bottom three of the South Division in last year's competition, can boast the inclusion of the likes of de Villiers, Stirling, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Adam Zampa and Dawid Malan demonstrated this was no anticlimax to be scoffed at.
AB de Villiers demonstrated his relentless power at Lord's
This match did not mark the beginning of an event that was the unwelcome afterthought which had stumbled through the back door. It reinstated the fact that cricket had returned home, and with an almighty bang at that.
De Villiers stated in the week that fans in England were among the most knowledgeable in the world. Maybe now the constant hum of an expectant crowd could eventually match the pandomonium of worldwide stadia for the shortest format.
If the South African continues the belligerent, 360-degree hitting form he exhibited in Middlesex's successful chase of 165, then why wouldn't they come back?
There were those classic strikes down the ground which relied all on timing and others over mid-wicket which hoardings marking the front of the top tier.
However, few would tire from his pure artistry as 30,000 eyes glared at the pure spectacle in front of them and soaked all 88 runs in.
But they arrived in their numbers in the first place all because of one shiny metal thing which Morgan is likely not letting out of his sight right now.
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