Browsing: England

Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between England and the West Indies, scheduled to be played at the Beausejour Stadium on Thursday.

England will play their first match under lights at the 2024 T20 World Cup this week when they take on the West Indies at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia on Thursday.

This has all the ingredients to turn into one of the matches of the competition between an in-form home team, spurred on by a jubilant crowd, versus the defending champions, who are eager to get into their stride.

Match preview

© Reuters

England fans were put through the wringer during the group stages, as they saw their side get off to a miserable start that put them on the brink of elimination, before catching a break in the final group-stage match to keep their title defence alive.

Despite finishing tied on five points with neighbours Scotland, the Three Lions managed to get through to the Super Eight by the skin of their teeth, thanks to two big wins in their third and fourth group-stage matches against Oman and Namibia respectively.

Having dodged another early exit, following their ODI World Cup disappointment, England will now need a solid showing in their first match of the second round, though their recent trip to the Caribbean to face the Windies proved to be a difficult one, and ended in a 3-2 series defeat back in December.

Notably, during that series, a total of 120 sixes were struck between the sides, and based on the Windies’ match against Afghanistan on this same strip last week, this could easily turn into a run-fest.

The relatively short boundaries will be a welcome sight for Jos Buttler‘s side, who will play here twice in this round of the competition, with a matchup against South Africa to follow after this one.

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Meanwhile, after years of underperformance and issues behind the scenes, West Indies are steadily earning back the right to be considered as one of the elite teams in the world, particularly in the white-ball format.

They were one of only three teams, along with Australia and the Proteas, that played and won all four of their group-stages games, capping off their unbeaten record in the first round with a commanding 104-run victory over Afghanistan 48 hours ago.

Nicholas Pooran, who is coming off a sensational Indian Premier League campaign with the Lucknow Super Giants, blasted an excellent 98 runs off 53 balls, which is the highest individual score in the tournament so far, helping his side to a tournament-high of 218.

Amid the chaos in their last match, a World Cup record powerplay was produced of 92 runs, a record-equalling 36 was scored in the fourth over, and Rashid Khan, T20’s master illusionist, was taken for 24 in his final over.

With that result, the Windies have now won their last nine T20 internationals, excluding no-results. They also have a fantastic T20 World Cup record against the Three Lions, losing only once in their six previous encounters.

Team News

© Reuters

Sam Curran made his tournament debut in England’s rain-shortened game against Namibia on Saturday, with him and Chris Jordan coming in for Will Jacks and Mark Wood.

England suffered a significant injury blow ahead of this match, with Liam Livingstone forced to leave training early on Monday due to a niggle in his side, putting his participation in doubt.

Matthew Mott and Buttler will need to make a call over whether to reinstate Jacks at number three or if their batting line-up is better balanced with Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook moving up to three and four respectively.

One of the most intriguing matchups here will be Rovman Powell‘s left-arm spin duo, Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie, facing Buttler’s predominantly right-handed batting lineup.

In the tournament so far, the duo has collectively claimed 12 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of under five runs per over. Hosein’s inswinging arm-ball has been a potent weapon and one that the English will need to be wary of.

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

West Indies squad: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

Series so far

England

Match One: No Result

Match Two: England lost by 36 runs
Australia – 201/7 (20)
England – 165/6 (20)

Match Three: England won by eight wickets
Oman – 47 (13.2)
England – 50/2 (3.1)

Match Four: England won by 41 runs (DLS method)
England – 122/8 (10)
Namibia – 84/3 (10)

West Indies

Match One: West Indies won by five wickets
Papua New Guinea – 136/8 (20)
West Indies – 137/5 (19)

Match Two: West Indies won by 134 runs
West Indies – 173/5 (20)
Uganda – 39 (12)

Match Three: West Indies won by 13 runs
West Indies – 149/9 (20)
New Zealand – 136/9 (20)

Match Four: West Indies won by 104 runs
West Indies – 218/5 (20)
Afghanistan – 114 (16.2)

© PA Photos

We say: West Indies to win

Alongside Australia, the West Indies emerged as the best side in the group stage of the competition and have the advantage of having played on this very wicket just two days ago.

The Windies also have an incredible T20 record against England, and while this pitch will support the Three Lions’ big-hitting, we feel the hosts will come away with the victory in a high-scoring affair.

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Sports Mole speaks to Steven Finn about England’s chances at the T20 World Cup following a mixed group stage in which they scraped through ahead of Scotland.

England have been touted as “third favourites” to go all the way and win the T20 World Cup this summer by former bowler Steven Finn.

The defending champions went through an up-and-down group stage campaign which included two heavily rain-affected matches, a chastening defeat to Australia and a record-breaking hammering of Oman.

At one stage it looked as though England might crash out at the first hurdle, having seen their opener with Scotland rained off before losing to Australia by 36 runs in their second match.

That left England facing two must-win games back to back, and they stepped up to the challenge by dismantling Oman by eight wickets in their third game – a result which not only gave them crucial points, but also vastly improved their run-rate.

A 41-run win over Namibia then followed – although not without some weather-induced tension – before England’s place in the Super 8s was confirmed when Australia rallied to beat Scotland in the final group game.

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England could be peaking at the right time

England’s convincing defeat at the hands of Australia suggested that they are some way off the level of the very best in their bid to become the first team to ever retain the trophy, and also the first to win it three times.

However, Finn, who took 27 wickets in 21 T20 internationals for his country, believes that suffering such a bad loss so early in the tournament could end up proving to be a positive, as long as England are able to peak at the right time.

“They’ll have been disappointed with those first two games. The game against Scotland, losing it to the rain when it looked like Scotland were in a really good position, I think would have left a lot of questions unanswered for us watching it because you felt as though England could come back into the game, but you’re just guessing at that stage,” Finn told Sports Mole.

“And the defeat to Australia, I think was a tough one to take because England would have felt as though they were the better team on paper going into that game. But they got bashed by Australia in those first five overs. But what I think it will have done, those first two losses, I think it steels their mind to know what they need to do in those power play overs in order to be successful.

“They changed their team in the third game; Reece Topley came in, who’s a specialist power play bowler. He doesn’t really bowl elsewhere in the innings. I think that the balance of their team looked far better because of that.

“I think that in a world tournament, you don’t want to be peaking at the beginning. You want to be peaking as you’re coming into the latter stages of it and to have got that bad loss out the way and then have played well in the subsequent games, I think will have given them a lot of confidence that they might be peaking at the right time.”

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England “third favourites” to win T20 World Cup

Despite such a mixed group stage, most bookmakers still have England as third favourites to lift the trophy, behind Australia and India, both of whom have qualified to Group 1 of the Super 8s.

England, meanwhile, are in Group 2 alongside South Africa and co-hosts West Indies and USA, the latter of whom have been a surprise package at this year’s tournament.

Finn is particularly wary about the threat of South Africa and two-time T20 world champions West Indies, but he agrees that England should still be regarded amongst the favourites to go all the way.

“I would say that out of the teams that have come through to the group stage, you’d probably say England are third favourites. I think you’ve probably got Australia and India as one and two and then England. I would have us as the next best in that situation,” Finn told Sports Mole.

“I think they’ve got a very good chance of doing it and I think that on their day that T20 cricket is all about performing in a really small window and one person having a day. I look up and down that line up and I see a lot of people who have got the ability to affect a game within five or six overs to really change the fortunes of the team.

“I think England are well poised, but I do think there are other good teams out there. South Africa are so dangerous. They’re going to win a world tournament at some stage. They have to. They can’t keep choking at semi-finals. So they’re going to win a tournament at some stage, and you look at their team one to 11 and they’ve got almost everything covered that you would want in a T20 team.

“They’ve got pace. They’ve got power with the bat. They’ve got wrist spin, They’ve got good finger spin, they’ve got really athletic fielders. I see South Africa as really dangerous.

“And then you can just feel the atmosphere in the West Indies for the West Indies team in the Caribbean. Any time they’re playing at home with their big superstar players Andre Russell and the like, then they’re always going to be contenders in there as well.

“England have got a really tricky group to get through but you just hope that historical memories and good memories of this team doing well in previous tournaments in the last few years in those pressure moments will be able to carry them through.”

© Reuters

England must improve in power play bowling

In their group-stage win over England, Australia did most of their damage in the power play, blasting 70 without loss inside the first five overs to largely take the game away from England from the outset.

“I think against the bigger teams, it’s going to be their power play bowling [which they need to improve]. I think their death bowling with Jofra Archer back in the mix is pretty good. Chris Jordan was selected as a death bowling option as well, if they choose to play him,” Finn told Sports Mole.

“But it’s that power play bowling where teams can get flyers in the games here, especially on better surfaces, teams can get away from you as Australia did in those first five overs.

“England being on their game, having Reece Topley as a specialist power play bowler with his left arm swing I think will leave England in better stead than they were in their first couple of games.

“So if England can tighten that up and continue to tighten that up, then again I see them as really big contenders in this tournament.”

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Elimination due to weather would have been tough to take

It was not just the result of the match which was hanging in the balance when the weather once again threatened their final group game against Namibia, but also England’s continued participation in the tournament.

Had the match been rained off then England would have been eliminated despite only being able to play two of their games – something which would have represented an enormously anti-climactic end to their title defence.

As it happened, both sides managed to squeeze in enough overs for the result to be decided by the DLS method, which coupled with Scotland’s later defeat to Australia saw England through by virtue of their superior run-rate, but Finn acknowledged that being eliminated mostly due to weather would be the worst-case scenario for Jos Buttler and his team.

“It’s sort of part and parcel. But when you’re playing in a world tournament and you’re defending your title, the way that you would not want to go out is because it’s hacked it down for two of your four group games. There’d have been a big sigh of relief by England in that game against Namibia,” Finn told Sports Mole.

“When I was there, it was absolutely hacking down, and there would have been so much of the day where England would have thought that they weren’t going to be playing the game whatsoever. They’ll be delighted that they’ve ended up playing.

“I think if you play and you lose, it’s a lot easier to take because you can understand where you went wrong and you can give reasons as to why you went out, whereas if you don’t play and it’s curtailed by rain, then you’re just left guessing about where you’re at as a team and I think this tournament is an opportunity for everyone to gauge where this England team is at.

“For them to have progressed through the group stage by the skin of their teeth, with some help from our old foes Australia, I think that England will feel as though coming into these middle stages of the tournament that they’re in much better shape.”

England’s next match will come against in-form co-hosts West Indies in the early hours of Thursday morning, before taking on South Africa on Friday and USA on Sunday in their other two Super 8s fixtures.

Find out everything you need to know about the 2024 T20 World Cup, including fixtures and results, by clicking here.

Steven Finn was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of BetVictor.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Namibia and England, scheduled to be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday.

England will look to keep their 2024 T20 World Cup Super Eight hopes alive when they take on Namibia at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Heading into the final round of matches in the group stage, England are currently in third place with three points while Namibia are fourth and unable to qualify for the knockouts.

Match preview

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Namibia will take their final bow at the 2024 T20 World Cup this weekend, although they have left their mark on the competition, having played in the first T20 World Cup super over since the 2012 edition.

That nail-biter came in their opening match of the competition against Oman when both sides scored 109 before the Eagles secured an 11-run victory in the tie-breaking over, thanks to a stellar performance from David Wiese, who blasted 13* off four balls.

The Eagles put in another impressive performance in match two against Scotland, setting a defendable target of 156, but the Scots dominated from the off in their run chase and secured the points with 1.3 overs to spare.

While any lingering hopes of reaching the Super Eight were dashed by Australia in midweek, Namibia will have a chance to make the headlines once more by taking the defending champions out with them.

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Indeed, a defeat this weekend will mean that England will automatically exit a second consecutive World Cup competition in the group stage following their ODI World Cup disappointment in India last year.

After a no-result outcome in their opening match against Scotland and a heavy defeat to Australia in game two, England found themselves in a ‘must-win by a big margin’ situation against minnows Oman on Thursday.

Fortunately for the Three Lions, Adil Rashid (4/11), Jofra Archer (3/12) and Mark Wood (3/12) stepped up in a big way, sharing the wickets to bowl their opponents out for 47 runs in only 13.2 overs.

Jos Buttler then scored a quickfire 24 off eight balls to lead the side to victory in just 3.1 overs, giving their net run rate a massive boost from -1.800 to +3.081, significantly above Scotland’s +2.164.

A victory this weekend for England will see them draw level on five points with the Scots, who face Australia on Sunday. Should both British teams end level on points, the side with the better net run rate will progress alongside the Baggy Greens to the Super Eight, meaning that Buttler and co will have to aim for another solid victory in this one.

Team News

Gerhard Erasmus has undoubtedly been the standout batsman for Namibia in this competition, top-scoring for the Eagles in the last two matches, while also starring in the super over against Oman in game one.

Wiese will undoubtedly be handed the new ball after taking the sole wicket against Australia, while medium-pacer Ben Shikongo could drop to the bench after a couple of poor showings.

Reece Topley was brought in to open the bowling for England against Oman, and while he was the only one to end wicketless, an economical 12 runs in three overs may have been good enough to retain his spot in the starting 11 for this crunch match.

Phil Salt has yet to find the sort of form he showed in the recently concluded Indian Premier League and will be champing at the bit to get some time in the centre in this one.

Namibia squad: Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut

England squad: England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Series so far

Namibia

Match One: Namibia won the super over by 11 runs
Oman – 109 & 10/1
Namibia – 109/6 & 21/0

Match Two: Namibia lost by 5 wickets
Namibia – 155/9 (20)
Scotland 9 157/5 (18.3)

Match Three: Namibia lost by 9 wickets
Namibia – 72 (17)
Australia – 74/1 (5.4)

England

Match One: No Result

Match Two: England lost by 36 runs
Australia – 201/7 (20)
England – 165/6 (20)

Match Three: England won by eight wickets
Oman – 47 (13.2)
England – 50/2 (3.1)

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

England should be too good for Namibia in this match and we feel they will secure a comfortable victory before the nerves really kick in, as they hope that the rain stays away and for Australia to do them a favour by beating Scotland.

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England produce the most dominant victory in the history of the T20 World Cup as they defeat Oman by eight wickets to keep their last-eight hopes alive.

England have kept their hopes of a last-eight appearance at the T20 World Cup alive by thrashing Oman by eight wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

In response to needing to get close to Scotland’s far superior net-run-rate, Jos Buttler‘s side produced the most dominant performance in the history of the competition in terms of balls required to chase down a target.

Minnows Oman were bowled out for just 47, decimated by the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood and the spin wizardry of Adil Rashid.

The defending champions were aware that reaching their target in just over five overs would take them above Scotland’s net-run-rate, yet England required just the 19 balls to seal the win.

On Saturday, England must now beat Namibia and hope that Australia overcome Scotland. If any other results play out, England will be eliminated.

England’s net run rate soars to 3.081 after their win against Oman 👀 pic.twitter.com/g0TY9fTBI5

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 13, 2024

Archer, Wood justify faith

Archer and Wood posted combined figures of 1-60 off seven overs against Australia having failed to take a single wicket versus Scotland, but their qualities were on show after England won the toss.

Oman made it to five overs having lost just the two wickets, but that became 25-5 just seven balls later. Shoaib Khan showed some resistance with 11 off 23, but Rashid soon got in on the act with a magical spell of 4-11.

Archer and Wood each ended with figures of 3-12, and it set up Phil Salt and Jos Buttler to swing freely in the hope of getting England over the line as soon as possible.

Salt became the first player in T20 World Cup history to hit sixes off the first two balls of an innings, before losing his wicket the next ball.

What a performance from England 🤩

They defeat Oman by eight wickets and in just 3.1 overs 😱 pic.twitter.com/TKSCFliFe0

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 13, 2024

Will Jacks soon followed for five, but Buttler battered 24 off just eight deliveries, posting four boundaries and one six. Jonny Bairstow hit two fours off his only balls.

What did Buttler have to say?

While the England skipper was surprised with how the wicket at North Sound played, he was full of praise for how his bowlers adapted.

He said: “I thought the tone was set really well by the bowlers, picking up the early wickets. Job done today, another big game in two days’ time.

“There was that extra bounce, Topley with his height and Jofra with his high release point. They’re really challenging bowlers on this surface, and they bowled a good line and length.

“I don’t think any of us expected the wicket to play like it did, it looked a really good wicket but Rashid found spin.”

The weather forecast for both of the remaining games is currently in England’s favour with a washout or an uncompleted fixture seemingly out of the question.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between England and Oman, scheduled to be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

England go up against Oman in the T20 World Cup on Thursday knowing that only a win will do if they wish to have any chance of progressing from Group B.

Jos Buttler‘s side realistically need to produce one of their most dominant performances in the history of this competition to catch-up with Scotland’s superior net-run-rate.

Match preview

© Reuters

Before the tournament, the assumption was that England and Australia would breeze through Group B given the presence of Scotland, Namibia and Oman as their opponents.

However, England face the genuine prospect of an early exit, the persistent rain during their fixture with Scotland benefitting the minnows far more than the defending champions.

Scotland have since reached five points and accumulated a huge net-run-rate with one match remaining, a fixture against Australia on June 15.

Having lost to the Baggy Greens on Saturday, England must now post victories by wide margins against Oman and Namibia if they are to threaten the Tartan Army.

Although England can count themselves unfortunate against Scotland, Australia were deserved winners at the weekend, hitting over 200 runs with the bat and England simply failing to keep touch in their reply.

As for Oman, they can be satisfied with the account that they have given in this tournament, with the downside being they suffered a super-over defeat to Namibia in their opening fixture.

Respect was earned in only going down by 39 runs to Australia, but they were comprehensively outplayed by Scotland last time out, Scotland reaching their target of 151 with 41 balls to spare.

England are naturally clear favourites to make their extra class count in this contest, yet Oman causing some issues during periods in the game would not come as a surprise.

Team News

The places of several England players are at risk with Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood potentially missing out.

Ben Duckett, Sam Curran and Reece Topley will all feel they can bring something to the side if handed an opportunity.

Meanwhile, Zeeshan Maqsood may drop out of the Oman side after scores of one and three respectively, with Kashyap Prajapati possibly being recalled in his place.

Mohammad Nadeem – who is 41 years of age – will also hope to be recalled for what may be his final game at this level of cricket.

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Oman squad: Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi, Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad, Khalid Kail

Series so far

England

Match One: No result
Scotland – 90-0 (10)
England – did not bat

Match Two: Australia won by 36 runs
Australia – 201-7 (20)
England – 165-6 (20)

Oman

Match One: Namibia won super-over
Oman – 109 (19.4) and 10-1
Namibia – 109-6 (20) and 21-0

Match Two: Australia win by 39 runs
Australia – 164-5 (20)
Oman – 125-9 (20)

Match Three: Scotland won by seven wickets
Oman – 150-7 (20)
Pakistan – 153-3 (13.1)

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

Much could depend on the toss with England’s openers having the ability to take the game away from Oman before it has really started. The 2022 winners should come through with flying colours and they will want to win well given Scotland’s efforts versus the same opponents.

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Two of England’s senior players acknowledge that fierce rivals Australia were “smarter” than them during their T20 World Cup defeat on Saturday.

Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali have admitted that England were thoroughly outplayed during their T20 World Cup defeat to Australia.

Having had to settle for a draw in a rain-hit match with Scotland earlier in the week, England were under pressure to deliver against their fierce rivals on Saturday.

However, Australia were ruthless with the bat in setting up victory in Barbados, compiling 201-7 before restricting their opponents to just 165-6 in their reply.

Australia reached 70-1 off the first five overs, Travis Head (34 off 18) and David Warner (39 off 16) setting the tone, and the big-hitting continued throughout the innings with 13 maximums being struck in total.

Jofra Archer (1-28) was England’s most economical bowler and it appeared to have kept his side in the match, as Phil Salt (37) and Buttler (42) put on 73 in seven overs.

Nevertheless, wickets then began to fall at regular intervals and the game was effectively up when Moeen (25) departed with England on 128-5, still requiring 74 runs from 26 balls.

Australia beat England by 36 runs ðŸâ€Â¥

England yet to win a match this tournament 😬

Australia keep up their 100% record 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/jOjvLY9k5i

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 8, 2024

What did Buttler, Moeen have to say?

Speaking to BBC Test Match Special, Buttler and Moeen both hinted that, while England must assess what went wrong, they need to think proactively about how to turn things around.

Buttler said: “I thought we were outplayed today by Australia. They played really well in the powerplay and put us under a lot of pressure straight away.

“We know the position we’re in. It’s exactly laid out for us how we need to go about it. We can review this game and move on and plan for the next one.”

Moeen added: “I just felt that Australia were better than us on the day in all three facets. They were smarter than us with the ball and used the conditions really well.

“We’ve just got to be a bit more precise and when we come on to bowl. You have to get in and bowl your ball straight away and try and make something happen and not hope something will happen. We need to defend when we need to defend and attack when we need to attack.”

What now for England?

Although England will back themselves to defeat Oman and Namibia in their remaining two fixtures, they will require help from elsewhere to finish in the top two of Group B.

Scotland already have a far superior net run-rate to England (0.736 to -1.8) and that will also need to be overturned as a bare minimum if Scotland defeat Oman on Sunday.

England are not back in action until they face the same opponents on Thursday, potentially facing a four-point deficit with two games to play, while Scotland’s concluding fixture is against Australia.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Australia and England, scheduled to be played at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Cricketing powerhouses Australia and England will lock horns in match 17 of the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday evening.

Group B in this competition is an intriguing one and features the two most recent champions along with three spirited contenders in Namibia, Scotland and Oman.

Match preview

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Australia come into the T20 World Cup looking to etch their names in history as the first nation to hold the title in all three formats of the game, having secured the Test Championship and one-day international crown last year.

Despite failing to reach the final four stages of their home T20 World Cup in 2022, the Aussies are one of the favourites in this edition, owing to their track record of performing well in ICC events, while boasting a squad that includes several players in excellent form.

Australia survived a tricky first game in this competition, overcoming a courageous Oman side by 39 runs, with Marcus Stoinis putting in a Man of the Match performance with both bat and ball, top-scoring with 67* while also taking a team-high 3/19 in three overs.

David Warner also delivered with the bat, as Australia totalled a defendable 164/5, while Mitchell Starc was rapid with the new ball, getting it to swing at pace, which will be a massive asset for the Baggy Greens as the tournament progresses.

Andrew McDonald‘s side have now won seven of their last nine T20Is, including a 2-1 series win over the West Indies in February and a three-match clean sweep of New Zealand directly after that.

© Reuters

Meanwhile, England secured a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final to clinch their second T20 World Cup title back in 2022, adding to their 2010 triumph, but their defence of their 50-over crown in India last year was a nightmare that saw them eliminated in the group stage.

England’s opening match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 against Scotland was cut short prematurely. The Scots set England a target of 90, which was adjusted to 109 with DLS at this venue before rain intervened and brought an end to proceedings.

However, 10 overs were bowled in the match and the concerning point from an English perspective would have been that the side were unable to take a wicket and appeared sloppy at times. Mark Wood had a wicket denied due to a no-ball, while Chris Jordan failed to impress as George Munsey and Michael Jones punished his bowling with boundaries.

The abandonment resulted in both sides earning a point apiece from the game, meaning that a loss against Australia on Saturday would likely put massive pressure on England, making the final two games against Namibia and Oman must-win matches for the defending champions.

Jos Buttler will know that his side can ill-afford another sluggish start against the Aussies here and will need to refind the attacking Bazball style that worked so well for them when they surged to the white-ball titles in 2019 (ODI) and 2022 (T20) if they are to stand a chance of successfully defending their crown.

Team News

© Reuters

The Aussies dodged an injury scare to strike bowler Mitchell Starc, who pulled up sore after a delivery in his final over last time out. The left-arm paceman was flagged as a minor doubt for this match but was cleared for selection in the week.

Pat Cummins was forced to withdraw from the first match due to an injury, but he is expected to return to the starting lineup for this crucial encounter, with Nathan Ellis being the most likely to drop to the bench to make way for him.

After a match-winning performance in the 50-over World Cup final and an impressive reintroduction into the Indian Premier League, which included a century off just 39 balls, Travis Head is quickly emerging as the key player for Australia and will be looking to make his mark on the competition in this match.

Jofra Archer‘s return to the England side in the country of his birth during the match against Scotland marked a significant moment, and the paceman will be crucial to the Three Lions’ success in the competition if he gets among the wickets.

The batting line-up is expected to remain unchanged, with Buttler and Phil Salt likely to open, followed by Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone. Buttler holds the record for the most T20 runs by any player since the beginning of 2023, with the England captain scoring over 50 runs on 22 occasions.

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Series so far

Australia

Match One: Australia won by 39 runs
Australia – 164/5 (20)
Oman – 125/9 (20)

England

Match One: No result
Scotland – 90/0 (10)
England – DNB

© PA Photos

We say: Australia to win

England have been some way from the sort of form that saw them stride to the title in 2022 and a washed-out tournament opener was far from ideal in helping the side settle their nerves and get a feel for the pitch and conditions.

Australia, on the other hand, have been formidable in all formats over the last couple of years, wrapping up the Test and ODI titles in 2023, and now setting their sights on the T20 crown. We feel the Baggy Greens will be too good for the Three Lions in this one.

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England’s bid to defend their T20 World Cup trophy suffers a blow as the weather denies them a chance to overcome Scotland in their opening fixture.

England have suffered disappointment in their opening T20 World Cup game with Scotland after it was prevented from reaching a conclusion due to the weather.

Jos Buttler and his side had wanted to make a fast start to the tournament, particularly with Australia to come in Group B, but the Barbados rain prevented them from doing so.

The downpours initially delayed the start to the match before two separate periods of rain ensured that only 10 overs were possible.

Scotland were at the crease for that period, only after the game had been reduced after the second downpour when the minnows were on 51-0 after 6.2 overs.

Michael Jones and George Munsey were the players at the crease, putting on a brilliant unbeaten 90-run opening-wicket stand in testing circumstances.

Both players posted very similar records as Jones made 45 off 30 while Munsey reached 41 off 31, with each batsman hitting four boundaries and two maximums.

What a shot from George Munsey 🤯 pic.twitter.com/wyOsf6MBNv

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 4, 2024

At one point, it appeared that Mark Wood had dismissed Munsey for 16, only for a no-ball to be signalled and that summed up England’s poor effort with the ball and in the field.

As a result of the DSL rule, England were set a target of 109 from their 10 overs, but they did not have an opportunity to begin their run-chase.

What are the consequences of the draw?

In terms of net-run-rate, no team has really missed out. Namibia’s super-over win over Oman means that all four teams are now on a level net-run-rate.

While Scotland would have fancied their chances of defending 109, they also know that avoiding defeat against the defending champions is very much a bonus.

Furthermore, England face Australia in their next fixture aware they can ill-afford a defeat if they want to keep achieving a top-two spot in their own hands.

That encounter is due to take place on Saturday, Australia first taking on Oman on Thursday with the chance to build a sizeable net-run-rate lead.

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Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s T20 World Cup match between England and Scotland which is set to take place at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown.

England will begin the defence of their T20 World Cup trophy when they face Scotland at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

To reach the Super Eight stage, England and Scotland will have to finish in the top two of a group which contains Australia, Namibia and Oman.

Match preview

© Reuters

England are preparing to play their first match at the T20 World Cup since they beat Pakistan by five wickets in the 2022 final at the MCG.

A year after their success in Australia, Jos Buttler‘s men experienced a woeful campaign at the 50-over World Cup in India, finishing in seventh place after winning three and losing six of their nine matches.

Their desperate fortunes in the white-ball game continued with a series of defeats to West Indies in both the 50-over and 20-over format.

After experiencing a disappointing winter, England’s white-ball squad restored some much-needed confidence with a 2-0 win in the recent rain-affected T20 series against Pakistan.

They will now turn their focus to the main competition and the opening game against Scotland at the Kensington Oval – the ground where Paul Collingwood‘s men achieved a seven-wicket triumph against Australia to lift England’s first T20 World Cup in 2010.

Fourteen years later, England will have aspirations of going deep into the tournament after reaching the semi-finals at each of the last three T20 World Cups, but before they look too far ahead, they will focus on getting off to a winning start against Scotland.

© Reuters

Scotland are preparing to make a third consecutive T20 World Cup appearance after breezing through the European section of qualifying.

They won all six of their qualifiers to finish top of the standings to punch their ticket to the West Indies and the USA alongside Ireland.

Scotland’s main objective would have been to secure qualification, but the shorter format of international cricket throws up more uncertainty and the chance to pull off a surprise or two.

They know that they will most likely have to beat at least one of England or Australia to have any hope of progressing to the Super Eight stage.

Scotland have never previously played England in a competitive T20 game, but they will have fond memories from the last time that they faced off in a 50-over match in 2018 when Calum MacLeod hit an unbeaten 140 to help his country clinch a memorable six-run victory.

The associate nation warmed up for the tournament with a losing final appearance in a tri-series with Ireland and the Netherlands, before they travelled to the Caribbean for an abandoned game against Uganda and a 55-run defeat against Afghanistan.

Team News

© Reuters

England’s top order contains plenty of six-hitting power courtesy of Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow.

Harry Brook will provide the firepower in the middle order, while Sam Curran could have an important role to play with both the bat and ball after being named as player of the tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The experienced Adil Rashid leads England’s spin options, boasting a bowling average of 25 in 106 international T20 matches.

Jofra Archer is one of the standout names in the pace department, having returned to fitness following a torrid time with injuries.

However, Archer will not be the only England player delivering rockets, with Mark Wood ready to unleash his express pace in the tournament opener.

As for Scotland, the pressure of facing Archer and Wood first up will likely fall on the shoulders of George Munsey and Charlie Tear.

Munsey was his country’s top scorer at the 2022 T2O World Cup after scoring 121 runs across his three innings in Australia.

At the age of 37, skipper Richie Berrington will look to provide some solidity at number four, while his captaincy will be crucial if Scotland are to negate England’s explosive batting lineup.

Sussex’s Brad Currie and Hampshire’s Brad Wheal will form part of the pace department, while Chris Greaves and Mark Watt represent the two main spin options.

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (wk), Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Scotland squad: Richie Berrington (c), Matthew Cross (wk), Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear (wk), Mark Watt, Brad Wheal

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

England will enter Tuesday’s match as the overwhelming favourites to get off to a winning start, and we think that they will ultimately prove to be strong for Scotland thanks to their batting firepower and the lightning pace of Archer and Wood, which has the potential to blow the Scottish top order away.

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England conclude the T20 series against Pakistan with a seven-wicket victory at The Oval, pulling off a rare feat in the process.

England have recorded a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan to secure a 2-0 win in the best-of-four T20 series.

The two sides went into the final fixture at The Oval having been left frustrated with two washouts ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

However, the rain stayed away in London for a full match to materialise, England starring with bat and ball to prevail with 27 balls to spare.

Jos Buttler‘s side now travel to the USA and West Indies for the bumper tournament, with their opening fixture coming against Scotland on June 4.

Pakistan fail to take advantage of fast start

Although England won the toss and elected to field, it initially looked like the wrong decision as Pakistan made it to 59-0 off 5.5 overs.

Within minutes, that became 65-2, Babar Azam (36) and Mohammad Rizwan (23) making their way back to the pavilion, and Usman Khan‘s exciting 38 from 21 balls came to an end with Pakistan on 83-3.

Much of the rest of the innings was a disaster. Three batsmen – Shadab Khan, Azam Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi – all departed for ducks having faced eight deliveries between them.

Jofra Archer took the final wicket for figures of 1-31 on just his second England game in over a year, while Mark Wood, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone all took two wickets apiece as Pakistan were dismissed for 157 with one ball remaining.

Finished in style 🤩

A six from Harry Brook seals England a seven wicket victory and a 2-0 series win ðŸÂ´ó Â§ó Â¢ó Â¥ó Â®ó Â§ó Â¿ pic.twitter.com/LSB9iRXvoV

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 30, 2024

What rare feat did England pull off?

All six of England’s bowlers took at least one wicket, while the remaining five players all achieved double figures with the bat.

Phil Salt and Buttler were sensational during the opening overs; Salt hit 45 from 24 and Buttler made 39 from 21.

The pair departed with England on 101-2 off just nine overs and Will Jacks was able to keep things ticking along with 20 from 18.

Jonny Bairstow (28*) and Harry Brook (17*) brought the game home, the former smashed three sixes from his 16-ball knock for his best effort in five innings when including IPL matches.

England will now make the long trip West to try to defend the trophy that they won two years ago, coincidentally against Pakistan.

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