Defending champions England suffered a heavy 36-run defeat to Australia in Barbados, putting their hopes of qualifying for the Super Eight in the T20 World Cup in grave danger.
Jos Buttler’s Australia, batting for the first time in the tournament after rain prevented them from chasing down Scotland on Tuesday, could only amass 165-6 despite being set 202 to win, with Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa taking 2-28 and some excellent support from seamers including Pat Cummins (2-23).
Buttler (42 off 28) and opening partner Phil Salt (37 off 23) put on 73 in the seventh over but Zampa gave way as the dot balls piled up with Australia in control and three sixes from Moeen Ali to Glenn Maxwell in the 14th over were only a fleeting high point at the back end.
Latest Group B standings after England’s loss to Australia
England’s hopes of progressing to the next stage would not end with a defeat, but even victories against Oman on Thursday and Namibia on Saturday, both in Antigua, may not be enough, with their chances of progressing to the final round potentially depending on their net run rate.
Australia posted 201-7 after being introduced thanks to a raucous opening stand between David Warner (39 off 16) and Travis Head (34 off 18) that saw them score 70 in just 4.5 overs, with both left-handers ruthlessly targeting the short boundaries and punishing England’s decision to bowl the fast ball and part-time off-spinner Will Jacks.
The victory in Bridgetown follows a 39-point win over Oman earlier this week and sees the 2021 champions top Group B with four points, surpassing the 197-3 score the USA made in their opener against Pakistan to beat Canada and remaining the highest score to date in the 2024 tournament.
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Phil Salt scored a 106m six in England’s failed run chase at Bridgetown.
Australia overpowers England’s attack with power play
England will regret Australia’s quick start to the batting as Jacks’ second over and fast bowler Mark Wood’s fourth over saw Warner and Head combine for six sixes and 22 each – a far cry from the calm of Moeen’s opening over, when he hit three.
Morne was the first to bat, hitting Warner low after three bounds in the top of the fifth, while local man Jofra Archer hit Head with a cutter in the top of the sixth, as England finally learned that slowing the ball down is crucial on this pitch.
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Mitchell Marsh smashed a powerful six into a solar panel to give Australia a 201-7 lead at Kensington Oval.
Australia’s scoring rate eased from that point, with Chris Jordan’s 18 in the 13th over being by far the most damaging late in the innings, but the middle order batsmen all contributed, with Mitchell Marsh (35 off 25) and Maxwell (28 off 25) putting on 65 off 49 balls for the third wicket before being felled by Adil Rashid (1-41) and Liam Livingstone (1-15) respectively.
Marcus Stoinis, who scored a not-scoring 67 off 36 balls against Oman, added 30 off 17 balls to become Jordan’s 100th wicket in T20 international matches.
Jordan and his friend and fellow Bajan Archer took economical figures of 1-28 in their fourth innings, including 11 dot balls. England were not hurt too badly, conceding just eight runs in the final over and having to add an extra fielder in the circle due to their low over rate.
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Chris Jordan got Australia’s Marcus Stoinis out to become just the second England bowler after leg-spinner Adil Rashid to reach 100 T20I wickets.
Zampa scores first goal but England fall short
Needing the third-highest score in T20 World Cup history, England got off to a brisk start, the highlight being Salt’s 106-metre six off Mitchell Starc over deep midwicket, but it was Salt who fell first afterwards, smashing Zampa over the line.
Buttler reverse-swept the same bowler to backward point at the end of the 10th over, one ball after hitting him on the ground for a six, while Jacks (10 for 10) was run out at long-off after Starc took a fine catch from Stoinis and Jonny Bairstow managed just 7 for 13 in a shaky match.
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Adam Zampa thwarted England’s run-chase with the wickets of Jos Buttler and Salt after scoring 73 runs in seven overs.
Moeen (25 off 15) entertained himself with three maximum hits down the leg side off Maxwell before getting Warner out at deep cover off Cummins two overs later, while Maxwell gave England fans a win by catching Bairstow off Josh Hazlewood (1-28).
England fans have seen their team’s performances largely lackluster and will be hoping that this tournament does not end up like the 50-over defence of their World Cup title in India last autumn.
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Glenn Maxwell played some light-hearted banter with England fans after dismissing Jonny Bairstow.
Buttler: England must keep their heads up
England captain Jos Buttler:
“The situation we’re in is the situation we’re in. We’ve got to be confident, positive and look forward to the next game.”
“We’re going to hold our heads high and play some really good cricket and we know we can do that. Yes, we lost to Australia, they totally deserved to lose and I think there are some things we want to improve on.”
England take on Oman in Antigua on Thursday
Zampa: Australia ‘overwhelmed’ England
Adam Zampa, Australian leg spinner:
“England were under pressure and I think it showed. It’s very difficult to bowl to us in the powerplay and it’s frustrating when the bowlers don’t get it together quickly.”
“We try not to let that happen. We talk about that a little bit. Our leadership isn’t like that. It helps us as bowlers as well.”
Australia have won both their T20 World Cup matches so far.
What’s next?
Three matches will be played in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, with the highlights being India and Pakistan In New York, it starts at 3:30pm UK & Ireland time.
Co-host and two-time winner West Indies Playing tournament newbies Uganda In Providence, Guyana, at 1:30 a.m. Oman v Scotland End the day in Antigua at 8 PM.
Scotland started the tournament well, finishing with 90-0 in 10 overs against England before rain caused the match to be abandoned, before beating Namibia by five wickets.
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