Torrential rain pounded Antigua, causing the England vs Namibia match to be delayed by several hours and shortened to 10 overs per team. Had the match been abandoned, England would have been eliminated and the cricketers north of the border would have progressed.
by Rachel McGrath, News Reporter
Saturday, June 15, 2024 23:39 United Kingdom
England will keep their T20 World Cup hopes alive with a win over Namibia, while rivals Australia can progress to the next round if they beat Scotland.
The match was due to start at 6pm UK time but heavy rain at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium threatened to abandon the match, which would have meant defeat for defending champions England.
If that happens, it would be a major shock for cricketing underdog Scotland to progress instead.
After multiple pitch inspections on Saturday, the start time in the Caribbean was finally set for 9pm UK time, with the match shortened to 11 overs per team.
Jos Buttler’s England team managed to bat in the eighth over to post scores of 82 for 3 but then rain began to fall again, forcing both teams to briefly leave the pitch, causing anxiety among England fans.
In the end, England’s innings was shortened to 10 overs and they finished at 122 for 5.
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Namibia were set an adjusted target of 127 and finished at 84-3 after 10 overs.
The win puts England in second place in Group B, tied with Scotland.
Progression to the next round, the Super 8, will depend on the result of the match between Scotland and Australia, which kicks off at 1.30am BST on Sunday.
If Scotland loses (as most expect), England will advance to the knockout stages on a strong note; a win would see England eliminated, despite Saturday’s win.
This is England’s second group game to be affected by rain, with their opening match against Scotland being abandoned due to poor weather.
Then they lost to Australia, Record-breaking win against Oman.
Many of the T20 World Cup matches have been affected by rain so far, with the choice of venues sparking anger from some in the cricketing community, even though the Caribbean rainy season begins in June.
Due to matches being cancelled due to rain, Pakistan, which was considered one of the favourites to win the tournament, is currently among the teams that will not be able to advance to the final tournament.