Saturday, June 8, 2024

Win over Australia would change narrative for England,

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 If one swallow doesn't make a summer, one washout against Scotland certainly does not ruin a T20 World Cup.


England admitted being below their best in the play that was possible on Tuesday and allowing Scotland's openers to rattle along to 90-0 in 10 overs hardly showed early form of champions.

But the nature of this tournament means if England lose to Australia on Saturday evening there is a very plausible series of results that would still send them through to the Super 8s.

It is not ideal - and would be precarious with the Caribbean rainy season a factor - but not the end of the world.


You can also argue that England are better with their backs against the wall.

They won their first T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, the venue for their latest meeting with Australia, in 2010. Earlier in that tournament they were beaten by West Indies and only scraped through the first group stage courtesy of net run-rate.

When they won this title again in 2022, the last edition of the tournament, England were beaten in the group stage by Ireland.

Even their famous 50-over win of 2019 had the group stage wobbles against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia which left them needing to win four straight games to win the title.

When England have breezed through the group stages, in the 2017 Champions Trophy or 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, they have come unstuck in the semi-finals.

But, despite all of that, there remains a feeling that Saturday is a crucial moment, as much for changing the feeling around this whole white-ball set-up.

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