England are in a precarious position at the T20 World Cup after an elimination against Scotland in Barbados was followed by a defeat against a clinical Australia at the same venue.
Here are the talking points from Saturday’s loss at Bridgetown, including team selection, power play miscues and what conflicts the defending champions actually find themselves in…
England must win and hope as Super 8s place under threat
Qualification for the Super 8s is no longer in the hands of England.
Victories against Oman and Namibia in their final two Group B matches in Antigua could be enough if they manage to win comprehensively, with a strong possibility they will find themselves level on five points with Scotland and the Qualifying comes down to net run rate.
Group B table with everyone having played twice
However, if Scotland won their final two matches, against Oman on Sunday and against Australia a week later, and Australia eliminated Namibia in between, England would be toast, unable to defeat either their rivals in the Ashes, nor its nearest neighbors.
Jos Buttler’s men suffered group stage elimination as they prepared to defend the 50-over World Cup in India last autumn and are now scrambling to avoid a similar fate at the 20s jamboree -over. There is no room for error.
England lost to Ireland in the previous T20 World Cup in 2022 and won the event so all hope is not lost. “Sometimes we are better when our backs are against the wall, so that can suit us,” said all-rounder Moeen Ali. Fans hope he’s right.
Reigning champions punished on power play
Identifying exactly where England lost the match against Australia, you are immediately drawn to their opponents’ first five overs.
Australia’s David Warner hits 39 off 16 balls against England
David Warner (39 off 16) and Travis Head (35 off 18) hit 70 runs during this period with quick deliveries from Mark Wood and breaks from part-time spinner Will Jacks consistently carrying six over the limit on the short leg side. The second over bowled by Jacks – which followed an opening three from Moeen – was made for 22, the fourth bowled by Wood suffered the same fate.
Nasser Hussain of Sky Sports Cricket said: “Australia outplayed England, it was a complete team performance. A total of 201 was too much on this ground, even with this short boundary.
“The decision to start the Jacks backfired, but I didn’t like the fact that they were too slow to use their slower bullets and knives. I saw them obsessed with the idea of eliminate the opposition with pace and I think it was a pace pitch and they did that. I’m not adapting fast enough.
Mark Wood’s first against Australia, the fourth of the match, lasted 22 minutes.
Hussain’s fellow pundit Michael Atherton added: “I thought the decision to play Jacks was odd on several counts, as England have kept pace in their line-up with Wood and Archer and also because Jacks is rather inexperienced and the type of offside-spinner who is quite floaty This could have paid off against left-handers, but it was a high-risk strategy and cost 22 points.
Moeen said: “We finally adjusted but we were a bit late, it was almost one too late, or a few balls late, and we were still conceding a boundary at the start and end of the over and that got us sets back. I think a little about the lack of discipline.”
Should England have chosen Topley?
Atherton and Hussain said before the Australia match that they would have gone for the imposing left-arm seam bowler Reece Topley, with his ability to bowl cutters into the pitch from great height and also swing the new ball.
His record against lefties is also excellent.
One couldn’t help but feel that England had made a mistake in leaving him on the sidelines as his teammates were first hit in the power play and then Australian seamers Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowled pace balls to restrict England.
Did England miss Reece Topley against Australia?
Hussain continued: “Topley is a better option for Barbados and these conditions than faster, slippery bowlers like Wood. If I’m batting here I want pace on the ball not pace.
“When Stoinis, Cummins and Hazlewood rolled their fingers on the side of the ball during England’s innings, the batters couldn’t remove it.”
Australia, chasing triples, shows its class
Australia, who entered the competition having lost six of their last seven T20Is against England, are two-thirds of the way to holding three ICC trophies simultaneously, having won the World Test Championship and World Test titles. the 50-over World Cup in 2023.
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Adam Zampa checked England’s chase with the wickets of Jos Buttler and Phil Salt after a 73-run stand in seven overs
The captaincy may be different at the T20 World Cup – Mitchell Marsh takes the reins from Pat Cummins – but the ruthless efficiency in tournaments remains, with the aforementioned seamers doing their part after leg-spinner Adam Zampa broke a 73-run opening partnership between Buttler and Phil Salt.
Warner and Head wasted no time in determining where to attack England with the bat, starting with the collar given to Jacks. “Australia showed why they are feared as a tournament team,” added Atherton.
It wouldn’t be at all surprising if they were back in Barbados for the final on June 29. For England to get there, however, there is an awful lot of work to do.
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