Shaken by Nepal scare, England seek stronger showing against West Indies in key T20 World Cup clash
MUMBAI: Shaken by a scare from lower-ranked Nepal in their tournament opener, England will look to step up their performance when they face the West Indies in an evenly matched and crucial Group C clash of the T20 World Cup here on Wednesday.
Both teams are two-time champions and are chasing a third title, like tournament co-hosts and defending champions India. With little separating sides in the shortest format, consistency on the day will be vital, as margins can be dangerously thin in T20 cricket.
England were reminded of that reality in their opening match, when Nepal, a team several rungs below them, pushed the former champions to the brink. Nepal lost by just four runs, with England escaping narrowly in a contest that threatened to slip away.
That result is likely to keep the Harry Brook-led side on its toes going forward.
Sam Curran emerged as the hero for England after they posted a competitive but not commanding 184/7. He held his nerve in the final over, defending 10 runs with disciplined line and length to ensure England came through unscathed.
Overall, England may feel their batting unit performed better than their bowlers. Adil Rashid went wicketless after a long time, while Jofra Archer, despite possessing all the requisite skills for the format, was taken apart as Nepal exposed vulnerabilities in the England bowling attack.
Brook and young Jacob Bethell struck half-centuries, and the other batters also appeared in rhythm, even if they were unable to convert starts into bigger contributions.
England’s narrow win has kept them in second place in Group C, with the West Indies sitting on top after a convincing 35-run victory over Scotland in their opening match.
The West Indies, meanwhile, will be aware that there is little room for error, especially at a venue where the pitch has offered assistance to bowlers in the first two matches.
Both India and England were required to show application with the bat, while the shorter boundary dimensions at the Wankhede Stadium did not come into play until Nepal batted in what was the fourth innings on the same surface used earlier for the India–USA match.
The West Indies rode on a brisk 64 from Shimron Hetmyer and a superb five-wicket haul from Romario Shepherd to thwart Scotland and register a comprehensive all-round performance.
However, the mercurial Caribbeans, who lost a T20I series 1-2 against Nepal last September, were also swept 0-3 by England in their most recent meeting, a record that could add pressure heading into this clash.
Teams (from):
England: Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Banton (wk), Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.
West Indies: Shai Hope (c & wk), Johnson Charles (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales.
The match starts at 7.00 pm IST.