Two video games into their World Cup defence, and England are going through the nightmare situation of failing to qualify for the Tremendous Eights after a dismal 36-run defeat by Australia at Kensington Oval.
If Tuesday’s rain-off towards Scotland couldn’t be helped, their efficiency right here veered between the headless, the hapless and the hopeless. It leaves them needing to beat each Oman and Namibia in Antigua, and pray that the Scots’ web run-rate doesn’t surpass theirs. Actually, you couldn’t make it up.
Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of males’s cricket, flies residence on Sunday, however might discover himself returning swiftly to the Caribbean if England bow out earlier than what was purported to be the beginning of the intense stuff.
Ought to that happen, it’s inconceivable that head coach Matthew Mott will keep in his job. Jos Buttler, too, will wrestle to stay in workplace after a show that made a mockery of the small fortune England have spent on their huge backroom entourage.
A lot has been manufactured from the momentary signing of Kieron Pollard, the Barbadian former West Indies captain whose native information has change into the newest crutch for Mott and Buttler to lean on.
England are going through the situation of failing to qualify for Tremendous Eights after shedding to Australia
Captain Jos Buttler will wrestle to stay in workplace after such a poor show in Barbadon
You didn’t should be born in Bridgetown to know which approach the wind was blowing, but England repeatedly invited Australia’s massive hitters to make the most of the smaller boundary. The upshot was 13 sixes, 10 of them wind-assisted, in a complete of 201 for seven, the best of the World Cup.
Regardless of a gap stand of 73 in seven overs between Buttler and Phil Salt, who each fell to Adam Zampa’s leg-spin, Australia bowled with much more nous and ability to restrict England’s six tally to eight, of which three had been hit in a single over by Moeen Ali off Glenn Maxwell.
Will Jacks by no means obtained going, and the second half of England’s innings was a painful watch. Jonny Bairstow, sluggish within the subject, scratched round for seven off 13 balls, and Ben Duckett should come into rivalry for Thursday’s sport towards Oman, not least as a result of England are brief on left-handers.
The aggressive pressure had drained from the event lengthy earlier than Moeen sliced Pat Cummins to cowl. Australia can barely have celebrated victory over the previous enemy with as little gusto.
‘We had been outplayed,’ mentioned Buttler. ‘They totally deserved their win as we speak. There are some things we have to tidy up. We’ve obtained to be assured, maintain our heads up, and puff our chests out.’ And the remaining.
Jos Buttler and Phil Salt each fell to Adam Zampa’s leg-spin as Australia bowled with extra nous
Jonny Bairstow (proper), sluggish within the subject, scratched round for seven off 13 balls
England had obtained off to a deceptively tidy begin with the ball after Buttler gained the toss, as Moeen – turning his off-breaks throughout left-handers Travis Head and David Warner – conceded simply three from the primary over.
However, not for the primary time, the group thinktank out-thought itself. As a substitute of hitting Australia with off-spin at one finish and uncooked tempo on the different, Buttler threw the ball to Jacks, who had despatched down solely two overs in 14 earlier T20 internationals.
Worse, his crazy off-breaks begged to be hit with the wind to the shorter of the sq. boundaries. Head duly mowed his first two balls for six, Warner added one other, and the over price 22. It might be the final Jacks bowls all match, and adjusted the sport’s momentum immediately.
And if both of the off-spinners was going to bowl on the trickier finish, absolutely it needed to be the vastly extra skilled Moeen? Buttler described the choice to bowl Jacks as a ‘intestine really feel’.
Jofra Archer restored some calm with an over costing eight, earlier than Warner – in presumably his ultimate stoush with England earlier than worldwide retirement – helped Mark Wooden’s first two balls into and over the Greenidge & Haynes Stand.
Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh have a good time after taking the wicket of England’s Moeen Ali
Will Jacks by no means obtained going, and the second half of England’s innings was a painful watch
The Bajan dialect could be misplaced on international ears, however England’s physique language wanted no interpretation: fingers on hips, heads bowed, they appeared something however defending champions.
By the point Warner was bowled for a 16-ball 39 by Moeen, Australia had an eye-watering 70 inside 5 overs. It was all reasonably Demise in Paradise.
The floor already appeared as if it’d reward cutters and slower balls, which queried the continued omission of Reece Topley. And when a pumped-up Archer learn the room, taking tempo off to bowl Head for 34 off 18 and selecting up his first wicket on his residence floor, England had briefly stemmed the move.
However Buttler’s facet by no means shook off the sense that they had been taking part in catch-up with their very own expectations. Aside from Archer and the underused Liam Livingstone, who had Mitchell Marsh stumped on the second try by Buttler for 35, the assault appeared distinctly hittable.
Two wickets for Chris Jordan made him the second bowler, behind Adil Rashid, to gather 100 in T20 internationals, and cheered an honest crowd wherein the locals had been barracking for England – swayed, little doubt, by the presence of the Barbados-born Jordan and Archer.
Two wickets for Chris Jordan made him the second bowler to gather 100 in T20 internationals
But England had by no means chased greater than 158 to beat Australia, and stay a group low on confidence and excessive on nervous pressure after the fiasco of their 50-over title defence in India.
They could nonetheless emerge from the group stage, and embark on an unlikely path to glory. However they must flip issues spherical rapidly, and hope that Scotland – who play Oman on Sunday keep inside attain. If there was a extra determined blueprint to win a World Cup, it was laborious to think about any final night time in Bridgetown.
