Harry Brook helped England dodge the showers – and a bullet – to beat Namibia by 41 runs in a 10-over thrash in Antigua, and depart themselves hoping Scotland didn’t stun Australia later within the night in St Lucia.
After persistent rain had threatened to knock them out of the World Cup with out even taking the park, Brook’s high-class unbeaten 47 from 20 balls had helped them to an imposing 122 for 5.
England’s bowlers then restricted the Namibians to 84 for 3, Reece Topley setting the tone with two tight overs for six runs, immediately elevating the required price to fifteen. So annoyed did the openers change into that Nikolaas Davin retired out for 18, making method for the big-hitting David Wiese.
However by then the Namibians wanted 82 off 4 overs, and the one query was the margin of defeat, which Wiese massaged with some big however futile blows off Adil Rashid.
‘There was a variety of anxiousness going round,’ mentioned Brook. ‘Fortunately it stopped and we bought a sport, and Toppers began fantastically along with his peak.’
England have shored up their hopes of constructing the Tremendous Eight on the T20 World Cup after victory towards Namibia
Harry Brook’s command efficiency throughout the truncuated contest helped settle nerves
The batsman was duly rewarded with the Participant of the Match trophy on Saturday afternoon
The outcome took England to 5 factors, degree with the Scots, and with a internet run-rate so superior that solely a Scotland victory over the Australians might ship them dwelling earlier than the beginning of the Tremendous Eights subsequent week.
For some time, an abandonment had appeared inevitable. However when the rain lastly cleared, the superb sand-based drainage system on the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium took impact, permitting an 11-over-a-side sport from 4pm, three hours after the scheduled begin. That grew to become 10 when rain intervened eight overs in.
After sweating beneath covers, the pitch was stickier than the one on which England knocked off a goal of 48 in 19 balls to beat Oman on Thursday, they usually struggled to guage the tempo of the floor after shedding the toss.
Wiese conceded only a single off the primary over, earlier than left-arm fast Ruben Trumpelmann swung one again via Jos Buttler’s defences, the ball pegging again off stump through his thigh. Because the England captain trudged off for a four-ball duck, the thought occurred that his facet could be heading for one in all their periodic brainfades towards cricket’s lesser nations – and arguably the most expensive of all.
Jos Buttler’s facet seemed positive to be heading out of the competitors after the tie was almost washed out
Antigua has been beseiged by rain as England desperately wanted to get off the bottom
And whereas Phil Salt helped himself to successive fours off Trumpelmann, he then fended tamely at a slower ball in Wiese’s subsequent over and was caught behind for 11, evident on the pitch earlier than he left.
Had Namibia’s wicketkeeper held the thick edge supplied by Bairstow off Bernard Scholtz’s left-arm spin, England would have been 29 for 3 after 4 overs, and in a world of hassle.
However Bairstow and his Yorkshire team-mate Brook upped the tempo so as to add 56 in 5 overs, earlier than Bairstow skyed a return catch to Scholtz for 31 off 18 balls.
From there, Brook took over in a format that has solely sometimes seen him at his finest. Having already hoicked medium-pacer Jack Brassell over midwicket for six earlier than the temporary interruption for rain, he took 14 off him in three deliveries after it – two scoops for 4 sandwiching an excellent six over further cowl.
Ruben Trumpelmann caught out Buttler and supplied a flashing purple warning facet to England
However after setting a formidable goal, England have been capable of declare a decisive victory in Antigua
With Liam Livingstone hitting his first two balls for six off Trumpelmann, England boosted their complete to 122 for 5, setting Namibia a rain-adjusted 126 to knock them out of the World Cup. It was a strong finish to a probably tough innings. The final 5 overs alone yielded 83.
Earlier, with the rain nonetheless falling, Cricket Scotland’s official Twitter deal with gleefully posted an image of palmtrees on a sunkissed seaside. The caption learn: ‘What an attractive day for a sport of cricket in St Lucia!’
Had the Antiguan skyline not cleared up, it might have raised recent questions in regards to the choice to stage a world occasion within the Caribbean’s wet season – and left Rob Key with a call to make in regards to the fast futures of Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott.
England headed for his or her resort to look at Australia v Scotland, which was scheduled to start out at 8.30pm native time (1.30am within the UK), and cross their fingers.
