England T20 World Cup defence on the brink after heavy defeat to Australia | T20 World Cup 2024

It was supposed to be a game of relatively little consequence, an Ashes rivalry staged in the name of broadcasters amid expectations that England and Australia would sweep aside the associated teams in Group B. As the two seeds, they would move into a pre-determined slots in the Super Eight stage.

But after Tuesday’s crushing 36-run loss to Scotland at the hands of their oldest rivals in a sweltering Bridgetown, Jos Buttler’s defending champions have been plunged into a world of net-score calculations and weather predictions when they meet Oman and Namibia in Antigua next week. Even getting rid of these two by large margins may not be enough.

Australia, who already have a good win over Oman before this one, will laugh at the predicament England find themselves in now. Reaching 201 for seven after being bowled out – the highest total of the tournament so far – Mitch Marsh and his side then hit the brakes on England to restrict them to 165 for six. Pat Cummins, who returned to the side, dispatched a masterful two for 23 from four overs, while Adam Zampa spun to two for 28.

It was a classic close against an England side who, apart from Buttler (42 off 28) and Phil Salt (37 off 23) at the top, looked short of time in the middle and feeling the pressure across the board. Jonny Bairstow had a particularly poor game, a sloppy outing in the field followed by a scratch off seven off 13 balls. Having reached 92 for two in the 10th over – thus needing the same 109 in 10 that England claimed they could chase against Scotland – it was a missed opportunity.

Although in reality England were always trailing in this one as David Warner (39 off 16) and Travis Head (34 off 18) searched for 70 runs in the first five overs. This lively start certainly highlighted the difficulty of bowling from the Malcolm Marshall End, with a short outside boundary – around 60 meters – and a strong crosswind blowing into it. Spectators in the Greenidge and Haynes stands were very much into the game here.

These conditions also made it all the more perplexing that, after a tight first over from Moeen Ali, Buttler asked the far less experienced off-spinner, Will Jacks, to share the new ball and defend this trickier end. His worse fare was completely broken for 22 runs – the solar panels on the stand’s roof were smashed on the way – a figure that was repeated afterwards when Buttler instantly replaced him with the pace of Mark Wood and saw three more sixes go up.

Butler claimed afterward that Jacks was a call based on “gut feeling” — not data — but it set the tone for a shaky time in the field. The captain also spent so much time running away from the keeper to talk to his players that he was penalized for slow play, Chris Jordan forced to bowl the 20th over with just three men out of the circle. Jofra Archer returned one for 28 from four overs – Head, dismissed by a slower ball after Moeen bowled Warner – felt triumphant in the circumstances.

But Australia’s middle order had plenty of breathing room after that topsy-turvy start, regular wickets hardly proving to be setbacks as they smashed all but three of their 14 sixes with the wind. That said, Glenn Maxwell, who was struggling for rhythm in a 25-ball 28, delivered an outrageous, deliberately chipped six in it. He has always been a player who can take things in a different direction.

Zampa is another, and after Salt and Buttler threw a couple of early counters at the seamers, the leg-spinner’s double removal of the two openers caused the ensuing stranglehold. The first was a great piece of bowling, Zampa fired a quick and flat shot first to Salt Castle. Butler, lightly pressed, then perished trying to sweep him in reverse.

After that, only Moeen was able to really swing freely, his 15-ball 25 the only reprieve as Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowled smartly to the size of the ground. When the latter caught Bairstow trying to break out of the funk, it was all over. England, desperate for a change of tune after that dismal World Cup last winter over 50, are back in a bit of strife.