Tom Banton’s match-winning knock of 63 not out steered England to a five-wicket triumph over Scotland at Eden Gardens, ending their winless streak against European nations in T20 World Cups. Prior to this encounter, England had an unfortunate record of zero wins in five matches against European sides in the tournament despite holding a World Cup title.
Scotland made early inroads into the chase, leaving England reeling at 13 for 2 within two overs, threatening to extend that unwanted statistic. The recovery began in the fifth over when Jacob Bethell launched a counter-attack against Brandon McMullen, striking a six down the ground and adding boundaries on both sides of the wicket to collect 16 runs from the over. Banton then seized the initiative, dispatching Mark Watt’s left-arm spin for three maximums.
Although Bethell and Banton forged a crucial 66-run partnership to stabilize the innings, the chase remained far from comfortable. With England positioned at 82 for 3 after 10 overs while pursuing Scotland’s 152, Bethell departed unexpectedly, caught by Brad Wheal at short fine leg off Oliver Davidson’s bowling. The pressure intensified when Harry Brook also fell cheaply, finding the same fielder off Michael Leask’s delivery. Sam Curran arrived at the crease with England in a precarious position, though the required run rate stayed manageable. Curran delivered a composed performance under pressure, combining effectively with Banton to steady the ship.
Requiring 44 runs from 36 deliveries, the duo applied pressure on the Scottish bowlers, extracting 10 runs from Leask and 13 from Watt. Wheal broke the stand by dismissing Curran, but England needed merely 21 runs from 24 balls at that stage. Despite Wheal’s economical over yielding just five runs following the breakthrough, Banton and Will Jacks guided their team home with 10 deliveries remaining.
Scotland’s total of 152 fell short of what could have been a more commanding score. Jofra Archer claimed two wickets in one over during the early stages, and Curran secured a third scalp inside the PowerPlay, restricting Scotland’s start. However, the fourth-wicket association between Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce sparked a spirited fightback. The pair targeted Adil Rashid particularly, plundering 26 runs from his opening two overs. The spin bowling struggled initially as Liam Dawson also suffered punishment, with Berrington and Bruce propelling Scotland to 90 for 3.
After Curran and Jamie Overton bowled an over apiece, Harry Brook reintroduced spin into the attack. Dawson and Rashid justified the decision by removing both set batsmen in consecutive overs. A devastating four-over spell saw Scotland collapse from 105 for 3 in 12 overs to 127 for 8 in 16 overs. Davidson swung hard during the final overs against Archer and Curran, lifting his side beyond 150. For a moment, the total appeared sufficient for another World Cup surprise, but ultimately proved inadequate.
Brief scores: Scotland 152 in 19.4 overs (Richie Berrington 49, Oliver Davidson 20, Tom Bruce 24; Jofra Archer 2-24, Adil Rashid 3-36) lost to England 155/5 in 18.2 overs (Tom Banton 63, Jacob Bethell 32, Sam Curran 28; Oliver Davidson 1-12) by 5 wickets
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