England arrived in St Lucia after a long and draining day in Antigua knowing that one good performance this week could be all it takes to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Assuming they beat the USA on Sunday in Barbados in the third and last of their Super Eight matches, they will be through to the last four, so long as they have already seen off either West Indies on Wednesday or South Africa on Friday – and ensured, in case of a tie on points, that their net run-rate is in decent shape.
Given the events of Saturday, when England twice faced an embarrassing early exit, it is a prospect to savour, with Jos Buttler’s side effectively wiping clean a slate that had threatened to get messy during a fraught group stage.
First, they came within 45 minutes of an abandonment against Namibia in Antigua that would have knocked them out before Scotland had even taken the field against Australia in St Lucia. Then, later that evening, they had to watch from behind their hotel sofas as the Australians were pushed to the wire, completing their chase with just two balls to spare.
‘We’re looking forward to the Super Eights and getting into the tournament,’ said a relieved Jos Buttler. ‘The Scotland match was a nervous watch at times, but thankfully we can now prepare for a big week of crucial matches against strong opposition.’
Jos Buttler shared his thoughts after England reached the Super Eights by the skin of their teeth
Their hopes of defending the T20 World Cup looked to be over before Australia narrowly defeated Scotland
This will be a better measure of where his side stand than the rain-splattered fortnight in Barbados and Antigua, with managing director Rob Key planning to stay in the Caribbean until the end of the week as he continues to monitor the inner workings of the dressing-room, and decide on the future both of Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott.
Like England, West Indies are looking to become the first side to win three T20 World Cups, and they beat Buttler’s team 3-2 in a big-hitting series before Christmas described by Key as a ‘slugfest’.
Yet this tournament hasn’t panned out that way: pitches in the Caribbean have been slower than usual, and those in the USA devoid of life altogether. But that only heightens the threat posed by West Indies’ pair of talented left-arm spinners, Akeal Hosein, who possesses a mean inswinger, and Gudakesh Motie.
It would be insulting, too, to characterise the West Indians as happy-go-lucky hitters. Their crucial win over New Zealand in Trinidad came after they had slipped to 112 for nine, only for Sherfane Rutherford to stage-manage a last-wicket stand with Motie of 37. Motie and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph then blew the New Zealanders away.
England’s most recent World Cup meeting with South Africa, meanwhile, was perhaps the low point of their defence of the 50-over title in India. On an impossibly humid day in Mumbai, Buttler chose to bowl, then watched his attack being flogged to all parts, with Heinrich Klaasen’s 61-ball hundred the centrepiece of the South Africans’ monstrous 399 for seven.
They have been subdued so far, having played three games on New York’s sluggish drop-in pitch, and had to recover from tricky positions to beat the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Nepal. Their highest total has been 115 for seven.
But their big hitters should find life easier at St Lucia’s Gros Islet, and their attack remains formidable. Anrich Nortje, who has pace to rival Mark Wood, picked up nine wickets at seven in the group stage, while Ottneil Baartman, a 31-year-old Capetonian who had not played international cricket before May, has made an impact with his probing seamers.
The USA have been one of the World Cup’s success stories, not least because the ICC are desperate to get a foothold in the usually impenetrable American market. Their super-over win over Pakistan was a highlight of the group stage, with Indian-born seamer Saurabh Netravalkar – who emigrated stateside in 2015 to study for a master’s in computer engineering – bowling them to the most famous win in their history.
Up next for England is a West Indies side that are full of confidence after beating New Zealand
A clash with South Africa will bring back painful memories of defeat in last year’s 50-over World Cup
Meanwhile the USA have defied expectations, with their group stage win over Pakistan one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport
And in Aaron Jones – born in Queens, New York, raised in Barbados – they have one of the batsmen of the tournament. The Americans ought not to trouble England, but then the footballers thought that before their 1950 World Cup defeat by the USA at Belo Horizonte.
England, for their part, may have stumbled across their strongest team against Namibia, after leaving out Will Jacks and drafting in Sam Curran. Wood could then slot back in for Chris Jordan. Their only injury concern is Liam Livingstone, who hurt his side hitting one of his two sixes on Saturday, and will be assessed today/tomorrow to see if he is fit for the West Indies game.
After winning just two of their last nine World Cup games – 50-over and T20 – against Test-playing opposition, England know they will have to step it up this week. They also know careers may depend on it.
