A reawakened England threaten to rob Australia of the chance to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title after beating previously undefeated New Zealand in Brisbane on Tuesday night.
Australia must thrash Afghanistan in Adelaide on Friday to get their run rate above England’s and hope that England don’t do the same to Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday. An unlikely Sri Lankan upset would be ideal for Australia’s semi-final chances.
England captain Jos Buttler’s knock earned him man of the match in the win over New Zealand.Credit:Getty Images
England won by 20 runs on Tuesday night after New Zealand scored 6/159 in reply to 6/179.
A worrying knee injury to Afghanistan’s brilliant leg-spinner Rashid Ali fielding against Sri Lanka during the earlier match at Brisbane’s Gabba on Tuesday night may make Australia’s task a little less difficult.
The top three Group 1 teams, New Zealand, England and Australia, all have five points from two wins, a loss, and a washout, but Australia have been pushed to third in the group on run rate after their 89-run flogging by New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament. Australia have a net run rate of -0.30 compared to England’s +0.55
The Kiwi’s run rate will assure them a place in the semi-finals if they beat Ireland in the early game at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
A New Zealand victory on Tuesday night would have left England on just three points and paved the way for Australia to claim a semi-final berth with a simple victory over Afghanistan, but nothing is simple for the home side now.
Australia are also waiting on hamstring scans for captain Aaron Finch, allrounder Marcus Stoinis and late hitter Tim David, which may unsettle their side.
A remarkably simple dropped catch by Moeen Ali of the dangerous Glenn Phillips on 15 gave the Kiwis a chance. Coming off a century in just 64 balls against Sri Lanka, he blazed 62 in 36 balls, but it wasn’t enough in a generally modest batting display.
England had done just about everything right in the three-match T20 series against Australia leading into the T20 World Cup and just about everything wrong during the tournament. This included a loss to Ireland in a rain-marred game and a tardy run chase in their only victory, over Afghanistan.
But they did a lot right on Tuesday night, Ali’s catch aside, after captain Jos Buttler won the toss, decided to bat, and led from the front with 73 from 47 balls on a pitch being used for a third consecutive match.
“You don’t become a bad team overnight,” Buttler said after accepting the man of the match award.
Buttler was also blessed by moments of modest fielding from the Kiwis, allowing he and Alex Hales (52 in 40 balls) to have an opening partnership of 81 in 10.2 overs.
Hales was on the charge when Buttler, on nine, miscued a slice over the off-side from left arm spinner Mitchell Santner.
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips was best with the bat for his side.Credit:AP
Opposing skipper Kane Williamson, who said at the toss he would have also batted, ran back from cover, dived, and claimed what he thought was a fumbled catch. However, replays showed the ball had hit the ground in the scramble before ending up in Williamson’s arms. He raised a hand in a slightly embarrassed apology to Buttler.
Buttler had wound up by the time he was dropped again on 40, a relatively simple chance missed by Daryl Mitchell at deep square from a pull shot off the quick Lockie Ferguson.
The dynamic innings followed scores of 18 against Afghanistan and 0 against Ireland.
It took Buttler past the man he recently succeeded as England’s white ball captain, Eoin Morgan, as his country’s leading T20 run scorer with 2468.
It was the Kiwi spinners who kept them in the game on a wearing wicket. Santner finished with 1-25 from his four overs and Ish Sodhi 1-23 from his four.
Having seen how difficult it was to bat against the slow bowlers, England gave the first over of New Zealand’s innings to Moeen Ali, who almost had Devon Conway stumped as the left-hander struggled with the ball turning away from him.
Wrist spinner Rashid Ali bowled the third over and powerful hitter Liam Livingstone also had a twirl with his leg breaks laster in the innings.
