England must win T20 match, but even that might not be enough
They’ve only lost once so far in the Super12 stage but Matthew Mott’s first T20 World Cup as England limited-overs cricket coach could end with his side being dumped out before the semi-finals should they stumble tomorrow against former coach Chris Silverwood’s Sri Lanka.
Wins against Afghanistan and, most recently, New Zealand have handed them four out of their five points in the Group One table – the fifth point came from a washout draw with Australia in which no play was possible.
But a shock defeat at the hands of Ireland has led to the reigning one-day world champions staring down the barrel of defeat at the latest white-ball World Cup.
Today’s action, the penultimate day of action in Group One, is due to see New Zealand take on the Emerald Isle and Australia face Afghanistan.
A win for Afghanistan, whom England beat in the opening match, would hand Jos Buttler’s side a spot in the final four unless England suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of Asia Cup holders Sri Lanka. England’s run rate is superior to Australia’s, which could be crucial in deciding who makes it through to the semi-finals.
But away from the permutations and what ifs, England have seen a star rise in the last couple of months. Whatever happens, that should not be forgotten when focus turns to the one-day series against Australia later this month and, beyond that, England’s limited overs fixtures in 2023.
Sam Curran has become quite the Twenty20 bowler in recent months, with the 24-year-old Surrey player making himself almost undroppable from the side.
T20 bowling is about having variation and conviction, the ability to change it up when it may not be working but with the belief that it will work. Curran has become a go-to option for England in this tournament.
His 10.4 overs in this World Cup have seen him concede 67 runs for nine wickets. Curran also scored England’s first ever T20 international five-for in the opening match against Afghanistan.
Ahead of the tournament, Ben Stokes was widely felt to be indispensable due to his leadership qualities and world class fielding.
But in the three games England have played thus far Down Under, the Durham all-rounder has scored a combined total of 16 runs, with a high of eight.
There must be questions surrounding the inclusion of the Test captain in the side going forward when the depth of batting is so strong among Mott’s men.
With the ball, Stokes has bowled 7.2 overs in the three matches England have played, conceding 37 runs and getting four wickets. Against New Zealand he had the worst economy, but had the best versus Ireland and second best versus Afghanistan. It’s all about making key decisions for the leadership.
It would be harsh to call the tournament a failure should England not progress through to the final four but given the side reached the same target last year, it would mark a step backwards in this new era of limited overs cricket.
Three years on from one of the biggest days in English cricket – when the one-day side won the 2019 World Cup – England now have the chance to win a tournament on the shores of Australia.
But tomorrow against Sri Lanka it will be paramount that they win to ensure they’re in the mix, and by lunchtime today even that might not be enough. T20 cricket can be decided by one ball here or another there, and England will need to hope the 50-50s fall their way over the next two days.