After a defeat to Ireland and a match rained off against Australia, England showed their character with victory over New Zealand at the T20 World Cup.
The start to the tournament was not as smooth as England would have hoped for before making the trip to Australia, but overcoming the setbacks could hold them in better stead later in the competition.
Rain Gave England A Scare
With a five-run defeat (DLS method) to Ireland in a rain-affected game in Melbourne, England’s confidence might have been given a rattle in the Super 12s. England, who are 9/4 in the cricket betting to win the T20 World Cup, weren’t able to put things right against Australia after the match was abandoned with a ball being bowled due to rain. It would have felt like the rain gods were against them at one stage and the wait before playing New Zealand would have felt like a long one.
However, with the pressure on, England kept their cool and put in a great performance to beat New Zealand by 20 runs at Brisbane Cricket Ground at the start of November. Setting a total of 179-6, England skipper Jos Buttler was the star of the show as he hit 73 runs from just 47 deliveries. In an innings that included seven fours and two sixes, Buttler’s display gave England the foundation needed to put on a competitive score in Brisbane. England still required their bowlers to stop the Black Caps’ dangerous batting order getting close and they did just that. Chris Woakes was one of two bowlers to take two wickets as England limited New Zealand to just 159-6 for the victory in Queensland. Overall a positive evening for the English and a confidence booster for the challenges to come.
A Statement Win For England
Against a New Zealand side that beat hosts Australia and will also have ambitions of winning the tournament, England will have been delighted with the victory against the Kiwis. In such a tight group, every win is vital for all the teams looking to compete in the knockout stages of the competition. After that success for Matthew Mott’s side in Brisbane, there were four teams in the group with two wins from their first four games. Such is the competitive level of the tournament, predicting a winner is becoming more and more difficult. However, England will be happy to be in the conversation when it comes to the latter stages.
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Considering the setbacks against Ireland and Australia, England showed they are able to put those disappointments behind them and move on to the next challenge. The outlook of the T20 World Cup is something that can change in the space of a single delivery. England will take comfort from the fact they have plenty of experienced players in their ranks as well as rising stars coming through. The path to success never normally runs smooth in a T20 World Cup but England have shown the resolve to keep themselves in contention.
