Australia are in the box seat to top their T20 World Cup group after a 36-run victory over defending champions England, who may need to rely on net run rate to reach the knockout stages.
On a Bridgetown platform where runs flowed easily, Adam Zampa (2-28) changed the game for Australia, dismissing openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt after they made a fast start in pursuit of 202 in Barbados on Saturday (Sunday AEST). .
Earlier, Australian openers David Warner (39 off 16 deliveries) and Travis Head (34 off 18) had laid the foundation for the team’s 7-201, the highest total in the tournament to date.
After winning the toss, England regretted leaving Warner and Head off the leash early, ending their 20 overs at 6-165.
The victory keeps Australia unbeaten through two matches at the World Cup and means they will top Group B if they beat Scotland and Namibia in their final two matches before the Super 8 stage.
David Warner (pictured) has proven his detractors wrong with a crucial spell with the bat.
Warner led the way with a strong innings that got the team off to a great start.
“I’m very pleased with that effort,” Australia captain Mitch Marsh said.
‘I think our all-around game was exceptional. “Our experienced players shined when we needed them.”
Meanwhile, England are still searching for their first win of the tournament after their opening triumph against the Scots was wiped out and can afford nothing less than victory against Oman next Friday (AEST).
“(Australia) came out with a lot of intent and played very well,” Buttler said.
“They put us under a lot of pressure right away, they played a good power play, it was hard to get it out of there.”
Australia emerged from England requiring the third-largest successful run chase in the tournament’s history, but looked up to the task when Buttler (42 off 28 deliveries) and Salt (37 off 23) matched the heroics of Australia’s own opening partnership. Australia.
Australia’s seamers struggled on a pitch that made life difficult for the quicks all day, especially with the new ball.
But Zampa made an immediate impact once injected into the attack after the English openers exposed the short boundary and punished Mitch Starc (0-37) and Josh Hazlewood (1-28) in their 73-run stand.
Adam Zampa changed the game for Australia, dismissing openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt.
Australian captain Mitch Marsh says he is very pleased with the effort on his part.
With his first delivery of the day, Zampa sent a long ball onto Salt’s off stump, saving Head’s blushes after he had put his foot on the boundary rope trapping the opener a little early.
Zampa continued to achieve excellent results and was rewarded with the pivotal wicket of England captain and top scorer of the game, Buttler, who picked out Pat Cummins (2-23) at backward point on the quick’s return to the T20 side.
Moeen Ali (25) threatened to bring England back into the match with three sixes from Glenn Maxwell himself (0-22), but ‘The Big Show’ took revenge by catching Jonny Bairstow (seven) in the middle of the collapse in the middle of the field. Josh Hazlewood’s bowling wicket.
Maxwell taunted the pro-England crowd after the wicket, aware that at 4-124 in the 15th over, the game was slipping out of England’s grasp.
After a brilliant IPL, Cummins (2-23) had the most success of the quicks to ensure that the English were never able to get going again once he dismissed Ali.
Earlier, Buttler’s decision to open the bowling with two failed bowlers backfired.
Warner and Head were helped by 22 runs from part-time modifier Will Jacks in the second over to set the tone for their 70-run partnership.
There were visible moments of frustration from several individuals as Buttler’s team lacked precision, with Zampa suggesting that Head and Warner’s barrage of boundaries had destabilized their opponents.
“I think they were under the bomb and it showed,” Zampa said.
“It’s very difficult to bowl us in the powerplay and if your players don’t wrap it up quick enough, it can be frustrating.”
Anything too quick was also easily dispatched, and Warner retired delighting Mark Wood (0-32) in probably his last appearance against England.
Once England realized that pace would not win the day, they had the first games within five balls of each other, bowler Ali (1-18) bowling first to Warner when he made a mistake on a cut shot.
By the time the injury-plagued quick Jofra Archer (1-28) picked up pace and completely dislodged Head’s middle stump, England had steadied the ship at 2-74.
But Marsh (35) and Maxwell (28) kept Australia on track, albeit without big scores and a dream total was confirmed through a 30-run cameo by Marcus Stoinis at the death.
