The race for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is intensifying with the Super 8 stage in full swing. With two games remaining in Group 2 of the Super Eight stage, the competition for the semi-final spots is largely a three-way battle. While the USA isn’t completely out of contention, they will need big wins to stay in the hunt. The first of these two crucial matches will feature the defending champions, England, against the co-hosts, USA, at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
England barely made it to the Super 8s, relying on a series of fortunate events. However, in their first Super 8 match against the West Indies, England secured a dominant 8-wicket victory, significantly boosting their Net Run Rate (NRR).
They faced a narrow seven-run defeat to South Africa in their second Super 8 match. The Three Lions now know that a relatively comfortable win over the USA in their next match will suffice to secure a semi-final spot. If the West Indies also beat South Africa, all three teams would be tied on six points, and a comfortable win over the USA would likely improve England’s NRR above South Africa. However, if both England and the West Indies lose, they, along with the USA, will be tied on two points each, and the decision will come down to NRR.
The match against South Africa in Gros Islet was a rollercoaster for England, ultimately ending in a loss. South Africa started strong, but England managed to claw back in the latter half of the first innings. Despite being four wickets down, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone’s excellent partnership brought England back into contention. But that wasn’t enough as the Proteas held their nerves in the final over.
England’s batters fared well against the West Indies but struggled against South Africa, failing to chase 164 on Friday. Phil Salt has been in excellent form. The English batter likes batting at the Kensington Oval, where he has a strike rate of 185.13. He’ll be the dangerman and the USA would love to see the back of him early.
Jos Buttler will look to complement Salt by providing early fireworks in the Powerplay. Despite their loss to South Africa, England’s batting remains formidable, posing a significant challenge for the US bowlers, including the in-form Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh.
In the bowling department, Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer have been standout performers with 13 and 12 wickets respectively. However, Mark Wood’s recent form is a concern, as he has taken only three wickets in his last five T20Is.
For co-hosts USA, it has been a reality check after their impressive group stage performance. They have suffered successive losses, and their chances of reaching the semi-finals are slim, requiring a victory over England by 80 runs and a South Africa win over the West Indies by more than 67 runs to advance based on NRR.
Andries Gous and Aaron Jones have carried the batting load for the USA, but they will need a collective effort from the entire team to overcome the defending champions.
Match details
June 23, Kensington Oval (Barbados), 8pm IST
Teams
USA (possible): Steven Taylor, Andries Gous (wk), Nitish Kumar, Aaron Jones (c), Corey Anderson, Shayan Jahangir, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjinge, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar
England (possible): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley