England to face Scotland in T20 World Cup opener

By Sports Desk January 05, 2024

England will start their trophy defence at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with an all-British clash against Scotland.

The Group B match will take place in Barbados on Thursday, June 4.

Australia, Namibia and Oman complete the group in a tournament which has been expanded to 20 teams and will take place in the Caribbean and the United States throughout June.

ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said: “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 marks an exciting expansion of our sport with more teams than ever before set to compete in this event.

“It’s going to be an incredible spectacle bringing together 20 international teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, East-Asia Pacific and Europe.

“The release of the fixtures is made even more exciting for fans as we enter a new frontier, with the USA hosting a major ICC event for the first time.

“With 16 matches being played across three venues in the USA, it allows us to make a statement in the world’s biggest sports market.

“It will also be great to have an ICC event back in the West Indies, which has such a rich history of the game.

“It has hosted World Cups with great success in the past and this tournament will certainly provide a boost to the game there, especially with the final being played in Barbados.”

England will remain in Barbados to play Australia on June 8 before heading to Antigua to take on Oman (June 13) and Namibia (June 15).

Scotland meet Namibia in Barbados on June 6 ahead of playing Oman in Antigua (June 9) and Australia in St Lucia (June 15).

Ireland have been drawn in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, Canada and the US, with two games in New York and two in Florida.

India and Pakistan meet in arguably the most anticipated group match in New York on June 9.

The fixture will be played in a 34,000-seat modular stadium just 30 miles east of downtown Manhattan in Nassau County.

Group C consists of New Zealand, the West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea, while South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Nepal make up Group D.

Dallas’ Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium will host the tournament opener between the US and Canada on June 1.

The top two in each group progress to the Super Eights between June 19 and June 24.

The semi-finals will be held in Guyana on June 26 and Trinidad on June 27, with the final in Barbados on June 29.

Related items

  • Andre Russell ventures into Bollywood music scene with SRK's support Andre Russell ventures into Bollywood music scene with SRK's support

    West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell is set to make waves in Bollywood, following in the footsteps of Trinidadian cricketer Dwayne Bravo, who achieved success with his hit song 'Champion' in India.

    Known for adding energy and entertainment to the dressing room, West Indian cricketers have a history of making their mark beyond the cricket field, with stars like Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy shining in the IPL. The latest to join this list is Andre Russell, the dynamic KKR sensation.

    Russell is stepping into the music world by lending his vocals to a song composed by Palaash Muchhal. He will also be featured alongside actress Avika Gor in the accompanying music video.

    What makes Russell's foray into music even more exciting is the backing of Bollywood titan Shahrukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. Known for his larger-than-life persona, SRK is not just a team owner but also a key figure in the entertainment industry. Russell and SRK share a strong camaraderie, often seen enjoying each other's company and having fun moments together.

    Recently, a video of Russell singing SRK's iconic song "Lut Put Gaya" from the movie 'Dunki' went viral, showcasing his passion for music. With SRK's support and Russell's infectious energy, fans can anticipate an exciting collaboration between the cricket star and the Bollywood icon.

    Andre Russell's venture into Bollywood music adds a new dimension to his versatile talents and promises to be a delightful treat for his fans in India and across the globe.

  • IPL: Kumar the hero as Sunrisers stun Royals for final-ball win IPL: Kumar the hero as Sunrisers stun Royals for final-ball win

    Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero as Sunrisers Hyderabad came back from the brink to secure a final-ball win over Indian Premier League leaders Rajasthan Royals on Thursday.

    Kumar left the Royals reeling at 1-2 as they chased 202 for victory, dismissing both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for first-over ducks, flattening middle wicket to send the latter walking five balls in.

    A 127-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag then seemed to have the Royals closing in on a fifth straight win, only for their chase to unravel in spectacular fashion. 

    Two wickets apiece from Thangarasu Natarajan and Pat Cummins left the Royals needing 20 runs off 11 balls, and Rovman Powell came up with a thrilling cameo, the highlight being an unbelievable dive to avoid being run out on the penultimate delivery, which took Rajasthan within two runs of victory and one of a super over.

    However, there was one more twist to come as Powell swung at Kumar's full toss, which clipped his back leg and was confirmed as out following a review, sealing a memorable win for Sunrisers.

    The Sunrisers had also found themselves in a hole in their own innings, only for Nitish Kumar Reddy (76) and Heinrich Klaasen (42) to finish unbeaten and bring up a total they were just about able to defend. 

    Data Debrief: Kumar bookends back-and-forth innings

    For much of the Rajasthan innings, it looked like Kumar's early dismissals of Buttler and Samson would count for nought, with some expensive overs from Cummins and Marco Jansen leaving the Royals on the brink.

    However, Kumar stepped up when it was all on the line on the final delivery, leaving Powell in a tangle to end Hyderabad's two-match losing streak and lift them into the top four. 

  • Pakistan bowlers shine to hand West Indies first loss of tour in fourth T20I Pakistan bowlers shine to hand West Indies first loss of tour in fourth T20I

    West Indies Women suffered their first loss on their tour of Pakistan as the hosts secured an eight-wicket win in the fourth T20 International at the Karachi National Stadium on Thursday.

    Excellent Pakistan bowling meant the tourists were restricted to just 84-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

    Shemaine Campbelle (26), Zaida James (19) and Jannilea Glasgow (10) were the only West Indian batters to get double-figures as Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar dominated with 3-18 from four overs and 3-19 from four overs, respectively.

    Pakistan then needed only 16.3 overs to reach 87-2 and secure their first win of the series. Ayesha Zafar led the way with 42* off 48 balls while Gull Feroza finished 21* off 24 balls.

    Afy Fletcher and Shamilia Connell took a wicket, each, for the Windies.

    Full Scores: West Indies Women 84-9 (Shemaine Campbelle 26, Sadia Iqbal 3-18, Nida Dar 3-19)

    Pakistan Women 87-2 (Ayesha Zafar 42*, Gull Feroza 21*, Afy Fletcher 1-6, Shamilia Connell 1-8)

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.