England’s early exit from the World Cup is already guaranteed but assistant coach Carl Hopkinson insists their bottom-of-the-table clash against the Netherlands is no “dead rubber”.
As the tournament finally edges towards the business end, the defending champions have long since become an afterthought in the wider context of the competition.
They have lost six of their seven games and saw their last mathematical chance of a miracle wiped off the table by rivals Australia in Ahmedabad last week.
The best they can hope for now is avoiding a first ever ODI defeat to the Dutch, the only associate nation competing in India, and keep their prospects of reaching the 2025 Champions Trophy alive.
They need a top-eight finish to book their spot, meaning there is no leeway for wallowing in their dreadful form when they take the field in Pune on Wednesday.
The appearance of Hopkinson, a low-key member of the backroom team responsible primarily for fielding, suggested the squad were not keen on issuing their own public call to arms, but he has no qualms about their motivation.
“I don’t think there’s ever a dead rubber when you play for England, to be honest. I think the lads are completely up for it,” he said.
“We’ve got two games in which we need to win both to qualify for the Champions Trophy, so I think that’s there for everybody to see. The guys are going to be obviously up for it and I think we’ll be good.
“We need to win and win well to qualify for the Champions Trophy, which is what we need to do.”
On his unexpected role as carrier of the England message, he added: “I’m not quite sure why I’m the man to explain, (but) I’m an assistant coach with the England team and I’m more than happy to come out and speak about our campaign so far.”
England have named an unchanged side for the last three games, losing emphatically to Sri Lanka, India and Australia, and could belatedly mix things up.
Harry Brook is on hand to add ballast to a badly under-performing top six, but could be added in place of all-rounder Liam Livingstone rather than one of the specialist batters.
Livingstone adds an extra spin option but has not been able to carry his share of the run-scoring load, with just 60 runs in six innings.
Pace bowler Mark Wood, who has been managing a sore knee, could also miss out with Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson snapping at his heels for a chance.
Wood is the fastest seamer in the squad by a distance, consistently clearing 90mph, but has struggled to keep a lid on his economy rate and has only six wickets at 58.16.
Carse and Atkinson are both likely to form part of England’s white-ball future, leaving captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott to decide whether now is the time to blood them in a game with live stakes.
Ben Stokes’ fitness was under observation on the eve of the match, with the Test captain carrying various niggles. He missed the first three games here with a hip problem and is set to undergo surgery on his long-standing left-knee injury when he gets back to England.
Former England quick Steve Harmison told the PA news agency this week that the team management should instruct Stokes to leave the camp and go home early in a bid to fast-track his recovery for the new-year Test series in India.
But Hopkinson suggested that idea was not under consideration.
“Knowing Ben, he’ll want to try and play the next game in front of him and try and win that for England,” he said.
“He’s about winning games of cricket for England, so I’d imagine that’s what he’ll be thinking about first and foremost.
“Once he’s obviously made that decision to have the operation, that’s obviously booked in and that’s what he’s going to do, but it’s not before this tournament finishes.”
Molineux stars with 64 as Melbourne Renegades Women win second match in a row
Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin’s Melbourne Renegades Women got their second win in a row in the Women’s Big Bash League thanks to a brilliant batting display from captain Sophie Molineux against Adelaide Strikers Women at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Renegades, chasing 158 for victory, found themselves 52-5 in the ninth over when Molineux came to the crease to join Dottin.
The pair put on a crucial 79 runs before Dottin fell for 20. Seven runs later, Molineux fell for a match-winning 32-ball 64 including nine fours and three sixes.
Eventually needing six runs off the final over, Nicole Faltum and Sarah Coyte guided the Renegades to victory.
Darcie Brown, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Jemma Barsby took two wickets, each, for the Strikers in their efforts to defend what looked like a match-winning total.
Earlier, captain Talia McGrath led the way with 64 off 44 balls including eight fours and a six while Orla Prendergast supported well with 31 as the Strikers made 157-5 from their 20 overs after winning the toss.
Molineux took 2-39 from her four overs while Georgia Wareham and Alice Capsey split two wickets. Matthews and Dottin when wicketless in seven overs between them.
Australia recover from middle-order collapse to win Pakistan opener
Australia rallied to overcome Pakistan by two wickets in the first of three one-day internationals between the teams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Roared on by vocal travelling support, Pakistan were in the ascendency when their pacemen dropped Australia from 113-2 to 115-7, with the hosts chasing 204 for victory.
Harif Rauf dismissed three while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain also got in on the act to decimate the hosts' middle order.
Naseem Shah had earlier scored 40 off 39 balls to salvage a score of 203 all out for the tourists, but a crucial cameo from captain Pat Cummins got Australia over the line.
Cummins calmly came up with an unbeaten 32 from 31 balls as the hosts sealed victory with 16.3 overs remaining, with even Sean Abbott's error in being run out for 13 failing to inspire a change in the momentum.
Bowler Mitchell Starc told ABC Grandstand after the match: "We probably didn't like that Patty and I had pads on, but it's a positive start to the summer.
"A win is a win no matter how you get there."
Data Debrief: Cummins leads from the front
Cummins' unbeaten 32 may not go down as his most memorable knock in ODIs, but it did equal his best innings for Australia in the format.
That proved crucial after Matthew Short (1), Jake Fraser-McGurk (16), Marnus Labuschagne (16), Aaron Hardie (10) and Glenn Maxwell (0) disappointed with the bat.
Australia, who have won both of their ODI series versus West Indies and England since lifting the World Cup in 2023, can now seal a series triumph in Adelaide on Friday.
Greaves makes history with magnificent 151* to lead Hurricanes to seven-wicket win over Red Force
Justin Greaves made history to lead the Leeward Islands Hurricanes to an impressive seven-wicket win over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in CG United Super50 Cup action at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Sunday.
Greaves, who is coming off scores of 111* and 112 in his first two games this season, became the first player in regional List A cricket to hit three consecutive hundreds when he hit his match-winning and career-best 151* to anchor a successful chase of 292 by the Hurricanes with two overs and three balls to spare.
The Bajan’s knock came off 129 balls and included 13 fours. Opening partner Mikyle Louis was good in support with 57 while Chesney Hughes and Jahmar Hamilton chipped in with 33 and 25*.
Earlier, the hosts made 291-6 off their 50 overs after being put in to bat by the Leewards. In form Amir Jangoo fell agonizingly short of a maiden List A hundred with 96 off 109 balls while Jason Mohammed and Tion Webster also got half centuries with 79* and 60, respectively.
Oshane Thomas took 2-54 off eight overs for the Hurricanes who will next play the Guyana Harpy Eagles at the same venue on Tuesday.
The Red Force will next oppose the West Indies Academy at the Sir Frank Worrell memorial Ground on Thursday.
Full Scores:
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 291-6 off 50 overs (Amir Jangoo 96, Jason Mohammed 79*, Tion Webster 60, Oshane Thomas 2-54)
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 292-3 off 47.3 overs (Justin Greaves 151*, Mikyle Louis 57, Chesney Hughes 33, Jahmar Hamilton 25*)
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
