Scotland denied England upset as World Cup opener rained off

By Sports Desk June 04, 2024

England and Scotland’s T20 World Cup opener was abandoned after the first innings due to heavy rain.

The match was initially delayed by an hour following the toss before Scotland came out to bat, racing to 59-0 during the powerplay, including a six from Michael Jones that smashed a solar panel, before the wet weather halted proceedings once more.

In what then became a reduced-overs match, Scotland looked sharp, as Jones’ 45 not out and George Munsey’s 41 not out meant they finished their 10 overs on 90-0, setting England a target of 109 to chase in their innings due to the DLS method.

However, more heavy rain made it impossible for the game to continue, and it was eventually called off with England and Scotland taking a point apiece from their opener, leaving them sitting behind early Group B leaders Namibia.

Next up for England is Australia on Saturday, while Scotland will play Oman on Sunday. 

Elsewhere, Netherlands edged to a six-wicket victory over Nepal thanks to Tim Pringle and Logan van Beek's bowling in Dallas.

None of the Netherlands bowlers went for more than a run a ball, with Pringle (3-20) and Van Beek (3-18) the standouts as Nepal finished on 106 all out.

Max O’Dowd's 54 not out got Netherlands over the halfway point in their chase as they comfortably earned a win to take them second in Group D.

Nepal's return to World Cup action after a 10-year absence did not go to plan, but they will be looking to bounce back against Sri Lanka next Wednesday. Netherlands play South Africa on Saturday.

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  • India stars Kohli and Rohit retire from T20Is following World Cup triumph India stars Kohli and Rohit retire from T20Is following World Cup triumph

    Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from T20Is on the back of leading India to glory against South Africa.

    Kohli, who had endured some indifferent form throughout the T20 World Cup, saved his best for last as he plundered 76 in India's seven-run win over the Proteas on Saturday.

    Kohli has played 125 T20Is and is India's second-highest run-scorer in the format, with 4,188 to his name. Only Rohit (4,231 runs in 159 matches) can boast a higher total.

    And the duo both confirmed after the match that they would be bowing out of the format.

    "This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve," Kohli said.

    "This is an amazing game, I was telling Rohit today when we went out to bat that one day you feel like you can't get a run, and then you come out and things happen. God is great. I bow my head in gratitude.

    "I'm really grateful I was able to get the job done for the team when it mattered the most.

    "This is my last T20 game playing for India, my last World Cup I was going to play. I wanted to make the most of it. And this was our aim. We wanted to win an ICC tournament, we wanted to lift the cup. 

    "This was an open secret, it was not something that I was not going to announce if we'd lost. This was going to be my last T20 World Cup playing for India, it's time for the next generation to take over.

    "Two-year cycle, there are some amazing players playing in India, they're going to take the team forward in the T20 format, and do wonders as we've seen them do in the IPL. I've no doubts they'll keep the flag waving high, and really take this team further from here now."

    Rohit, who was part of the India squad that won the T20 World Cup in 2007, followed up Kohli's announcement with his own retirement confirmation.

    "This was my last [T20I] game as well," Rohit said.

    "No better time to say goodbye to this format. I've loved every moment of this. I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted, I wanted to win the cup.

    "I wanted this badly. Very hard to put in words. It was a very emotional moment for me. I was very desperate for this title in my life. Happy that we eventually crossed the line."

  • Group stage results will not matter if England get it right, says Southgate Group stage results will not matter if England get it right, says Southgate

    Gareth Southgate believes "nobody will care about the group stage" if England enjoy a good run in the Euro 2024 knockout stages, starting with Slovakia on Sunday.

    Despite topping Group C, England came under fire for their below-par performances in the group stage after edging past Serbia in the opener before playing out draws with Denmark and Slovenia.

    First place in the group means the Three Lions avoided the side of the draw including a lot of the favourites, but even that has not raised morale among the fans.

    While Southgate accepted the criticism the team received, he was adamant that the real jeopardy of the tournament starts in the round of 16.

    "Reality is that nobody will care about the group stage if you get it right? That is the reality, and of course, we have to deliver it," Southgate said in his press conference.

    "The fact is you go into a different mental state. Everybody knows that knockout football is jeopardy. Everybody knows that, on a given day, an opponent can make it really tough for you. You know the quality of the opposition left is high and so it changes the mindset.

    "It is about 'how far can we go?' We are trying to achieve something exceptional. But it is a step at a time and tomorrow is a chance to improve aspects of our game, to show composure in moments.

    "The game will take us in different directions at different moments, and you've got to be able to respond and react in the right way in all of those moments."

    If England do beat Slovakia, they will set up a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland, who knocked out holders Italy with a 2-0 victory earlier on Saturday.

    Southgate said he was not thinking that far ahead, but that his side do not fear of what awaits them in the knockout rounds.

    "It could be another brilliant night to create more memories for our supporters," he added.

    "I have played in a semi-final of a major tournament, and managed in a semi-final and a final. Tomorrow, it's about the team progressing.

    "We shouldn't have a fear of losing, it's about opportunity. We are trying to reach for something which is a challenge.

    "We have lost matches before, life goes on. At that point, when you can handle the worst, you are free to try and go and win the game."

  • India win T20 World Cup with thrilling final victory over South Africa India win T20 World Cup with thrilling final victory over South Africa

    India ended their 17-year wait to win the T20 World Cup as they edged out South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final in Barbados.

    Saturday's match went right to the wire with South Africa requiring 16 runs from the final over, but Hardik Pandya clinched a hat-trick with the late dismissals of David Miller and Kagiso Rabada as the Proteas lost their nerve.

    Virat Kohli had earlier smashed 76 runs off 59 balls, comfortably his best score of the tournament, to help India set a daunting target of 177 – the highest ever in a men's T20 World Cup final.

    Kohli's innings came to an end in the penultimate over as he swung Rabada's delivery straight to Marco Jansen at long-on, after partner Axar Patel (47) was run out by Quinton de Kock.

    That knock proved to be the title clincher, though, as the India bowlers provided able support to their batsmen.

    South Africa were reduced to 12-2 within the first three overs as Jasprit Bumrah sent wickets flying with a brilliant outswinger to beat Reeza Hendricks (4) and Arsheep Singh had Aiden Markram (4) caught behind by Rishabh Pant.

    If India thought they would be able to defend their total in comfort, however, they were mistaken.

    Heinrich Klaasen slammed 52 off 27 balls with support from De Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31), to take them close.

    Thirty runs from as many deliveries was the target at one point, but Klaasen nicked Pandya's ball through to Pant in the 17th over and Bumrah followed up by dismissing Jansen for two.

    The tail was unable to provide the heroics for South Africa, desperate final-over swings from Miller (21) and Rabada (4) going unrewarded as Pandya finished with an efficient 3-20.

    Kohli picks his moment

    Kohli has not been on top form throughout this tournament, 37 versus Bangladesh his best score until this point with five of his innings bringing single-digit tallies.

    He stepped up when it mattered most, though, becoming just the third player to make a half-century in multiple T20 World Cup finals, having made 77 in India's 2014 loss to Sri Lanka (also Marlon Samuels and Kumar Sangakkara).

    After being presented with the Man-of-the-Match award, Kohli suggested he will not play at the next edition of the tournament in 2026. If his T20I career is over, he certainly went out on a high.

    Klaasen's historic knock in vain

    South Africa ran India close despite being tasked with chasing the best total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final, and that was mostly due to Klaasen's efforts.

    He made his half-century in 23 balls, the fastest 50 in a T20 World Cup final. He obliterated the previous record, Mitchell Marsh's 31-ball half-century for Australia in 2021.

    Long wait over for India

    Most observers would agree India are fitting champions, having marked themselves out as the best team at the tournament during the last few weeks.

    It is their first T20 World Cup crown since they won the inaugural edition in 2007, and they have joined England and West Indies as the only teams to triumph more than once (two titles each).

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