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Banton, Rashid Star as England End T20 WC Drought vs. Scotland

England secured a crucial five-wicket victory over Scotland in the T20 World Cup, ending a long winless streak against European nations in the tournament. Tom Banton anchored the chase with an unbeaten 63, earning Player of the Match honors, while Adil Rashid's three-wicket haul earlier dismantled Scotland's middle order. Scotland had built a promising platform through Michael Jones and captain Richie Berrington before collapsing from 113/3 to be all out for 152. The win places England second in Group C with four points, behind the unbeaten West Indies.

Key Points: England Beat Scotland in T20 World Cup, End European Streak

  • England ends winless streak vs. European teams
  • Tom Banton's match-winning 63*
  • Adil Rashid's crucial 3-wicket haul
  • Scotland collapses after strong start
  • England moves to 2nd in Group C
2 min read

T20 WC: Banton, Rashid shine as England break winless streak against European teams, beat Scotland

Tom Banton's 63* and Adil Rashid's 3-wicket haul power England to a 5-wicket win over Scotland, breaking their winless run against European teams.

"A winless streak that started with a shock loss to the Netherlands in the 2009 T20 WC at Lord's has finally ended in Kolkata."

Kolkata, February 14

A sensational half-century from Tom Banton and a three-wicket haul by spinner Adil Rashid were the highlights as England defeated Scotland by five wickets in their ICC T20 World Cup clash at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Saturday, ending their side's winless streak against European nations in the tournament.

A winless streak that started with a shock loss to the Netherlands in the 2009 T20 WC at Lord's has finally ended in Kolkata, after two losses to the Netherlands, a loss to Ireland, and no results against Ireland and Scotland in between. Now, England is placed second in Group C with two wins and a loss, with four points, and Scotland is in third with a win and two losses. With two wins in two matches, the West Indies is at the top.

England won the toss and opted to bowl first.

The pairing of Jofra Archer (2/24 in four overs) and Sam Curran (1/33 in 3.4 overs) reduced Scotland to 42/3 in 5.5 overs. However, a 71-run stand between Michael Jones (33 in 20 balls, with five fours and a six) and skipper Richie Berrington (49 in 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes) helped the Scottish gain some footing in the game.

But it was the spin duo of Adil (3/36 in four overs) and Liam Dawson (2/34 in four overs) that destroyed all the momentum as Scotland collapsed from 113/3 to 152 all out in 19.4 overs, with Tom Bruce (24 in 18 balls, with a four and a six) and Oliver Davidson (20* in 15 balls, with two fours and a six) playing vital cameos as wickets fell on the other end.

In the run-chase, England lost their opening pair of Phil Salt (2) and Jos Buttler (3) early, reduced to 13/2 in two overs. All-rounder Jacob Bethell (32 in 28 balls, with two fours and a six) produced another important knock as he stitched a 66-run stand with Banton. After skipper Harry Brook's departure for just four, Banton (63* in 41 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) got some support from Sam Curran (28 in 20 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Will Jacks (16* in 10 balls, with a four and six) as they reached the target in 18.2 overs, with five wickets left.

Banton was given the 'Player of the Match' for his knock.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Scotland fought well, especially that partnership between Jones and Berrington. Shows how competitive Associate nations have become. But England's bowling depth, especially spin, was too much. Eden Gardens looked like a great atmosphere!
R
Rohit P
Good win, but England's top order is a worry. Salt and Buttler gone cheaply again. Can't afford such starts against teams like West Indies or India. Banton saved them this time, but they need the big guns to fire.
S
Sarah B
As a cricket fan living in India, it's fantastic to see a World Cup match at Eden Gardens. The article is well-written, but I wish it had more about the crowd and the atmosphere. That's half the fun of watching a match in Kolkata!
V
Vikram M
Rashid bhai is a magician! 3 wickets for 36 on a ground like Eden Gardens is top class. He just knows how to break partnerships. England will be a tough team to beat if their spinners keep performing like this on our pitches.
K
Karthik V
Respect to Scotland for putting up a fight. 152 is not a bad total. Their batting has some firepower. The group is getting interesting with West Indies on top. England's NRR will be crucial now.

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