Defending champions England’s hopes of reaching the T20 World Cup Super 8s took a big dent as they slipped to a heavy 36-run defeat to Australia in Barbados.

Jos Buttler’s side, batting for the first time in the tournament after rain prevented them beginning a chase in the abandonment against Scotland on Tuesday, could muster only 165-6 having been set 202 to win, with Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa bagging 2-28 and supported superbly by the seamers, including Pat Cummins (2-23).

Buttler (42 off 28) and opening partner Phil Salt (37 off 23) smoked 73 in seven overs but then fell to Zampa as Australia seized control and the dot balls built up, with Moeen Ali’s three sixes of Glenn Maxwell in the 14th over only a fleeting high at the backend.

Defeat is not terminal for England’s hopes of reaching the next stage but even victories over Oman on Thursday and Namibia on Saturday, both in Antigua, may not be enough with their chances of progression possibly coming down to net run-rate.

Australia posted 201-7 after being inserted, a total underpinned by a riotous opening stand of 70 in just 4.5 overs between David Warner (39 off 16) and Travis Head (34 off 18) as the left-handers ruthlessly targeted the short boundary, punishing England’s pace-on balls and decision to bowl part-time off-spinner Will Jacks.

The 2021 champions top Group B on four points, with their win in Bridgetown following a 39-run victory over Oman earlier this week, and they now hold the highest score in the 2024 tournament so far with their knock eclipsing the 197-3 Pakistan’s conquerors USA managed in their win over Canada in the opening game.

Australia savage England attack in the powerplay

England will be left to rue Australia’s rapid start with the bat – the second over, bowled by Jacks, and the fourth, delivered by express paceman Mark Wood, were each flogged for 22 as Warner and Head carted a combined six sixes, a far cry from the sedateness of Moeen’s three-run opening over.

Moeen was first to strike, castling Warner with a delivery that kept low at the end of a three-boundary fifth over, while local boy Jofra Archer then cleaned up Head with a cutter in the sixth – England finally learning that taking speed off the ball was vital on this pitch.

Australia’s run rate quietened from that point, with Chris Jordan’s 18-run 13th over by far the most damaging in the second half of the innings, although every batter in the middle order contributed, with Mitchell Marsh (35 off 25) and Maxwell (28 off 25) putting on 65 from 49 balls for the third wicket before falling to Adil Rashid (1-41) and Liam Livingstone (1-15) respectively.

Marcus Stoinis, who cracked an unbeaten 67 from 36 balls against Oman, chipped in with 30 from 17 balls before he became Jordan’s 100th T20 international wicket.

Jordan – whose friend and fellow Bajan Archer recorded economical figures 1-28 from his four, including 11 dot balls – conceded only eight runs from the final over, with England not overly punished for having to put an extra fielder inside the circle due to a slow over rate.

Zampa removes openers as England fall short

England, needing the third-highest run chase in T20 World Cup history, made a brisk start, with the highlight a 106-metre six for Salt off Mitchell Starc over deep midwicket, but Salt was then first to fall, bowled hacking Zampa across the line.

Buttler reverse-swept the same bowler to backward point towards the end of the 10th over, one ball after lofting a six down the ground, while Jacks (10 off 10) then holed out at long-off as Starc took an excellent catch off Stoinis and Jonny Bairstow could only make seven off 13 balls during a skittish outing.

Moeen (25 off 15) had his fun with three leg-side maximums off Maxwell, but then picked out Warner at deep cover two overs later off Cummins, while Maxwell gave it back to the England fans after catching Bairstow off Josh Hazlewood (1-28).

Those England supporters saw their side’s innings largely end with a whimper and they will now be hoping the tournament does not conclude the same way, just as their 50-over World Cup title defence did in India last autumn.

What’s next?

It’s a three-game day at the T20 World Cup on Sunday, headlined by the blockbuster showdown between India and Pakistan in New York from 3.30pm UK and Ireland time.

Co-hosts and two-time champions West Indies play tournament debutants Uganda in Providence, Guyana from 1.30am, while Oman vs Scotland rounds off the day, from 8pm in Antigua.

Scotland have made a promising start to the competition, racking up 90-0 from 10 overs against England before rain caused that clash to be abandoned and then beating Namibia by five wickets.

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