Cricket
England will qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals if they beat USA on Sunday and South Africa defeat West Indies in Antigua a day later; Net run-rate may decide who reaches the last four; Watch England vs USA in T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports from 3pm, Sunday (3.30pm first ball)
Saturday 22 June 2024 19:23, UK
Harry Brook wants to hand the United States “a good battering” as England eye a big win to seal their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Brook was not quite able to get his side over the line in a nip-and-tuck finish against South Africa on Friday, falling for a gutsy 53 in the final over of a seven-run defeat and leaving work still to do as the team swap St Lucia for Barbados and a third game in five days.
A first ever international against a USA outfit fresh from a thrashing by the West Indies should allow the perfect platform to finish the job for an England team who trounced associate nations Oman and Namibia in the first round.
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A win by anything other than a nail-biting margin and their net run-rate should allow them to progress, regardless of what happens in the late game between South Africa and the West Indies.
But, for the second Sunday in a row, the prospect of a costly washout looms. A week ago they escaped a heavy downpour in Antigua to get the points they needed, and must now hope a gloomy forecast relents once more.
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An abandoned game in Bridgetown, coupled with success for the Windies, would see England ousted. For Brook, though, the task at hand is straightforward.
“We’ve got to win and that’s the main thing,” he said. “Let’s see how we are on net run-rate after that but the main thing is to definitely get that win. We’ve played in Barbados quite a lot the last six months or so.
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“We know the conditions, we know the wind and the pitch as well, so hopefully we can go out there and give them a good battering.”
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell revealed last week that he had been in contact with some members of the England squad and heard tales of “chaos” and “panic” in their team hotel as Scotland came close to an almighty upset that would have sent their Ashes rivals packing in the first round.
Brook’s version of events was more sedate but he and his team-mates know they will once again be consigned to a watching brief before they can confidently punch their ticket to the knockout stages.
“I watched (Australia v Scotland) in a bar in Antigua but we were all knackered. I watched the first half then went to bed and watched the second half,” he said. “But yes, absolutely we will keep a close eye on that final game in the group. It’s awesome to be involved in a World Cup, a dream come true.
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“We are defending champions and hopefully we can go out there and win it again, but we have to keep on nailing it. We have got another must-win and it’s like that for a few games now.
“We did it in the last World Cup, we did it in the group stage here and who says we can’t do it again?”
England are entering the unknown when it comes to their American opponents, who have over-performed on expectations having shocked Pakistan in the first round.
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In Aaron Jones they have the scorer of the joint-fastest half-century of the tournament – 22 balls against Canada in the curtain-raiser – while Andries Gous is one of only two players to pass 200 runs.
“I haven’t actually seen them play, just a few highlights here and there of their bowlers,” Brook admitted. “But we’ll do our analysis and have a proper look to make sure that we’re ready for the game. Preparation is key.”
For England, Will Jacks could come back into contention as an extra batting option after Sam Curran played the last two games to offer greater depth to the seam attack. Chris Jordan also stands if the bowling group needs freshening up.
Watch England vs USA in the T20 World Cup Super 8s live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm on Sunday (3.30pm first ball).
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