T20 World Cup 2026: England overcomes Scotland challenge to stay on track for Super 8 berth

Tom Banton clinically carried out a finisher’s job with a 41-ball 63 as England overcame some tight situations to beat Scotland by five wickets in a Group-C match and stay on track for a Super Eight berth in the T20 World Cup at the Eden Gardens here on Saturday.

Electing to field, England bundled out Scotland for 152 before achieving the target with 10 balls to spare.

As the contest contained glimpses of the rivalry between the ‘auld enemies,’ England lost Phil Salt and Jos Buttler and tottered early.

Banton (63 n.o., 41b, 4×4, 3×6) and Jacob Bethell (32, 28b, 2×4, 1×6) absorbed the pressure and steadied the boat to form a 66-run stand.

When Banton hammered Mark Watt for three sixes in the ninth over, one thought England would cruise from here.

Also read | England beats Scotland to claim first win over a European country in T20 World Cups

However, a twist in the tale was not far off as Bethell and Harry Brook departed in quick succession.

Banton, who displayed his masterful stroke-play with a straight bat and executed stunning drives, collected crucial 66 runs with Sam Curran (28) before joining hands with Will Jacks to accomplish the task.

Earlier, Jofra Archer made early dents, claiming George Munsey and Brandon McMullen, in the third over.

Michael Jones (33, 20b, 5×4, 1×6) relied on his smart shot selection in his breezy knock.

Scotland captain Richie Berrington (46, 32b, 5×4, 2×6) and Tom Bruce maintained a fine balance between consolidation and acceleration and added 71 runs.

As the English bowlers bowled tidily, Berrington – who pulled, swept and drove well to the fence – and Bruce made room to execute spectacular shots and excite 41000-plus spectators.

Liam Dawson had Bruce caught at deep square-leg to apply brakes. Scotland lost five wickets for 14 runs inside four overs, with an accurate Adil Rashid, who trapped Berrington lbw, taking three and Dawson two, to lose momentum.

Published on Feb 14, 2026