ENG vs SCO

That’s all we have for you from this game. England will undoubtedly walk away as a much happier unit. Their dreadful European curse now becomes a thing of the past. They will now look forward to putting on a clinical show against Italy in their next encounter to storm their way to the Super 8 stage. This is Datrim on behalf of Pradeep, signing off. Take care and see you soon!

Harry Brook (England Captain): " Yeah, definitely! Glad that we got over the line (laughs). Yes, absolutely. We were over the moon once we restricted them to 152. They were getting ahead of us at one point, but we did well to pull them back. (His thoughts on Archer's bowling performance) He was slamming the lengths beautifully and was bowling with gas. Glad to see him performing in such a fashion. Baton was impressive at no. 4; he went after the spinners and really offered us momentum in the middle phase. Sam's little cameo was also awesome. (Looking ahead) We haven't quite had the perfect game. It's been very nervy at times. But we are hoping to play a confident brand of cricket against Italy. Not quite sure. We haven't quite hit our strengths. We want to get through the group stage, and once we get past Italy, hopefully it will be a start of our rise."

Richie Berrington [Scotland captain]: "(On the total and missed opportunity) I thought it was a very good surface to bat on. After losing early wickets, we fought back strongly through that middle partnership, which was encouraging. But one of us needed to bat deeper to squeeze out another 20 or 30 runs. That probably would have made a real difference.(On handling spin in the middle overs) We knew spin would play a key role in that phase, especially against a side with England’s quality in that department. Our execution wasn’t quite at the level it needed to be. We have players capable of managing that stage well, but we just didn’t quite click today.(On shot selection and tactical reflection) It’s something we’ll reflect on — whether going straighter might have been a better option at times. That clarity becomes even more important as we head to different conditions in Mumbai. The partnership gave us a platform; it just wasn’t long enough.(On the fight shown in the second innings) Even though we felt a few runs short, there was genuine belief that strong execution could put them under pressure, and I think we did that. That’s why this one stings — it reinforces that when we play well, we can challenge anyone.(On the bowling effort and individual performances) Brad Wheel was outstanding and looked back to his best with real rhythm. Overall, I was proud of the bowling effort and the fight in the field. Mark had a tough first over but showed his experience by coming back well later. It was a strong collective effort; a few more runs with the bat would have helped the bowlers further.(On Kolkata and moving forward) We’ve really enjoyed our time here. The support has been fantastic, and it’s felt like a home base for us. Now the focus shifts to Mumbai. We’ll move on quickly from this result and prepare well for the next challenge.

Tom Banton is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: "(On the importance of the result) It was all about getting the win tonight. The game against West Indies was tough, and credit to them, but our focus quickly shifted to this match and then to Italy in a couple of days. This was a must-deliver performance. (On finding form after a quiet start) T20 cricket is high risk, and sometimes things don’t go your way early in a tournament. The key is to keep backing yourself, keep working hard, and trust the process. Thankfully, today it came off for me. (On conditions and adapting to the surface) The surface here was different. You often expect flat tracks in India, but there was some hold and a bit of turn earlier in the tournament. Tonight, it was a very good wicket, which allowed for freer strokeplay once set. (On approach against spin and batting at No. 4) The plan against spin was to play as straight as possible, especially with wickets falling square of the wicket. If the length was short, I looked to pull. Batting at four is different from opening, but you have to adapt to the situation. With a modest target, I could give myself time before accelerating later. (On building momentum in the tournament) I just want to contribute to wins for England. If I can play a role like this, that’s great, but the priority is helping the team build momentum as we move deeper into the tournament."

6:18 PM local time and IST: England have won by 5 wickets with 10 balls to spare.

Richie Berrington - 49 (32) I Oliver Davidson - 1/12
Tom Banton -  62 (41) I Adil Rashid - 3/36

ENGLAND WIN! THE EUROPEAN CURSE FINALLY COMES TO AN END! It’s a win for England as they keep themselves in the hunt on the back of an easy five-wicket win! England were off to a wobbly start initially. McMullen was right on the money, and his unshakable resolve with the ball resulted in an early dismissal of Salt for just 3. Buttler was removed soon after the very next over by Currie, leaving England precariously placed at 13/2 after 2 overs. Scotland tightened the screws further by preventing England from milking any easy runs. It was a phase of immense struggle and uncertainty for England. For some time, it felt as though they were going nowhere in terms of their progress in this run chase.

But in such a difficult moment, Bethell gave England some impetus as he tried to break from the shackles. Banton struggled to race out of the blocks, though. But as the innings dragged on, he, too, was able to get his rhythm right. However, Watt’s introduction near the halfway stage changed the entire complexion of the run chase. Banton went hard at him and took him to the cleaners, plundering a mammoth 22 runs in one over to bring the asking rate in check.

But Scotland did manage to create a small opening during the 10th over of the run chase. Davidson bowled a wayward delivery to remove a well-set Bethell for 32. They almost instantly went on a roll, dismissing the English skipper in quick succession to claw their way back into the contest. Nevertheless, Banton kept England alive throughout the run chase. He showed immense maturity and composure in the middle when England were losing wickets at the other end. His breezy 62 off 41 ensured a convincing English victory, thereby dashing Scotland’s World Cup hopes considerably in this tournament. 

18.2 Brad Wheal to Will Jacks, FOUR! THAT'S IT! England back to winning ways! Scotland made it tough for England to chase it down, but they didn't have enough runs on the board in the end. Short into the batter, Jacks hammered the pull past square-leg and races away to the ropes.

18.1 Brad Wheal to Will Jacks, SIX! BOOM! What a strike from Jacks! Length delivery on the stumps, Jacks makes room and smokes it way over wide long-on for a mighty strike.

Batters have just not been able to nail their sweep shot today. Has it something to do with the way the bowlers have bowled, or the surface is playing some tricks? We will leave that to your judgment!

17.6 Mark Watt to Will Jacks, OH DEAR! Desperate effort there by Bruce at mid-wicket. Length delivery on the stumps, Jacks went for the slog sweep, but top edged it straight up. Bruce running forward, but had no chance.

17.5 Mark Watt to Will Jacks, OH! Good stop at short cover. Short outside the off-stump, Jacks slaps it hard. It's Berrington who was quick to dive to his left, stops it.

17.3 Mark Watt to Tom Banton, FOUR! SHOT! No chance for either of long-on and long-off fielder. Full toss on the stumps, Banton comes down the wicket, smashes it straight back past the bowler for a boundary.