Key events
Introducing… Scotland
Coach Doug Watson Captain Richie Berrington T20WC best Super 12s, 2021
The highest-ranked associate – they sit 12th – Scotland went unbeaten in the European qualifier last summer, pipping Ireland to top spot by virtue of a high-scoring eight-run victory over them in the final match. A tight-knit unit who took down West Indies two years ago, they have since been augmented by Brandon McMullen’s arrival at opener. Knock over England first up and it will blow Group B wide open.
Mark Wood has been chosen ahead of Reece Topley. That’s the word on the Bridgetown street, and an interesting statement of aggressive intent from England. I might have gone with Topley, but that’s easy to see from 4098 miles away.
Preamble
One of the advantages of picking your own groups, as the ICC have for this T20 World Cup, is you can have as many big rivalries as you want: USA v Canada, England v Australia, India v Pakistan, Sri Lanka v Bangladesh. And, today, England v Scotland in Barbados. It’s a special day for three of England’s probable XI: Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Phil Salt spent some of all or their formative years on the island, and all have done the hard yards – gazillions of them in Jofra’s case – to earn their place today.
All things being equal, England will win, but that sentence is a load of nonsense really. Things are really equal in T20 cricket; nor were they when Scotland beat England at Edinburgh in an ODI six years ago. That led to joyous celebrations and it was only a friendly; imagine what it will be like if they win today.
The match starts at 3.30pm BST, 10.30am in Barbados.
