* Defending champs England forced to share a point – (Match 6)
By Marlon Dale Ferreira
Defending champions England and Scotland had to settle for a share of the points after their Twenty20 World Cup opener ended in a no result due to rain.
England, heavy favorites going into Tuesday’s game at Bridgetown, Barbados, saw their hopes dampened as rain set in, significantly boosting Scotland’s chances.
Scotland’s openers, George Munsey and Michael Jones, made a spirited start with 90-0 in a revised 10-over innings, setting England a target of 109 in 10 overs under the rain-shortened match rules. However, the rain continued, preventing any further play and resulting in the tournament’s first washout.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands secured a six-wicket win over Nepal in Tuesday’s other game at Grand Prairie, Texas.
The first ever T20 international between England and Scotland faced multiple interruptions before the rain intensified. “There are no easy games, but we were confident,” said England captain Jos Buttler. “The disappointment is for everyone, both sides and all the crowd here.”
Scotland captain Richie Berrington expressed frustration at not getting a chance to challenge England’s batters on a tricky wicket. “It would have been interesting to see how the weather affects the pitch,” he said. “If we’d bowled well, we certainly had an opportunity there.”
Rain initially delayed play for nearly an hour after Scotland won the toss and elected to bat. Jones (45 not out) and Munsey (41 not out) navigated the pace threat of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer before rain returned in the 7th over, with Scotland at 51-0.
Munsey had a lucky escape on 16 before the second rain interruption when Buttler’s well-judged running catch at third man was nullified by a no-ball from Wood. Upon resumption, Munsey and Jones added another 39 runs off 22 balls, with spinner Adil Rashid conceding 26 off two overs.
Barbados-born Jofra Archer made his T20 World Cup debut for England, returning from injury, and bowled two overs for 12 runs. However, both Scottish openers batted confidently against him under overcast conditions.
The shared points leave both teams looking ahead to their next matches, hoping for better weather and clearer schedules.
Chief Scores
Scotland 90 for no loss in 10 overs (Michael Jones 45 not out, George Munsey 41 not out)
