England suffers defeat to West Indies in T20 World Cup
England’s long-standing vulnerability against spin bowling proved costly once more as Harry Brook’s side suffered a 30-run defeat to West Indies in their second T20 World Cup fixture at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, reports BritPanorama.
Chasing 197 for victory, the English batsmen initially appeared comfortable against pace, with Phil Salt plundering 24 runs from Jason Holder’s second over alone. However, the introduction of slow bowling triggered a dramatic collapse. From a commanding position of 74 for one, England crumbled to 166 all out in just 18.5 overs.
West Indies’ spinners claimed six consecutive wickets through the middle overs, with Gudakesh Motie’s 3-33 proving particularly destructive. Motie demonstrated effective variations of spin, causing confusion amongst the English middle order. Jacob Bethell fell for 33 when one zipped through his defence onto the stumps, while Tom Banton and Brook contributed only two and 17 runs, respectively, before offering catches.
The Caribbean side’s imposing total of 196 for six was largely laid by Sherfane Rutherford’s explosive 74 from 42 balls, though he enjoyed two reprieves in the field. Adil Rashid failed to hold a difficult chance at deep third man when Rutherford was on 23 and dropped a simpler opportunity off his own bowling with the batter on 56. Roston Chase supported with 34 runs, while Holder added a brisk 33 from just 17 deliveries.
England’s bowling lacked discipline throughout, with Jofra Archer conceding 48 runs and continuing his struggles from the previous match against Nepal. Rashid’s economical figures of 2-16 stood out amidst the chaos. Jos Buttler’s dismissal proved pivotal, miscuing a shot to long-on after scoring 21, which opened the floodgates for the West Indian slow bowlers.
Despite Sam Curran’s defiant unbeaten 43, England’s tournament hopes remain fragile, needing victories against Scotland on Saturday and Italy on Monday to secure any realistic chance of advancing to the Super 8s.
West Indies now sits atop the group with maximum points from their first two fixtures, and they continue their campaign against Nepal at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The defeat echoes England’s 2016 T20 World Cup final loss to the same opponents on Indian soil, underscoring their ongoing struggles against spin bowling, a stubborn issue as they strive to reclaim their place among the elite in T20 cricket.
