England vs Scotland Highlights, T20 World Cup 2024: Match called off due to rain; ENG-SCO share a point each in Group B

Oh dear. It's started to 'pour' again. 'We're doomed,' suggests Nasser Hussain on the comms in Barbados. With not much time left to finish the play, the two teams sharing points seems like a very real possibility from here.

While Nepal had been dismissed for 109 in their Group D opener against Netherlands, the Dutch have anything but cakewalk in front of them. 46/2 after nine overs. Remember, we've already had a super over in this tournament after a target of 110 was set. 

Adil Rashid to close the innings. His previous one had gone for 18 but this has been a good comeback from the leggie. Concedes just the one boundary and eight overall runs as Scotland finish with 90/0 from their 10 overs. 

Munsey (41 off 31) and Jones (45 off 30) will feel they gave their best, especially for the fact that they batted for more than half of those 10 overs thinking this was to be a 20-overs contest. England though, favorites to take all the points from here. That is if the weather gods are gracious. 91 to win and begin their title defence. 

Chris Jordan to bowl the penultimate over. His first one hadn't been particularly impressive but bowling in the death is his speciality. The first ball is bang on - full and outside off for a dot. Next up though, Jordan goes length and Munsey picks him over deep square leg for a SIX!

A good comeback from Jordan thereafter. Four runs off the subsequent four deliveries and it could've been only three had Michael Jones been punished for what was a clumsy piece of running off a double. Making his way to the non-striker's end for a second run, Jones bat stuck on the wicket as he walked casually - not anticipating a direct hit. He was eventually safe. 82/0 after nine overs.

Adil Rashid to bowl his first over. Michael Jones takes him to the cleaners off the very first delivery. Front foot out and a clean whack down the sightscreen for SIX. 

LBW appeal against Munsey. The umpires have gone upstairs but the ball is pitching outside leg stump. Next up, Rashid slips in a full toss and Munsey goes right handed to dispatch it through mid wicket for four. The next ball isn't a full toss but Munsey's made up his mind to go for the reverse slog-sweep and connects it for a SIX. Good over for the Scottish - 18 runs come off it. 72/0 after 8 overs.

So Scotland resume at 51/0 after 6.2 overs. They are sure to feel hard done by. The start had been a pretty solid one for a 20-overs game, which has now been reduced to half. 

Munsey has a go but skies one behind the wicket for a single. More of those surely in the brewing with 18 balls left to play and all 10 wickets intact. Five runs from the over. Scotland are 54/0 after seven overs.

So, at long last, we have the covers off and the players are set to walk back in to resume the match. But as expected, the overs have been deducted and it's now a 10 overs per side contest.

On the eve of their first game at the 2024 T20 World Cup, India captain Rohit Sharma opened up on the departure of head coach Rahul Dravid. 

A day after Dravid confirmed that the ongoing World Cup will be his last assignment with the national team, Rohit conceded that he had attempted to convince Dravid to stay. (MORE HERE)

Meanwhile, the defending champions had only been 38 deliveries into their defence when the game was halted owing to rain. It's stopped pouring but the amount of water over the covers and in the outfield - coupled with the dark skies above - don't bode well for the game. A pity, given the start Scotland were off to. 

Nepal's qualification for the T20 World Cup this year was a moment of euphoria celebrated across the nation. Their first outing at the competition though, has given little to celebrate. After 12 overs the scorecard reads 56/5. Netherlands surely the favorites in this Group D encounter in Dallas.

The Netherlands and Nepal have kickstarted their campaign against each other. 21-year-old Tim Pringle has struck twice off his two overs and Nepal are 41/3 after eight overs.

This is getting frustrating now. Should definitley be for Scotland, who were off to such a fine start against the defending champions. The restart was supposed to be 12:20 PM local time (9:50 PM IST) but with a huge dark cloud resting over the venue, the delay is likely to be a big one.

Game faces on ?

?: @BCCI#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/d6k0Pl5Ftt

— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 4, 2024

So the covers are off and the sky is back to it's sunny best. The umpires have had a look at the wicket and we should be in for a restart any moment now.

What a fine start for Scotland but it's forced to a halt as it starts drizzling again in Barbados. The covers are back on as the score reads 51/0 after 6.2 overs. And it looks like we might have to wait a while as it has started to pour.

Chris Jordan to bowl the final over of the powerplay. And it's a big one for Scotland as Michael Jones takes the attack to the England pacer. A pull shot carved for six followed by back-to-back fours. Fifty up for Scotland as the powerplay comes to an end.

You could feel that England were knocking on the door after that Archer over. Mark Wood - in his second - had furthermore used the change of the pace to deceive the Scottish openers and put a halt on the boundaries. And it almost materialised into a wicket. A quicker length delivery and Munsey went across the line only to sky it. Buttler tracks back to take the catch but the celebrations are cut short as the siren for the no-ball rings around the venue. The pressure though, keeps building. Scotland are 34/0 after five overs.

Archer continues from the other end. He's taken the pace off after being dispatched for an early boundary, and it seems to be the wiser thing to do with the Scottish openers having found a decent tempo early in this powerplay. The variations are the key and Archer is mixing it up nicely. Just when Jones feels he's read the slower one, out comes the quick short one. Just the two runs off the fourth over. 28/0 after four overs.

Spin introduced early by Jos Buttler as Moeen Ali replaces Mark Wood. Munsey makes room outside the off stump and sweeps the offie down the fine leg fence for a second boundary - third for Scotland in three overs so far. There's another one, a replica of the shot earlier in the over, only hit more squarer this time. Deep square leg is very square to intercept it in time. It seems to be the go-to shot for Munsey early in this innings. Went for the slog-sweep off the last delivery but couldn't connect. 26/0 after three overs.

And now, a bit of feel good moment for England and Jofra Archer fans, one of the faces of the 2019 World Cup returns to the big stage in his birthplace. You can read a little bit more about the significance of it HERE.

On field though, Archer concedes a poor first boundary. Length ball, outside the off stump the right hander, and Michael Jones punches it in the vacant region in front of square for FOUR. Makes a good comeback though. Brings one back into the right hander with a bit of late movement and pitches it forward as a sign of courage. Jones edges the next one and it's gone miles up in the air but lands safe. 16/0 after two overs.

Wood to left-hander Munsey - over the wicket - bangs in a yorker with a little bit of movement on offer. Blocked to avoid a catastrophe. Goes a little bit wider later in the over and keeps the length closer to good - slotted through the mid wicket region for the first boundary by Munsey. 6/0 after the first over.

Despite the rain, it's been a decent turnout at Bridgetown for this one. The national anthems have been sung. Jos Buttler leads his troops to the field as the Scottish openers - George Munsey and Michael Jones - walk into the middle. Mark Wood has the new ball. All in readiness for ball one.

Right then. The rain and the dark clouds have disappeared off the scene. The wet patch has been dealt with. The game will begin at 11:25 AM local time (8:55 PM IST).

As we await the start of the proceedings in Barbados, here's a read to put your time to good use. 

Where does Rishabh Pant bat for India: No. 3 or middle order where he struggles against spin? The Indian Express' Lalith Kalidas digs the numbers and comes to the conclusion which best suits the swashbuckling left-hander and India. (READ HERE)

Buttler was just captured by the broadcast cameras having a word with the officials with a particular damp patch on wicket the matter of concern.

So the game is expected to start at 11:00 AM local time (8:30 PM IST). No overs have been lost.

So the rain has stopped and the two on-field umpires have just had a look at how much water has been collected on top of the covers. The super soppers are out and it looks like a start shouldn't be too far long from now.

It was perhaps written in the stars for one of England's leading protagonist of the 2019 World Cup triumph to make his comeback on the grand stage at his hometown, Barbados. 

The first sign of Archer cranking up the pace during the comeback trail was spotted by his mentor at Wildey Cricket Club in Barbados, home where Archer's heart lies. To break the monotony during rehabilitation in England, Archer made to and fro trips. 

READ all about it and Archer's incredible road to recovery and the English dressing room at the T20 World Cup. 

Ah shucks, we've got some bad news folks. The start of the game has been delayed owing to rain. What had looked like a passing shower has now turned to pouring in Barbados. 

Scotland: George Munsey, Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, Richie Berrington(c), Matthew Cross(w), Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Christopher Sole, Brad Wheal, Bradley Currie

England: Jos Buttler(w/c), Philip Salt, Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Richie Berrington, Scotland: We are going to bat first, wicket looks dry. The wickets can change. It's going to be important to adapt and need to put a good score. It's an early game, could be different. Need to quickly adapt. Really excited to get this opportunity. Looking forward to this tournament. Focus is on today's game, as a team we are looking forward to the challenge. A lot of this group was a part of that game.

Jos Buttler, England: Would have bowled first. It's a great ground, everyone is excited. Delighted to have Archer back, he has been bowling well. We have high hopes from him. We are going for Wood and Jordan today, we have gone in with the extra pacer.

Scotland skipper Richie Berrington wins the toss and opts to bat first in Barbados.

64m and 61m square boundaries, around 70m down the ground. Same pitch that was used for Oman-Namibia game. The ball kept low, there was variable bounce. A tricky wicket for batters.

India head coach Rahul Dravid on Monday confirmed that the ongoing T20 World Cup is his last dance with the national team, furthermore expressing his doubts over re-applying for the job owing to the schedule of the national team.

“It is going to be the last one that I am in-charge of,” Dravid said ahead of India’s first game against Ireland in New York. “Yeah, just considering, unfortunately, the kind of schedules and where I find myself at this stage in my life, I don’t think I’ll be able to re-apply. So yeah, obviously it’ll be my last one.”

In April, the BCCI had invited applications for the head coach job following the T20 World Cup. Back then, the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had stated that Dravid can re-apply for the role but the latter on Monday deemed it unlikely. (READ MORE)

Speaking to The Indian Express in 2022, former Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer had opened up on the struggles of even the top-tier cricketers in the country. 

“To be a professional cricketer in Scotland, financially, the rewards are not there,” Coetzer said. With players not able to feature at the international or A-team level on a consistent basis, the inevitable glance at the franchise leagues follows. Even if necessary, it isn’t a straightforward path for an aspiring, talented cricketer in Scotland to land offers in the cash-rich T20 leagues of the world. (READ MORE)

2007: Group stage (2 games, 1 loss, 1 no result)

2009: Group stage (2 games, 2 losses)

2010: Did not qualify

2012: Did not qualify

2014: Did not qualify

2016: Group stage (3 games, 1 win, 2 losses)

2021: Super 12s, 2nd round (8 games, 3 won, 5 losses)

2022: Group stage (3 games, 1 win, 2 losses)

The Ireland game has the guise of a feeler, a glorified warm-up fixture, an uneven contest, in scale and stature, to excite the neutral cricket tragic. The chasm between the two are wide—India are ranked the number one in the world, whereas Ireland occupy the eleventh spot; Ireland have lost all seven of their T20I games against the more vaunted foes, who have reached at least the semifinals of the tournament on four instances, a team in red-hot form, having lost only two of their last 14 games in this format, as opposed to an erratic team that has lost eight of their last 14. 

Can the tall Ireland pacers trouble Indian batsmen on an unknown pitch, Sandip G tries to find an answer ahead of India's tournament opener in New York. (READ HERE)

The boy who fell in love with the game in 1999 when he saw from the stands Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly smash hundreds in the 1999 world cup is now smashing the living daylights out of bowlers and led a team out of the shadows of Eoin Morgan.

REPLUG: The story of how Jos Buttler with help of Ben Stokes won the World T20 in 2022 for England, from Sriram Veera.

Other than England, also among the favorites for a final four spot are South Africa, who proved a point against Sri Lanka at the first-ever game at the Nassau Stadium in New York.

The ball bounced and seamed. It also stopped and skidded. Neither Sri Lankan nor South African batsmen came to terms with the drop-in surface, but the Proteas eventually got past the 78-run target in the 17th over. (READ MORE)

England: Jos Buttler(w/c), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Jonny Bairstow, Will Jacks, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Philip Salt, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Tom Hartley

Scotland: Matthew Cross(w), Michael Jones, George Munsey, Ollie Hairs, Richie Berrington(c), Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, Jack Jarvis, Charlie Tear, Chris Greaves, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal, Bradley Currie, Christopher Sole

When it comes to T20 cricket, the England team is not only respected for its bowling innovations and big-hitting accelerations, but are also reasonably well-behaved and a non-cribbing side. That is why, unlike in the game’s older formats, no one quite grudges their big wins. They also don’t bottle up in this format.

The T20 format routinely subverts stereotypes that followers of this sport have historically lumped upon national teams. The game and the teams need a fresh look as the T20 World Cup moves out of conventional cricketing boundaries. With the USA playing and hosting cricket, not baseball, change is in the air. A disclaimer before the June 2-29 event: When it comes to describing a team, the usual adjectives just don’t apply. (READ MORE)

During his search for form after three stress fractures and two surgeries, England fast bowler Jofra Archer spent time in Barbados. His mentor Roddy Estwick on how returning to his roots helped pave the way for an international comeback. 

The Indian Express' Venkata Krishna traces how Jofra Archer rediscovered his 90 MPH: strolls on Barbados beaches, patient rehab and lots of doggie love. (MORE HERE)

Fazalhaq Farooqi led the bowling attack and picked a five-wicket haul as Afghanistan beat Uganada by 125 runs at the Providence Stadium in Guyana in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday. Earlier Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran take Afghanistan to 183/5 in the first innings against Uganda. (HIGHLIGHTS HERE)

Fazalhaq Farooqi led the bowling attack and picked a five-wicket haul as Afghanistan beat Uganada by 125 runs at the Providence Stadium in Guyana in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday. Earlier Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran take Afghanistan to 183/5 in the first innings against Uganda. (HIGHLIGHTS HERE)

Fazalhaq Farooqi led the bowling attack and picked a five-wicket haul as Afghanistan beat Uganada by 125 runs at the Providence Stadium in Guyana in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday. Earlier Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran take Afghanistan to 183/5 in the first innings against Uganda. (HIGHLIGHTS HERE)

Jos Buttler, England captain: "No added pressure really [of defending champions]. Obviously, it's a nice title to have coming into this tournament, but it's a new tournament and we want to play well, want to play our brand of cricket, and go as deep as we can in the tournament."

Richie Berrington, Scotland captain: "I think it's just great for the game - we've got more teams at the start of the tournament, 20 teams. It's a great opportunity for everyone. So, yeah, definitely one we're all looking forward to. And I'm sure we're going to see some great games throughout the tournament." 

Make way, T20 World Cup, your champions have arrived. Time for England to kickstart what is not just a title defence but also a campagn that has a lot to prove. Last year in India, the defending champions were humbled and humiliated, with doubts looming if they would be able to replicate the kind of white-ball success they had in the lead up to becoming the undisputed champions of white ball cricket. 

Jos Buttler and Co however, arrive into the tournament on the back of a comprehensive bashing of Pakistan in a four-match T20I series. Slotted alongside Australia, Namibia, Oman and their opposition for Tuesday - Scotland - the 2022 winners are among the favorites to make it to the semifinals. Can the Richie Berrington-led side pose a stern challenge? With the wickets at this World Cup proving to be anything but the belters we've gotten used to over the years for T20, it'd be interesting to see how the ultra-aggressive batting unit of England go about their business. Buckle up as we take you through the evening.