By The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 witnessed a washout in the opening game between defending champions England and Scotland in Barbados. Scotland, opting to bat first, managed a strong partnership despite rain interruptions. The match commenced after a delay caused by a damp spot on the pitch, which required time to dry. Thankfully, no overs were lost once the game began. Scotland scored 51 runs in 6.1 overs before rain returned, leading to a delay of over two hours.
Post the rain delay, there were challenges for England in terms of their bowling options. With the match reduced to ten overs per side, no bowler could bowl more than two overs. England’s pace duo of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, who had been effective, had already completed their quota before the break, conceding only 23 runs. Consequently, Buttler had to heavily rely on spin, with Chris Jordan bowling just one over. Scotland’s George Munsey and Michael Joones capitalized on this change in tactics, using sweeps and reverse sweeps to unsettle the English bowlers. Adil Rashid, in particular, conceded 26 runs in his two overs as Scotland reached a challenging total of 90, which was revised to 109 with DLS calculations.
England-Scotland match abandoned due to rain
Despite having a competitive total and being in a promising position in the rain-affected game, Scotland’s hopes were dashed by persistent rain. Points were eventually shared in this Group B encounter.
The rain interruption proved to be a pivotal moment in the match, altering the course of the game significantly. Scotland, buoyed by their strong start, would have fancied their chances of defending the total, especially with England’s key bowlers already completing their overs. On the other hand, England, with a revised target, would have been eager to chase down the total and start their campaign with a win. However, the weather had the final say, forcing both teams to settle for a point each in their opening fixture.
