Australia deal England heavy T20 World Cup defeat

Australia delivered a blow to England’s T20 World Cup title defense with a win in Barbados on Saturday afternoon.

The defending champions, who had their match against Scotland washed out, now have a task ahead to make it to the Super Eight stage.

Batting first, Australia put up a score of 201/7 thanks to a combined effort from their five batters.

Travis Head and David Warner set the pace by reaching 70 runs by the fifth over.

Warner scored 39 off 16 balls before getting out, while Head made a quickfire 34 off 18 deliveries.

Contributions from Mitchell Marsh (35 off 25), Glenn Maxwell (28 off 25), and Marcus Stoinis (30 off 17) helped Australia reach a total.

England’s chase got off to a good start as Phil Salt and Jos Buttler built a partnership of 100 runs.

However, the entry of Adam Zampa turned the tide.

The leg spinner dismissed both openers in succession, triggering a collapse.

Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow were dismissed cheaply, leaving England struggling at 123/4.

Though Moeen Ali and Harry Brook provided some resistance, the required run rate became too high.

England ended up scoring 165/6, falling short by 36 runs.

England’s chances of winning the title are now hanging by a thread after their defeat, with the top cricket betting sites offering +700 for England to win the World Cup.

With the earlier washout, they will have to depend on match outcomes to secure a spot in the Super Eight stage.

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