T20 World Cup: Australia end Scotland’s dream run with close win as England qualify for Super 8s

Tim David’s six off the last ball against Scotland served two purposes - helped Australia end their dream run at the 2024 T20 World Cup by beating them by five wickets and seeing their old foes, England, qualify for the Super 8 stage.

The defending champions were on the brink of a shock T20 WC exit after the first two matches but returned to winning ways in style by beating Oman and Namibia convincingly in their last two games. That, however, wasn’t enough, as they needed Australia’s help to see them through. Thanks to a combined team effort against a spirited Scottish Team, Australia won the game and helped England enter the next round.

Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first in their final Group game, resting two frontline seamers – Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. The Aussies got the early breakthrough, but Brandon McMullen’s quickest T20 WC fifty and handy contributions from George Munsey helped Scotland complete 100 runs within the ten-over mark.

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Captain Richie Berrington was also among the runs, as the spin trio of Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Aston Agar picked four wickets to restrict Scotland to 180 for five in 20 overs.

Tight chase for Australia

Australia, who, per Hazlewood’s words, was even willing to manipulate the result of this game to knock England out of the tournament, had their words return to haunt them as they lost two quick wickets inside the Powerplay. Maxwell departed soon after, as Australia was reeling at 60 for three at one stage.

Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis hit respective fifties to put their team back on track before Matthew Wade and Tim David won it for them, also helping England to qualify for the Super 8s.

With this result, Australia enters the next round with four wins in as many matches.

The Jos Buttler-led side won their last league game against Namibia the other night by 41 runs in a rain-hit encounter in Antigua.

Batting first, the defending champions lost two quick wickets, but the middle order bailed them out as they hit 122 for five in ten overs. Harry Brook top-scored with an unbeaten 47 off 20 balls, hitting two sixes and four fours.

Namibia was right on the track for another shocker in this tournament but failed to accelerate at the right time to go past the winning line, as they lost the match by 41 runs.

Meanwhile, seventeams to qualify for the next round are – The USA, West Indies, Australia, England, India,South Africa and Afghanistan.