Fortune favors the bold. But they are only sometimes born as bold. Other times it takes sheer thrashing by one’s archrivals to initiate the transformation. Two games into the tournament, Jos Butler’s England were a toothless side, with a shaky title defense and another shambolic World Cup campaign on the cards.
The next two games showed them flipping the script by doing more than what was required of them to make it through to the next stage. If the debates about Scotland being more worthy of that golden ticket to Super eights can be eavesdropped on throughout the cricket world, the Englishmen ensured they were counted similarly deserving (if not more) of the berth.
When life gives you lemons, you don’t sit back and let others trample over you. You take matters into your own hands, win the game within 3.1 overs and get a 127 DLS score in 10 overs.
Since when has thrashing low-ranked teams become so special?
Fair point. The two games England showed utter dominance in, were against teams that were likely to get trounced by the defending champions anyway. What is so special about picking on someone smaller than you? Nothing. Except, it was not the victories in those games that made the English stand out but the way they utilized even the most minuscule of opportunities.
Besides getting triumphed over by the Aussies, Scotland (in the same group) also managed to beat Oman and Namibia by huge margins, sky-rocketing their NRR to +2.164 and adding another to England’s worries. To make things worse, the Scots’ last game was scheduled against Australia, winning which would let them sneak into the next stage at Jos Butler’s men’s expense. Oh, and the Aussies were already thinking of providing their archnemeses’ neighbours with a little favor. With due credit to Edward Murphy, whatever could go wrong for England, did.
Turning the tables
And that’s when Butler and Co. realized they had had enough. They were defending champions and needed to be shown some regard. Topple the record if they must. Register the biggest win by balls if that’s what it takes for them to get a better NRR than their neighbors. Has the rain curtailed the match into half? Doesn’t matter, put up a 200-strike rate thrashing to keep the reins still in hands. Jos Butler’s England added every weird ingredient they could find to brew this concoction that eventually brought them into a better situation to gallop to the next stage.
Things still rested, largely, in Scotland’s favour. A washout or a victory of any margin against Australia would have mercilessly battered their defence. Whether they were being careful after the ICC warning or a long-lost love for their rivals rekindled in their hearts, Mitchell Marsh’s team decided to not let David Warner bowl the first over and for a major part display good cricket against the Scots. Though a very close one, the English Aussies won the game and (as much heartbreaking as it was) knocked Scotland out of the tourney. In other words, Jos Butler and his men unpacked their bags and elongated their stay in this part of the world for some time more.
Lemonade ft. Jos Butler’s England
In a mega-event where teams like New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were humbled (see annihilated), England returning home early would not have triggered a round-table conference. However, the defending champions did not want to let another trophy get stolen, that too within a year. Naturally, they did not have any options. Except to squeeze every ounce out of those lemons and throw it in the eyes of their competitors. That’s just what they did.
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