Ruthless England look to add silverware to No.1 status

THE WORLD’S top-ranked T20 International side has turned up on the big stage.

Eoin Morgan’s England are an intimidating white-ball outfit, with their aggression with the bat one of the standout features of T20 international cricket over the past World Cup cycle.

But few would have looked to England’s bowling attack as a strength to lean on, particularly in the absence of Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Sam Curran.

Yet it is that bowling attack that saw England dominate the first-half of their Group One campaign and ultimately bowled them to a net run rate advantage that helped them top the group.

A ten-run loss to South Africa could be seen as England losing form at precisely the wrong time. Or alternatively, it could be viewed as a perfect high-pressure test run before the semi-finals. The result in the final four will suggest which is true. But with Jos Buttler at his very best and England’s powerful middle-order beginning to find their range-hitting feet, they will head into today’s semi-final full of confidence.

WHAT HAS WORKED

The form of opening batter Jos Buttler has been one of the standout features of the tournament. Buttler in this sort of form can take down any attack, as he proved by dismantling the differing styles of Sri Lanka and Australia. The whole of England’s top-seven looks strong going into the semi-finals, even with the absence of Roy.

But it was the Powerplay bowling that has been the biggest fillip for England at the tournament. The injury to Jofra Archer robbed England of one of the best Powerplay bowlers in the world and Sam Curran’s absence also denied the team one of their regular options in the first six. But Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes have been superb in that role during the tournament so far. Ali has taken seven wickets across four innings, returning an impressively low economy rate in the process. And Woakes’ ability to move the ball early on has seen him become the key part of England’s Powerplay plan.

Roy’s injury and absence from the final four is a blow to England. The opening batter’s form and aggressive approach has been a cornerstone of the team’s strategy in white-ball cricket over recent years.

There are a number of ways that England could replace him in the team, but all require a batting-order reshuffle that could prove destabilising at precisely the wrong moment. And both Sri Lanka and South Africa showed that England’s bowling attack can really be torn apart, particularly if opponents can restrict their losses in the Powerplay.

No team has yet targeted England’s fifth bowler, be that Ali or Liam Livingstone, but even so they went for 189 against South Africa and never looked in control.

STAR PERFORMERS

Jos Buttler – The tournament’s top-scorer has been the obvious star man for England through the Super 12 stage. His century against Sri Lanka was the highlight of course, but over five matches Buttler has scored 240 runs at an average of 120.00 and a strike-rate of 155.84. Those are astonishing numbers.

Chris Jordan – The form of England’s experience death-over specialist was a big concern coming into the tournament. Jordan had been extremely expensive for some time in an England shirt and would have been at severe risk of being dropped had injuries not begun to mount up. But Jordan’s returns have been excellent, especially in those overs at the end of the innings. If the 33-year-old can deliver at the business end it makes England’s attack a far more stable unit.

Courtesy of icct20worldcup.com