Kolkata, February 14 – England captain Harry Brook expressed relief after his side secured two crucial points with a five-wicket victory over Scotland at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, praising Jofra Archer’s impressive spell, Tom Banton’s match-winning innings at No. 4, and the middle order’s composure in steadying the chase after an early wobble.
Tom Banton’s unbeaten 63 and Jacob Bethell’s 32 helped England edge out Scotland by five wickets with 10 balls to spare.
“I’m just glad that we got over the line tonight. We were thrilled with that. They batted really well against our spinners again in the first couple of spells and were ahead of us at one point, but we managed to turn things around really well,” said Brook after the match.
England’s bowlers managed to restrict Scotland to 152/9 after facing some early aggression. Jofra Archer returned to his best form with (2-14), delivering accurate and challenging lengths that unsettled the batters. Archer dismissed George Munsey early in the innings and then returned to get rid of Brandon McMullen with sharp bouncers.
Praising Archer, Brook said, “Yeah, he was delivering those lengths perfectly today. He found his lines and lengths and bowled with pace and skill. It’s great to see him back and performing well.”
England had a rocky start to the chase, with both Phil Salt and Jos Buttler getting out within the first couple of overs (2 and 3, respectively). Scotland’s opening bowlers (Brad Currie and Richie McMullen) were exceptional through the first 6 overs, putting England under pressure.
The momentum shifted when Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton put together a 66-run third-wicket partnership. Bethell (32) fell, and soon after, Harry Brook was back in the dugout after scoring just 4 runs. Banton then dominated the run chase. He reached 50 runs in just 33 balls and was well supported by Sam Curran. The two added 46 runs off 33 balls for the 5th wicket, swinging the match in England’s favour.
Curran then threw his wicket away for 28 runs off 20 balls in the 17th over; however, Banton had already put England in a position to win. He finished with 63 runs off 41 balls and laid the foundation for England’s victory with composure and maturity. Will Jacks (16*) hit the winning runs with 10 balls remaining as England won by 5 wickets.
On Banton’s innings, Brook said, “Yeah, he was amazing, and that’s why he slotted in so well at No. 4, and he looked to take down spinners like he did today, and it worked, and he deserves all the credit. I’ve always had confidence in our middle order. We knew it was going to be a decent wicket; it wasn't really going to change. And then with this outfield as well, we knew that we didn't really need to take too many unnecessary risks and just hit in the gaps, and then when you get the ball to hit for six, try to hit for six. Bants (Banton) played it beautifully today, and Sam's (Curran) cameo as well was awesome.”
