Kolkata, February 14: Emphasizing that “the process remains the same,” Jofra Archer highlighted England’s clear strategy after a strong performance, taking 2 wickets for 24 against Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2026 match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
England's bowlers successfully reduced Scotland to 152/9 despite some initial aggression. Jofra Archer returned to his best form, taking 2-14, with accurate deliveries that troubled the batsmen. Archer dismissed George Munsey early in the innings, and then followed up with a sharp delivery that got Brandon McMullen out.
"The process doesn't change, and games don't always go the same way, so you have to stick to it. The conditions in Mumbai were quite different, and we used that to our advantage. This is a good batting pitch, so it's up to the batsmen to finish the job. Our plans don't change. If we decide to bowl to the wicket, we do; if it's a fast pitch, we adjust accordingly," Archer said after the first innings.
Adil Rashid had a difficult over, but he bounced back, taking three wickets in the middle overs by outsmarting the batsmen. Liam Dawson remained reliable as always. Sam Curran and Jamie Overton each took a wicket, keeping Scotland's momentum in check.
Earlier, Scotland's innings was anchored by captain Richie Berrington. He scored a solid 49 and shared a valuable 71-run partnership with Tom Bruce. This partnership briefly put England under pressure.
Scotland's batting line-up clearly aimed for aggressive and positive play from the start of the innings, although the batsmen's inability to convert early starts into large scores proved costly. The batsmen aimed to disrupt the length of the ball and put pressure on the bowlers. Berrington was the mainstay of the innings, scoring runs from the opening six overs. He influenced the momentum of the innings through his partnership with Bruce, who was also looking good at the crease.
Apart from Jones' 33, Oliver Davidson also showed some courage, scoring 20 off 15 deliveries later in the innings to help Scotland cross the 150-run mark.