3 reasons why England are the team to beat after Super Eight of 2024 T20 World Cup
England punched their ticket to the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Sunday (June 23) with a 10-wicket hammering of the United States of America (USA) in Barbados. On account of being placed second in Group 2, they will meet the Group 1 toppers in the top-four clash.
Certainly, it has been a riveting story for the Jos Buttler-led side, who faced the risk of elimination in the group stages, but became the first team to seal a semifinal spot at the showpiece event. Although they suffered a seven-run loss against South Africa, the collective effort saw them win the remaining two games in the Super Eight and now have the chance to defend their title.
On that note, let's take a look at the three reasons why England are a strong contender to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.
#1 Phil Salt - Jos Buttler's imperious form
The opening pair of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler have been sensational to drive England at a quick rate in the T20 World Cup. The pair put together a 73-run stand in 7.1 overs against Australia in the group stage, but their effort went in vain as the team lost by 36 runs.
Then, the efforts of both batters bore fruit against Oman, as they sealed the chase of 48 in just 3.1 overs to record the fastest-ever chase in T20 World Cup history. However, Salt (11) and Buttler (0) faced a roadblock against Namibia, but the other batters contributed well to secure a victory.
In the first Super Eight clash against West Indies, Salt smoked 87* off 47 balls, while Buttler contributed 25 to help England start with a victory. The pair could only stitch a 15-run stand against South Africa, which resulted in the team's loss.
However, Buttler was at his dominating best to stun the USA with a knock of 83* off 38 balls, while hitting five consecutive sixes. He added an unbeaten 117-run stand with Salt (25*) to take them to the semifinals. Certainly, the pair have unleashed themselves at the right time and will be eager to continue the momentum.
#2 Middle-order looking in good touch
England's middle-order batters, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone have done well for the side in crunch moments.
During the must-win clash against Namibia, Bairstow scored 31 off 18 and Harry Brook remained unbeaten on 47 off 20. Furthermore, Bairstow slammed 48* off 26 to secure a stunning victory against the West Indies.
Although the game against the Proteas ended in a losing cause, Brook hit 53 off 37, while Livingstone scored 33 off 17 to help the team remain in the hunt.
Thus, if the openers fail, the middle-order batters certainly possess the confidence to steer the team's score at a comfortable rate. This will help Buttler and Salt play with a positive intent in the powerplay overs.
#3 Impressive bowling performances
The defending champions have done well to secure consistent breakthroughs in almost all the games of the tournament. Starting with an average effort against Australia, the trio of Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood bundled out Oman for a meager 47 and then restricted Namibia to 84 (10-over game) to win by 41 runs.
The bowling unit kept the West Indies to a par total of 180 in the first game of the Super Eight and then continued their momentum to keep South Africa under 170. Their latest outing saw a new hero in the form of Chris Jordan, who became the first England bowler to claim a T20I hat-trick, resulting in the USA getting all-out for 115.
With the bowlers firing on all cylinders, it might prove to be a difficult task for the opposition teams to get away with them.