Tom Banton stars as England beat Scotland to get ICC T20 Cricket World Cup campaign back on track
By Tom Bennett
Updated 14/02/2026 at 13:43 GMT
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Updates of the Group C match between England and Scotland at the 2026 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The top two teams in the group will progress to the Super 8 stage, with Harry Brook’s England in big need of a win after sliding to defeat against group leaders West Indies. An upset for Scotland would have boosted their chances of progression.
Highlights: England seal T20 series clean sweep over Sri Lanka
Video credit: TNT Sports
England back to winning ways after scare
England recovered from losing early wickets to beat Scotland at Eden Gardens in Kolkata to get their T20 World Cup campaign back on track, with Tom Banton the star of the show with a match-winning innings of 63 not out in a five-wicket win.
Harry Brook had won the toss and opted to bowl first in his team’s third Group C fixture, and it looked a good decision as Jofra Archer (2/24), Jamie Overton (1/23) bowled well early on, with Scotland three down after the powerplay.
But Scotland captain Richie Berrington (49 from 32) led the fightback, going after England’s spinners to boost his team towards a competitive score.
Adil Rashid (3/36) and Liam Dawson (2/34) responded well, picking up five wickets between them as Brook opted to leave Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks unused with the ball in the face of Scotland’s aggression against spin.
Set a manageable chase of 153 to win, England got off to an inauspicious start, losing both openers early as Brandon McMullen, Brad Currie and Brad Wheal had England in a spot of bother.
England took the opportunity to rebuild through Bethell (32 from 28) and Banton, only for Bethell and Brook to fall in quick succession to leave another rebuild required. But Sam Curran did just that alongside Banton, before the pair put their foot down to race towards the winning post.
Curran fell for 28 (from 20), but Will Jacks finished the job with a quickfire 16* from 10, with the outstanding Banton unbeaten at the other end with 63* from 41 – an innings that stabilises his position in the team after a poor start to the tournament.
England will complete their Group C campaign against Italy, where a win will secure them a spot in the next round.
Scotland aren't out of the running yet, but will need to beat Nepal and hope other results go their way if they are to avoid an early World Cup exit, having replaced Bangladesh in the tournament at short-notice.
ENGLAND WIN BY FIVE WICKETS! England 155/5 (Banton 63, Jacks 16) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 18.2
Will Jacks has been moved to a finisher role by England and he shows how dangerous he can be, finishing the game in a hurry. A monster six over long-on puts England on the brink of victory before a swipes away a four to bring up the five-wicket win with ten balls to spare.
England 145/5 (Banton 63, Jacks 6) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 18
Jacks is struggling for fluency here and a miscued sweeps drops agonisingly out of the reach of the diving fielder, who did everything he could to get to that chance. England will wrap this up easily from here, thanks in large part to Banton, who has dismantled Watt today.
WICKET! England 137/5 (Banton 57, Jacks 4) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 17
Sam Curran c †Cross b Wheal 28 (20b)
Curran continues to attack and it proves his undoing as a miscue loops up a simple catch off Wheal. England’s batting depth has bailed them out here, with Will Jacks the new batter in the middle.
England 132/4 (Banton 57, Curran 28) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 16
That’s the over that should make it safe for England. Curran goes on the charge against Watt, slamming a six and then swiping away for four more. The writing is on the wall for Scotland
England 119/4 (Banton 56, Curran 16) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 15
A big six from Curran into the leg side keeps England rolling. That’s all they need right now, one boundary an over, with the required rate at just over a run a ball.
FIFTY! England 109/4 (Banton 54, Curran 8) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 14
Tom Banton reaches his half-century, and it’s a timely one for the England number four, whose position was starting to come under threat.
He’s doing an important job for his team here too.
England 102/4 (Banton 48, Curran 7) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 13
Steady from England, who are biding their time before launching for the target. Scotland’s innings fizzled out at this stage.
England 97/4 (Banton 46, Curran 4) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 12
England are still favourites with the statisticians to win this one, but the crowd in Kolkata are certainly behind Scotland that’s fair to say.
We’re into another rebuild period of the innings.
WICKET! England 91/4 (Banton 43, Curran 1) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 11
Harry Brook c Wheal b Leask 4 (4b)
Brook attempts one of his unique falling-over scoops and slices it straight to Wheal down the leg side. That’s a frustrating dismissal for the England captain.
England are ahead of the run rate, but wickets keep on falling, so this chase is far from secure.
Curran is the new batter and this scenario is precisely why he’s a valuable option in the England middle-order. His record as a finisher is pretty weak, but given time in the middle he’s consistently proven in his franchise career that he’s strong at adjusting to the situation.
WICKET! England 82/3 (Banton 38, Brook 1) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 10
Jacob Bethell c Wheal b Davidson 32 (28b)
There’s the breakthrough and Bethell is fuming. He turns one around the corner and straight into the hands of the fielder to end a promising partnership.
England 76/2 (Bethell 32, Banton 33) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 9
Banton launches!
He starts the over with a huge six over long-off and follows it up with two more in the over as Mark Watt gets the treatment.
The Scotland spinner responds well, with Banton’s aggression offer wicket-taking opportunities, with Banton adjudged in his ground off a stumping chance.
England 54/2 (Bethell 32, Banton 12) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 8
It’s not looking fluent at all, with both of these batters struggling out in the middle, but the partnership is building and England will be confident from here. They really need a win – lose and qualification is almost impossible.
England 52/2 (Bethell 31, Banton 11) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 7
Banton picks up his first boundary with a swipe across the line to bring the fifty up for England. The chase is on.
England 43/2 (Bethell 28, Banton 5) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 6
Scotland’s seamers are getting the ball to talk and Wheal sends down a dangerous over that has Banton and Bethell hopping around.
England end the powerplay with work to do.
England 37/2 (Bethell 23, Banton 4) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 5
There are glances of appreciation in the England dugout as Bethell goes on the charge. A lofted drive slams away for six before the finest of cuts yields four more next up, and he cuts away for four more for three consecutive boundaries. Outstanding batting.
England 21/2 (Bethell 7, Banton 4) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 4
Banton in particular is in need of a knock today, and both of these batters are allowing themselves time after those early wickets. Five runs come from Currie’s over.
England 16/2 (Bethell 5, Banton 1) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 3
England have time and so consolidate, knowing that their modest target is gettable as long as they keep wickets in hand.
Three runs come from the over as a result. England were ‘too careful’ against West Indies, but this is a different scenario and care is called for.
WICKET! England 13/2 (Bethell 3, Banton) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 2
Jos Buttler c McMullen b Currie 3 (4b)
Currie starts well and an inside edge saves Buttler as the ball cannons into the front pad.
Five wides frustrate the keeper, standing up, with the ball swinging away down leg.
But a miscue from Buttler gives Scotland a chance off the final ball of the over, and it is brilliantly grabbed by McMullen, held on as the ball drops over his shoulder.
Forget good start, this is an excellent start for Scotland!
WICKET! England 4/1 (Buttler 0, Bethell 2) Target: 153 Overs bowled: 1
Phil Salt c Bruce b McMullen 2 (3b)
Oof, what a start that is for Scotland. Salt slices a drive into the ring straight to the fielder. It’s a poor shot and Salt sinks to his knees in frustration.
Scotland needed an early breakthrough and that’s what they’ve got.
SCOTLAND SET ENGLAND 153 TO WIN
So England require 153 to win at Eden Gardens, with Michael Jones’ 33 and Richie Berrington’s excellent 49 setting up Scotland for a reasonable total, before Oliver Davidson added some late runs with 20*.
But England will be happy enough with how they responded to some testing spells with the ball, as Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson took five wickets between them after taking some early tap.
Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton were the tidiest bowlers on display, taking 2/24 and 1/23 respectively, as England used just five of their seven bowling options and sent down their maximum 12 overs of pace.
Scotland 152 All Out (Davidson 20*) Overs bowled: 19.4
Brad Currie run out (Brook/†Buttler) 2 (5b)
It’ll be Sam Curran to bowl out and Scotland’s innings comes to a disappointing close as Currie is run out, with Brook whipping in a lazer of a throw with the batter stranded and Buttler whipping off the bails.
WICKET! Scotland 150-9 (Davidson 19, Currie 1) Overs bowled: 19
Brad Wheal c Jacks b Overton 2 (3b)
Overton gets plenty of stick from the wider England fanbase, but in T20 cricket he’s a very useful operator with bat and ball, and he shows that heavy-ball quality with a bumper that sticks in the pitch and lures Wheal into a mishit into the deep.
Brad Currie is the final batter and his job is to try and survive and get Davidson back on strike.
Overton finishes with 1/23 from his four overs – excellent stuff.
Scotland 148-8 (Davidson 18, Wheal 2) Overs bowled: 18
Curran is in this team partly due to his ability at the death and he’s back into the attack, meaning that England may end up not bowling a single over of Will Jacks or Jacob Bethell in this game – probably correctly so given how aggressive Scotland were against spin in those middle overs.
Davidson gloves one fine for four and finishes the over with a ramp for four more. That’s good batting and ten runs come from the over, with Scotland looking relatively comfortable against Curran’s lower pace.
Scotland 138-8 (Davidson 9, Wheal 1) Overs bowled: 17
Archer returns for his final over and he has Davidson hopping about with two superbly-directed yorkers that are equally-well dug out.
Davidson picks up a back-of-the-hand slower ball and swings through it, lofting it all the way for six, greeted by a wry smile of appreciation from Archer.
Archer finishes with another yorker and appeals as the ball squirts away. If it was pad first it would have been plumb, but there was a double sound and England opt against the review… wisely so as the replays show.
Archer finishes with figures of 2/24 – the most economical of England’s bowlers today (along with the tidy Overton), and he was unlucky not to add to his wicket tally in that final over.
DOUBLE WICKET OVER! Scotland 127-8 (Davidson 1, Wheal) Overs bowled: 16
Matthew Cross c Banton b Rashid 8 (9b)
Mark Watt b Rashid 2 (4b)
England have hit back brilliantly after that dangerous stand, rattling through Scotland’s middle order, and this innings is racing to a close.
Another big shot is miscued to a fielder in the deep, this time with Banton holding on to the chance off Rashid.
And England’s premier bowler finishes his spell with an absolute ripper, turning it through the gate to clean up Mark Watt. That is an absolute beauty.
Rashid finishes with 3/36, bouncing back well after an expensive start.
WICKET! Scotland 125-6 (Cross 8, Watt 1) Overs bowled: 15
Michael Leask c Curran b Dawson 1 (4b)
Scotland’s aggression is the right thing to do, but England have some serious experience with the ball in these middle overs, and Dawson picks up another as Leask miscues one straight to Curran in the deep. That picked out the fielder perfectly, which has been a theme of many of the dismissals today.
What a super over that is. Dawson finishes his four overs with figures of 2/34. Tidy stuff given the circumstances.
WICKET! Scotland 123-5 (Leask 1, Cross 7) Overs bowled: 14
Richie Berrington lbw b Rashid 49 (32b)
This is a big moment. Adil Rashid comes back into the attack and he rolls out a slider first up that Berrington misses on the sweep. It thuds low into the front pad and the finger goes up. Scotland’s in-form skipper reviews, more out of hope than anything, but the decision stands. Berrington falls one short of his half-century.
New batter Matthew Cross sweeps Rashid away for four to rescue something from the over, but Scotland are in need of a big finish now, with their top batters all back in the hutch.
WICKET! Scotland 115-4 (Berrington 49, Leask 1) Overs bowled: 13
Tom Bruce c Curran b Dawson 24 (18b)
Dawson returns and Berrington dispatches him back into the stands for another huge six. But the aggressive approach finally does for this pair against spin, as Bruce picks out Curran in the deep with a swipe across the line.
Scotland 105-3 (Berrington 41, Bruce 23) Overs bowled: 12
Pace again for England as they try and starve this pair of the spin they crave. It’s Overton and eight runs come from it.
Scotland 97-3 (Berrington 39, Bruce 17) Overs bowled: 11
Scotland are hammering spin here, so Brook goes back to Sam Curran, who was quite expensive himself but did pick up the wicket.
He bowls an over of cutters and variations and it’s tricky for Scotland to pick. There’s a wide in there, but every legal delivery goes for a single.
Scotland 90-3 (Berrington 36, Bruce 14) Overs bowled: 10
Scotland captain Berrington is digging his team out of a hole here, ruining what was a tidy over from Dawson with back-to-back fours to finish it, the first driven down the ground and the second swept away fine.
Scotland are up to 90 at the midway point of the innings, recovering brilliantly after those powerplay wickets.
Scotland 77-3 (Berrington 25, Bruce 13) Overs bowled: 9
England are rattling through the overs now, with spin at both ends… but Scotland’s total is rattling on too, as the runs continue to flow. Berrington goes after Rashid, pulling him away for four before hammering a huge hit back down the ground for a maximum.
And Bruce gets in on the act too, lofting Rashid away for six more to end the over. 18 runs come from it.
Scotland 59-3 (Berrington 14, Bruce 6) Overs bowled: 8
Dawson, who has been excellent so far in this tournament, comes into the attack. But his first over leaks runs as Scotland knock him around before a thumping drive from Berrington races away through the covers.
Scotland 50-3 (Berrington 9, Bruce 2) Overs bowled: 7
The end of the powerplay means England turn immediately to spin. Eight runs come off Adil Rashid’s first over, including a fine sweep that runs all the way to the boundary.
WICKET! Scotland 42-3 (Berrington 3, Bruce 0) Overs bowled: 6
Michael Jones c Bethell b Curran 33 (20b)
England stick with pace for the final over of the powerplay, turning to Sam Curran, and the eyes of the Scottish batters light up with the drop in pace and bounce. It’s the approach that Curran uses to his advantage, picking up so many wickets thanks to over-aggression from batters against him, but as always, if somebody lines him up he can look very average with the ball very quickly.
Jones charges him and drives for four, before cutting beautifully through the gap for four more off the second ball of the over. A Curran cutter is misread by Jones third up, but his top edge carries all the way for six.
But the Sam Curran bingo card gets the full set, as a slower ball is hacked away, mistimed, and caught in the deep by Bethell.
Scotland 28-2 (Jones 19, Berrington 3) Overs bowled: 5
England roll the dice and give Archer a third over in the powerplay. It’s an aggressive bit of captaincy from Brook, hunting for the wickets that would put his team in control before turning to the spin quartet.
Archer is mixing up his pace with the disguise that makes him so dangerous. Just three runs come from an excellent over.
Scotland 25-2 (Jones 18, Berrington 1) Overs bowled: 4
Overton continues and England think they’ve got another, reviewing for a caught behind. But the replays show that it was in fact a clip off the hip that made the noise, with no contact between bat and ball.
Harry Brook misses a sharp run-out chance later in the over, but England’s tails are up here, they smell blood.
DOUBLE WICKET OVER! Scotland 18-2 (Jones 12, Berrington 0) Overs bowled: 3
George Munsey c Banton b Archer 4 (6b)
Brandon McMullen c Salt b Archer 0 (2b)
Jones swipes at an Archer deliver and slices it away through backward square for four runs. It’s not a great shot but it wasn’t a particularly great delivery either, and that’s where the extra pace leaves Archer vulnerable to leaking runs.
But he responds superbly, getting the wicket that England needed, bowling one into the pitch, luring Munsey into a mistimed hack that loops into the hands of Banton in the ring.
And Archer bags his second of the over to put England in control, as a trademark Archer bumper unsettles the new man, and McMullen pulls weakly straight into the hands of Salt. That is Archer’s 50th wicket in T20 Internationals.
Scotland 13-0 (Munsey 4, Jones 7) Overs bowled: 2
England are mixing things up with their new-ball approach, and it’s Overton who takes the second over. Jones crashes him away through midwicket for a boundary, but it’s almost a direct replica of an over, with seven runs coming from it, including a leg bye.
Scotland 6-0 (Munsey 4, Jones 1) Overs bowled: 1
Jofra Archer, who has been uncharacteristically off it with the new ball so far in this tournament, takes the first over. He’s searching a bit for form with the white ball, and his extra pace on these big pitches always puts him at risk of leaking runs if he’s unable to get breakthroughs. But he’s still far and away England’s best quick bowler in this format, and England will be hoping he hits his stride soon if they are to have a chance in this tournament.
Munsey flicks a leg-side delivery away to the rope for the first boundary of the innings, but the openers struggle to line Archer up and just six runs come from the over in total, including a leg bye.
The Group C scenario
Both England and Scotland come into this game on the back of one win and one loss in their opening Group C games. Scotland were excellent against Italy last time out, while England rescued themselves from a perilous situation against Nepal in their opener. But both teams have been beaten by the West Indies, who look all-but assured of progression to the next stage in the top two. That makes the result of this match absolutely crucial.
The Teams
Both teams are unchanged.
England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Tom Banton, 5 Harry Brook (capt), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Jamie Overton, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid
Scotland: 1 George Munsey, 2 Michael Jones, 3 Brandon McMullen, 4 Richie Berrington (capt), 5 Tom Bruce, 6 Michael Leask, 7 Matthew Cross (wk), 8 Mark Watt, 9 Oliver Davidson, 10 Brad Wheal, 11 Brad Currie
England win the toss and bowl
Harry Brook has won the toss again and he, once more, has given England’s bowlers the chance to have first crack. The logic is sound:
"We just fancy chasing," said Brook. "It’s quite a quick outfield and it’s a good wicket.
"We were a little bit too careful with the bat chasing (against West Indies). I felt like we could have taken more aggressive options. Hopefully we can improve on that today."
Hello and welcome
Good morning, welcome to live coverage of this ICC T20 Cricket World Cup match between England and Scotland.
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