The defending champions England will meet Oman at Antigua on Thursday and it will be the 28th encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
England find itself in a precarious position for the next stage while Oman will look to make a statement as they have nothing to lose. This clash however promises an enticing game between the said nation.
Team Overview:
England had a woeful start to the T20 World Cup campaign. Their first encounter was washed out against Scotland and in the second game they had a morale-sapping defeat against Australia, so their hopes of qualifying for the Super Eights are hanging by a slim thread.
This game, against Oman, will be a golden opportunity for England to not just earn two vital points but to enhance their Net Run Rate (NRR) by winning the game by a big margin.
England’s batting order has been a concern for instance the batting position of young Harry Brook and experienced Jonny Bairstow. The coach Matthew Mott and skipper Jos Buttler face a tough decision to promote the batting number of Brook as he is young and explosive and time and again he has shown his fiery potential.
In the bowling unit England may add the service of Reece Topley instead of Mark Wood. His ability to swing the new ball could be a valuable asset on such pitches. The English side will be relying on Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer to keep on bowling discipline line and length against Oman as well.
Oman’s batting woes cry out for a change. The skipper Aqib Ilyas failed to lead from the side by the front. They may promote their leading run-scorer Ayaan Khan as the average of 46 suggests he can anchor the innings while playing in the top-order.
The stakes will be higher for both sides. England are in need of this victory in order to keep their World Cup hopes alive. On the other hand, Oman will give it all to avoid yet another defeat, needs a strong showing to salvage their pride and potentially cause an upset.
England’s bowlers will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a team prone to soft dismissals, while Oman’s bowlers will be looking for any opportunity to exploit any hesitation in the English’s batting lineup.
Pitch and weather condition:
It will be England’s first game on this ground. The pitch, based on the last two games at this venue, seems to favour batsmen who are willing to take calculated risks. The forecast looks ok, so no chances of rain as of now.
Head-to-Head:
This encounter will be the first game between the said nations.
Predictions:
England are hot-favourite to win this contest given their explosive batting and their experienced and potent bowling attack.
Where to watch:
Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming), Tamasha app (Live streaming), Tapmad (live streaming)
India – Star Sports
England – SkySport Network
USA and Canada (Willow TV)
Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
UK & Northern Ireland – Sky Sports
Sri Lanka – Maharaja TV
Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
