England Out After West Indies Defeat

England are out of the World T20 after losing to the West Indies for the first time this summer, in a rain-affected match. A win would have seen England into the semi-finals, but erratic form has been a feature of their efforts in the shortest form of the game.

After the match Collingwood said that he was proud of his players, praising the bowlers in particular. Two valid points: disappointing though their exit was, England have fared better than some of the other big guns, notably Australia and India, and have bowled consistently well. Overall they came up short, but were able to win two out of three must-win games under intense pressure.

Tonight England shot themselves in the foot before the first ball was bowled. When rain and D+L are likely to intervene, winning the toss and batting first is too risky. A side batting second in a D+L affected game has the advantage of a reduced target and ten wickets to play with. England may have beaten the reigning champions, but they will never beat the weather. And so it proved; West Indies were set 80 from nine overs, a total they reached with four balls remaining, despite another good bowling effort. 

In truth, on the strength of their batting, England did not deserve to progress. And, close as they came, for once their bowlers were unable to get them out of jail. 

Match Scorecard