England and the West Indies square off in a Super Eight clash at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on Thursday, June 20. This is going to be a replay of the pulsating 2016 final and fans would hope for another riveting encounter between the two most successful teams in the competition.
England survived a massive scare in the first round as they had to rely on arch-rivals Australia to make it through. Scotland and England finished tied on points but the Three Lions managed to progress due to their superior net run-rate. The defending champions won their matches against Oman and Namibia comprehensively but lost to Australia. Their opening fixture against Scotland ended without a result.
Meanwhile, the West Indies are coming into this clash on the back of four consecutive wins. They defeated Afghanistan, New Zealand, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea in the first round.
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Here is the predicted England XI vs West Indies:
Openers – Jos Buttler and Phil Salt
Jos Buttler has yet to register a half-century in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. However, he has got his team off to some electrifying starts. In three innings, he has scored 66 runs off just 40 balls at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 165. Buttler would want to score big against the in-form Windies.
Phil Salt came into the tournament on the back of a sensational Indian Premier League (IPL) season. However, the right-handed batter has not taken the T20 World Cup by storm as yet. In three innings, he has scored 60 at an average of 20 and a strike rate of 176.47. England fans will want at least one of their to play a big knock on Thursday.
Middle-order – Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook
Jonny Bairstow has scored 46 runs in three innings. Against Namibia, the wicketkeeper-batter came out to bat No. 3 and scored an important 31 off 18 balls. Bairstow will have to play an important role against the West Indies. He could be lethal if the opening pair manages to give him a launching pad.
Harry Brook has batted only twice in the four matches England have played so far. The 25-year-old scored an unbeaten 47 off 20 balls against Namibia in the last game, hitting four fours and two sixes. He was adjudged Player of the Match and would be coming into the clash against the Windies with a lot of confidence.
All-rounders – Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran
Moeen Ali has looked in sublime touch in the marquee event. In two innings, he has scored 41 runs at a strike rate of 195.24. He has hit five sixes but is yet to hit a four. Meanwhile, with the ball, the 37-year-old has bowled just four overs and picked up a solitary wicket at an average of 33 and an economy rate of 8.25. Moeen could have a key role to play against the left-handed Nicholas Pooran.
Liam Livingstone has only accumulated 28 runs in the two games, having faced 16 balls. The 30-year-old has bowled just the two overs and both were against Australia. Livingstone conceded 15 runs and picked up the wicket of a well-set Mitchell Marsh.
Sam Curran replaced Will Jacks in the last game against Namibia. The latter failed to make it count with the bat in the first two games he played and the England management decided to replace him with the Player of the Tournament of the last edition in 2022. Curran didn’t get to bat against Namibia but bowled two overs for 13 in batting-friendly conditions.
Bowlers – Reece Topley, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, and Adil Rashid
Reece Topley is yet to pick up a wicket in two matches but has been very economical. In five overs, he has gone for just 18 runs at an economy rate of 3.60. Topley will hope to swing the new ball and give his side a couple of early wickets.
Mark Wood didn’t play the game against Namibia, as Chris Jordan replaced him. However, it is expected that Wood is going to return to the side against the West Indies. He bagged three wickets against Oman and would want to make an impact against an in-form Windies batting line-up.
Jofra Archer has picked up five wickets from the four matches at an average of 13.40 and has a strike rate of 13.60. He has a miserly economy rate of 5.91. Archer’s four-over spell is going to be very crucial against the West Indies.
Adil Rashid’s four overs through the middle overs is going to be intriguing to watch. The West Indies batters will be looking to take him on and that could give England the opportunity to create some chances. The leg-spinner has accounted for five wickets in four games at an average of 21.40 and a strike rate of 14.40. He bagged four wickets for 11 runs against Oman. However, he proved to be quite expensive in the other games.
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England’s Predicted XI vs West Indies
Jos Buttler (C and WK), Phil Salt, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, and Reece Topley