Jos Buttler has looked to make a virtue of staying level during this men’s T20 World Cup, stressing the importance of not getting too down when, during what was supposed to be a cruisy first round, England came within one further rain shower of elimination.
Now comes the other side of the old cliché: the importance of not getting too giddy after what, in fairness, was a pretty thundering victory over West Indies to start the Super Eight phase. The turnaround is a short one, with just a day of catching up on sleep after returning to the hotel around 1am – a spot of rehab in the pool, too, perhaps – before taking on South Africa at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium at 10.30am local time on Friday.
England have also looked to park that miserable 50-over World Cup last winter but it will not have escaped them that their next opponents are the ones who inflicted the nadir in India; that 229-run drubbing in Mumbai when they ripped up their selection strategy, bowled first in a furnace based on T20 stats, and were utterly manhandled by Heinrich Klaasen. No one has uttered the word “revenge” but motivation should not be an issue.
They appear a bit better placed this time, too, with the T20 format, though far more capricious, very much their stronger suit these days due to its general ubiquity and less time for that age-old English weakness: overthinking things. Added to that are two key differences to a grim day that could easily have led to Buttler and Matthew Mott, the head coach, being ushered down the gangplank: Phil Salt and Jofra Archer.
After six years of his childhood spent living in Barbados, Salt is very much in tune with the rhythms of cricket here, those twin centuries during the tour last December now eclipsed by Wednesday night’s unbeaten 87 from just 47 balls. It showed a player labelled early on as an outright aggressor has different gears; that watchful but still quick enough start, that period of consolidation, and then that jaw-dropping 30-run 16th over that shepherded poor Romario Shepherd to all parts and iced the match.
As well as crediting Jonny Bairstow for upping the ante during that middle phase, Salt explained that the confidence to sit in for a spell came from feeling more secure about his spot. There was also tactical input from the coach Kieron Pollard here, a plan to target eight an over at one end, 12 at the other, with the cross-breeze very much in mind. Salt picked his moments masterfully, something that may well have caught the eye of Brendon McCullum as options for Test wicketkeeper this summer are considered.
McCullum, wherever he is right now, will doubtless be itching to get his hands on Archer, too, although as it stands he will have to wait. A diet of white-ball cricket in 2024 is the plan here, building up the fast bowler’s hardiness for long-form cricket next year. Not that there won’t be a temptation to advance this, such has been the manner in which Archer, after 14 months on the sidelines, has raced out of the traps like a thoroughbred running on Garrison Savannah back in his native Barbados.
Even on a night when Archer’s first two overs leaked four boundaries and cost 21 runs in total, the pivotal 16th over sent down to the in-form and incendiary Nicholas Pooran – wide yorkers to order before finding the edge – underlined what sets him apart. “I was just glad that I executed,” he said. “It was everything that we talked about in the bowling meetings. That was one of the times you nail it, the execution was almost perfect.”
In all likelihood, with USA to follow on Sunday, an England victory would book a semi-final spot, even if South Africa may have something to say about this. Their tournament has witnessed five wins from five, overcoming some potentially confidence-draining surfaces in the first round before a victory against the Americans on Wednesday morning in Antigua that allowed the likes of Quinton de Kock – 74 off 40 – and Aiden Markram – 46 from 32 – to finally hit through the line unshackled.
In Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, the Proteas also boast skill and pace. Wary of how England looked to be positive against Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie – 67 runs from their eight overs combined – it may be that the left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi makes way for Ottneil Baartman. A 31-year-old medium-fast who boasts some subtle variations, Baartman thought his opportunity at international level had passed him by, only for success in the SA20, under the tutelage of Dale Steyn, to break down the door.
Steyn’s advice to Baartman at the time was apparently to “stay the person you are – don’t change for anything in the world”. These are words that England may similarly wish to heed in a format where getting ahead of oneselves after a thumping win like the one witnessed on Wednesday night can often be followed by a backward step.
