England’s captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that bore fruit early as Jofra Archer dismantled Scotland's top order with a fiery opening spell. Archer’s double strike in the third over removed George Munsey and Brandon McMullen in quick succession, leaving the Scots reeling. However, Scotland captain Richie Berrington led a spirited recovery, playing a captain’s knock of 49 from 32 balls. Alongside Michael Jones (33), Berrington propelled the score past 100 before Adil Rashid’s leg-spin broke the partnership. Rashid finished with impressive figures of 3 for 36 as Scotland were eventually bundled out for 152 in 19.4 overs.
The chase began in dramatic fashion for England as Scotland’s pace attack sent shockwaves through the stadium. Openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler were both dismissed within the first two overs, leaving England staggered at 16 for 2. The Scottish bowlers found significant movement under the lights, forcing England into a defensive shell. It took a mature partnership between Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton to stabilize the innings, with the duo navigating a tricky middle-overs period where the ball began to grip and turn.
The momentum shifted decisively when Tom Banton accelerated, reaching his fifty with a flurry of boundaries. Banton’s unbeaten 63 anchored the remainder of the chase, showing remarkable composure as the required run rate began to climb. Despite losing Sam Curran and Liam Dawson late in the piece, Banton and Will Jacks guided England home in the 19th over. The win moves England to second place in Group C, leapfrogging Scotland and setting up a high-stakes final group match against Italy.
