Jos Buttler acknowledged the need for England to “dust ourselves down” after a disappointing 36-run defeat to a formidable Australia in Barbados on Saturday, leaving their T20 World Cup title defence in jeopardy.
Australia surged ahead at the Kensington Oval, amassing 201-7 in their 20 overs. In response, England faltered despite a promising start, ending at 165-6.
Buttler’s squad, still winless after their opening game against Scotland was disrupted by rain, now faces a crucial path ahead. Australia, with two wins, currently leads Group B and remains on track to be the first nation to simultaneously hold all three global cricket titles—Test, one-day, and T20.
David Warner was the top scorer for Australia with 39 runs, while spinner Adam Zampa, who took 2-28 including Buttler’s crucial wicket for 42, was named player of the match.
Reflecting on the game, Buttler said, “They came out with a lot of intent and played really well, putting us under pressure straight away. It was tough to drag it back from there. They bowled really well in that middle phase, taking wickets at regular intervals and defended strongly.”
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Buttler emphasized the need for England to play confidently in their upcoming matches against Oman and Namibia. “It’s all laid out what we need to do so we need to dust ourselves down and go again,” he added.
After winning the toss in Bridgetown, Buttler watched as Australia’s openers Warner and Travis Head aggressively targeted England’s bowlers. Spinner Will Jacks conceded 22 runs in his first over, with paceman Mark Wood also giving away 22 in his opening over, as Australia reached 55-0 off four overs.
England found some respite when Moeen Ali bowled Warner for 39, and Jofra Archer dismissed Head (34) with a direct hit, reducing Australia to 74-2. However, Mitchell Marsh (35) and Glenn Maxwell (28) maintained the momentum, and Marcus Stoinis’s quick 30 off 17 balls helped Australia set a challenging total of 201.
England’s chase began promisingly with Buttler and Phil Salt propelling the score to 73-0 by the seventh over. But Zampa turned the tide, dismissing Salt for 37 and Buttler for 42 in quick succession. Mitchell Starc’s catch off Jacks, followed by tight bowling from Stoinis, applied further pressure, limiting England to just 11 runs over three overs.
Moeen Ali’s brief resurgence with three sixes off Maxwell’s over was short-lived, as Jonny Bairstow fell cheaply and Moeen followed for 25. The innings lost momentum, with Zampa finishing with impressive figures, supported by Pat Cummins’ 2-23.
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh praised his team’s all-round performance, especially the early assault by Warner and Head. “That was the difference in the game, the way we started, all based around our trust in each other,” he said. “The boys set the tone beautifully.”
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 8 stage of the competition.
