England vs Scotland Match 23 Full Commentary

We are back for the chase! The Scottish players are making their way out to the middle and spreading out to take their respective field positions. Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, who is also playing his 150th T20I, are the two openers for England. Brandon McMullen to start proceedings with the ball. A slip in place and the keeper is upto the stumps as well. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

England in the Box Seat - The English batters will relish the ball coming nicely onto the bat on what is a true surface. If they do get over the line, it will mark their first win against a European nation in the T20 World Cups. Scotland, meanwhile, have their task cut out to make a contest of this. If they can strike early and apply some pressure, who knows what might unfold? Back in a bit for the chase.

From promise to collapse - At 105/3 at the end of 12 overs, the Scots were beginning to believe in a strong finish. However, both set batters fell in the span of 4 balls, and the innings quickly unravelled. In a flash, they slumped to 127/8, and it was only thanks to a spirited effort from Oliver Davidson that they were able to scrape past the 150 mark. All five bowling options used were among the wickets, but Jofra Archer bouncing back after a rough first two games will be especially pleasing for England.

Recovery after early damage - After being asked to bat first, Scotland lost their top three in the Powerplay, with Jofra Archer striking twice to put England on top early. Michael Jones attempted to close the Powerplay on a positive note, but Sam Curran cut his stay short. On a good batting surface, and with England boasting quality in their batting, Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce knew they couldn't afford to simply hang around. The pair responded with a fine counterpunch, taking on the spin threat posed by Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid.

England hold firm - Harry Brook and his men walk off as the happier of the two sides. They made a strong start and, although they were challenged during the middle phase, they responded impressively. At the start of the day, they would certainly have accepted this target. As for Scotland, they will reflect on this innings with disappointment, particularly regarding their shot selection. Given the bounce on offer, it was easier to hit through the line rather than across it. Even after seeing several top-order batters fall attempting cross-batted strokes, there was little adjustment from those who followed.

Sam Curran (3-0-31-1) to close out the innings.

Brad Currie is the last man in. His job will be to put Oliver Davidson back on strike.

Jamie Overton (3-0-21-0) to bowl the 19th over.

From Kolkata to Ahmedabad - That brings us to the end of this game, with England picking up two crucial points, while Scotland's qualification hopes are no longer entirely in their own hands. The action now moves to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for a heavyweight Group D clash between New Zealand and South Africa. That match will get underway shortly with the Proteas electing to bowl first, so switch tabs and join us for all the build-up and live coverage. Cheers!

The victorious skipper of England - Harry Brook says he is happy to get over the line. Adds that Scotland batted well against the spinners, but they dragged it back in the fag end and were happy with the overall score. On Archer, Brook says he got his line and length perfectly today. Mentions that Tom Banton gelled well in the number 4 position today and took on the spinners brilliantly. On the wicket, Brook was confident that it wouldn't change much throughout the game. On the next game, Harry admits they haven't got the perfect game yet, but hopes to put on their best performance against Italy.

The captain of Scotland - Richie Berrington says that it was a good surface. Adds that they recovered well after losing early wickets, but one of him or Tom Bruce needed to stay there till the end to get those 20-30 more runs. Mentions that they expected spin to play a part in the middle overs, but just could not execute their plans well. Tells that they have players who can manage at that stage, but it did not click for them in this game. Berrington believes that even though they were short of runs, their bowlers showed good fight to make a game out of this, which shows that they can challenge anyone. Praises Brad Wheal for his bowling effort, and says that Mark Watt had an off day, but he came back well later on. Admits that a few more runs and things could have been different. Further adds that they have enjoyed their time in Kolkata, thanking the support and hospitality. Ends by saying that it was good to finish off in front of a big crowd, and now the focus shifts to Mumbai.

Let's hear from the captains now...

A brave defence undone - Credit to Scotland for making a real contest of it, even after finishing a few runs short. Brad Currie and Brandon McMullen were excellent with the new ball, removing the English openers early and putting England under pressure. The Scots kept things tight until Mark Watt came into the attack, and his first over went for 22, swinging the momentum. It turned out to be an off day for him, as he conceded 43 from his three overs, which may well have been the difference, especially with Brad Wheal and Davidson being very effective at the other end.

A promising platform, poor finish - Earlier in the game, after early setbacks and a handy cameo from Jones, Scotland rebuilt through a brisk 71-run stand between Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce that took them to a strong 113/3 in the 13th over, setting them up for a push towards 180 or more. However, losing both set batters in quick succession stalled the momentum, and despite some late blows from Oliver Davidson, Scotland were bowled out for just 152. Adil Rashid was the standout for England with a three-wicket haul after a costly first couple of overs, while Archer and Dawson picked up two each. Curran and Overton chipped in with one apiece to cap off a well-rounded bowling display.

Banton stands tall when it mattered - The English openers failed again, which is now a real concern, but Jacob Bethell's quick cameo kept England on track. It was Tom Banton, though, who made the difference after two earlier failures, adding 66 with Bethell to put the chase in control. England wobbled slightly in the middle overs, but Banton anchored the innings, mixing caution with aggression and taking the game away with a decisive counter-attack against Watt. Sam Curran chipped in with useful runs, and Banton finished unbeaten on 63 off 41, a timely confidence-boosting knock.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Tom Banton wins the award for his match-winning 63* off 41. He says it was a tough game against the West Indies, but they were fully focused on today's game. Shares that T20 cricket is a high-risk game, sometimes it goes against you, but you always keep pushing. Banton mentions the ball was turning and holding slightly in Mumbai, but today was a good wicket to bat on. Admits he loves to sweep and reverse sweep, but he wanted to play a bit straight. Expresses that the game situation always dictates how he wants to proceed.

A European hoodoo finally ends - England have finally broken their jinx of not beating a European side at the T20 World Cup, registering an important win over Scotland here. They are back to winning ways, and it was a vital result to keep their qualification firmly in their own hands rather than relying on others. Scotland had their moments, both with bat and ball, but just did not have enough to get over the line.

Surprising call. Richie Berrington is going with Mark Watt, despite him going for 35 runs in his first two overs. Maybe he is looking to buy a wicket or two here. Let's see how this move pans out.

Scotland are not going away without a fight here. Will Jacks is the next man in.

Brad Wheal (2-0-8-1) is back on.