England’s opening game was closer than they would have liked. Nepal chased 185 hard and fell just five runs short before Sam Curran held his nerve in the last over. The batting is formidable: Phil Salt and Jos Buttler attack from ball one, Jacob Bethell (55 off 35 against Nepal) and Harry Brook sustain the tempo, and Curran and Will Jacks can hit late. Bowling is the worry, as Jofra Archer and Luke Wood both conceded more than 10 an over against Nepal, with Jamie Overton coming in for this match.
Curran’s slower balls and cutters make him England’s most reliable bowler, and Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson will try to break partnerships and contain the West Indies hitters.
West Indies started well, beating Scotland by 35 runs after posting 182 for 5. Their power hitters, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Hetmyer, all have IPL experience, and Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder add late runs. Shamar Joseph offers genuine pace, Holder’s slower balls are valuable at the death, and Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie provide spin on a surface expected to help slower bowlers.
