AP – England’s defence of the Twenty20 (T20) World Cup title is still alive after a must-win over Namibia in a rain-affected match, followed by a helping hand from traditional rivals Australia yesterday.
To reach the Super Eight, England first had to beat Namibia in their maiden T20 matchup.
Persistent showers almost ruined the chance, but the match started three hours late and was reduced to 11 overs, then 10 overs after another heavy shower. England was made to bat first and rallied to 122-5. Namibia, given a rain-adjusted target of 126, managed only 84-3 and lost by 41 runs. England did what it had to, then had to wait a few more hours and hope Scotland lost to Australia in Saint Lucia to be sure of advancing from Group ‘B’.
Australia, which had already qualified from Group ‘B’, were made to work but eventually overpowered Scotland in a five-wicket win to give England the result it needed to progress to the Super Eight.
