England are through to the T20 World Cup Super 8s after Australia knocked out Scotland with a thrilling last-over win in St Lucia.
England defeated Namibia in a rain-affected match in Antigua on Saturday to stay in contention for a spot in the second round, but needed already-qualified Australia to see off Scotland on Sunday or their neighbours would progress instead.
Scotland posted 180-5 after profiting from six dropped catches by Australia, with Brandon McMullen smoking six sixes in a knock of 60 from 34 balls and skipper Richie Berrington making 42 not out off 31.
Australia were then 2-1 and 60-3 in the chase as David Warner (1), Mitchell Marsh (8) and Glenn Maxwell (11) fell cheaply but they eventually triumphed with two balls to spare as Tim David (24no off 14) hit Brad Wheal for six to clinch a five-wicket victory.
Travis Head (68 off 49) and Marcus Stoinis (59 off 29) thumped 80 from 44 deliveries for the fifth wicket, before falling in the 16th and 17 overs respectively – Head departing after nailing paceman Safyaan Sharif (2-42) for three sixes and Stonis ousted after successive fours off spin bowler Mark Watt (2-34).
Australia were left needing 26 runs from the last three overs and David promptly crunched Wheal for two fours in the 18th before tonking the same bowler over the ropes at deep midwicket towards the end of the 20th to break Scotland’s hearts and keep defending champions England in the competition.
Scotland – who will host Australia for a three-match T20 international series in Edinburgh in September – will be gutted by their exit but should be proud of how they played throughout.
Berrington’s men racked up 90-0 from 10 overs against England before that game was abandoned, while they then recorded comfortable victories over Namibia and Oman before registering the highest T20I total against Australia by an associate team.
England join co-hosts West Indies and USA plus South Africa in Group 2 of the Super 8s, with Australia to compete in Group 1 alongside India, Afghanistan and one of Bangladesh or Netherlands.
Bangladesh will claim that place if they beat Nepal in their final first-round match in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday but a defeat would keep Netherlands in the mix, although the Dutch would need to beat Sri Lanka in St Lucia on the same day and overhaul a big net run-rate deficit to advance from Group D, alongside South Africa.
Catch every match from the T20 World Cup, including the final in Barbados on Saturday June 29, live on Sky Sports.
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