England’s T20 World Cup title defense has been set ablaze after a win over Oman, with Jos Buttler’s men reaching their target of 48 in just 19 balls.

What does that mean for their Super 8 chances, and what could stop them from reaching the second round in the Caribbean?

What do England need to do to qualify?

Win and hope.

The magnitude of their victory over Oman means that England realistically no longer have to worry about net run-rate taking them out.

With this statistic seeing a huge increase from -1.80 to +3.08, and now above Scotland’s +2.164, if the teams ultimately finish on five points, England will almost certainly progress via net run-rate.

So a win over Namibia in Antigua on Saturday (6pm UK) will be enough for Buttler’s side – provided Scotland are beaten by already qualified Australia in St Lucia (1.30pm, Sunday).

What could go wrong for the defending champions?

A lot of.

Firstly, we cannot ignore the fact that Namibia have built an upset against England as we have seen some surprising results in this tournament so far, none more so than the US victory over Pakistan.

England could also be upended by the weather, as an outbreak in Antigua and/or St Lucia would leave them below Scotland with points piled up and an early exit.

We also have to remember that Scotland are a damn good team and are more than capable of beating Australia. They plundered 90-0 from 10 overs against England before the rain set in in Barbados last week, with openers George Munsey and Michael Jones impressing.

And then we have the prospect of some Australian deception…

Say what now?

That’s right, Australia can still wreck things for England.

With qualification assured and no points being carried over to the next stage, Australia may choose to rest players against Scotland.

The Aussies also already know which Super 8 pool they’ll be playing in – to help with planning, the eight seeded teams were told in advance which group they’d be in if they went through – so there’s nothing at stake for 2021 champions.

Seam bowler Josh Hazlewood also put forward the idea that it was in Australia’s “best interests” to eliminate a team as strong as England to avoid potentially facing each other in the semi-finals or final standing, suggesting his men might attempt a slow chase to maintain competition. Scotland’s net run rate is above that of England.

However, now that scenario is over thanks to Buttler’s boys’ resounding win over Oman, the only way Australia can beat England is by losing – and it’s hard to see any sporting side, let alone an Australian one, throwing in the towel on that to throw in the ring. way.

If they were found guilty of manipulating the outcome by the ICC, captain Mitchell Marsh could face a ban of up to two matches as well as a financial penalty, so it seems unlikely that will happen…

What’s next?

England play Namibia in Antigua from 6pm on Saturday (UK and Irish time), with Scotland match against Australia in St Lucia starts at 1.30am on Sunday as Group B concludes.

Watch every match of the T20 World Cup, including the final in Barbados on Saturday, June 29, live on Sky Sports.

Advertising content | Stream Sky Sports NOW

Stream Sky Sports live without a contract with a monthly or daily membership on NOW. Instant access to live action from the Premier League and EFL, plus darts, cricket, F1, tennis, golf and much more.