England Set Namibia Target of 127 in Rain-Marred T20 World Cup Clash
England Beat Namibia in Rain-Reduced Match
England have kept their hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup alive with a 127-run win over Namibia in a rain-reduced match. The reigning champions were set a target of 127 in 10 overs after the match was reduced due to rain. England reached the target with six balls to spare, with Jos Buttler scoring 33 off 23 balls.
England Stay in the Hunt for Semi-Finals Spot
The victory moves England up to third place in Group B, with two wins from three matches. They will now face Pakistan in their final group game, knowing that a win will see them progress to the semi-finals. Namibia, meanwhile, are bottom of the group with three defeats from three matches.
The match was played in front of a sell-out crowd at the North Sound Cricket Ground in Antigua. The rain delay meant that the match was reduced to 10 overs per side. England won the toss and elected to bat first, but they lost three wickets in the first three overs.
Jason Roy was caught for 14, Alex Hales was bowled for 3, and Dawid Malan was caught for 1. Buttler and Liam Livingstone then steadied the innings with a partnership of 68 runs. Livingstone was eventually out for 27, but Buttler continued to score freely. He hit three fours and two sixes before he was finally caught by Tangeni Lungameni for 33.
England's total of 126 for 8 looked a competitive one, but Namibia got off to a flying start in their chase. Stephan Baard and Michael van Lingen put on 30 for the first wicket, but England took regular wickets to keep the Namibians in check.
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