England ignite their T20 World Cup defence with demolition of Oman as Jos Buttler's side chase down 47 in just 19 balls to lift net run rate above Scotland

England’s World Cup defence looked a whole lot healthier after they pulverised Oman in the most one-sided game in the tournament’s history.

Jos Buttler’s side completed an eight-wicket win in less than an hour and three-quarters, knocking over their opponents for 47, then knocking off the runs in 19 balls - the World Cup’s quickest chase.

Most importantly of all, it means they will begin tomorrow’s game here against Namibia with a better net run-rate than Scotland. Assuming England beat the Namibians in anything but the tightest of games, Scotland’s only hope, apart from unexpected rain, will be to beat Australia in St Lucia. 

England’s fate, then, technically remains out of their hands, but Australia - for all the talk from Josh Hazlewood about manipulating the net run-rate against the Scots - have not lost to an associate side since Zimbabwe stunned them at the 1983 one-day World Cup at Trent Bridge. It would be a surprise if England don’t progress from here. For the moment at least, they are breathing more easily.

England have received some justified stick for their misspent week in Barbados, where they were embarrassed by Scotland’s openers before the rain spared them from worse, then outclassed by Australia. Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott have been walking around with a large target over their heads, and none of the criticism - following a dismal 50-over World Cup in India in the autumn - has felt beyond the pale.

But this was a powerful retort against an Oman side good enough to have pushed Namibia to a super over, then scored 125 for nine against Australia and 150 for seven against the Scots. England, the bit between their teeth, simply made it look like men against boys.

‘Job done,’ said Buttler. ‘We bowled brilliantly, and looked to be positive, to try to take advantage of the net run-rate. I’ve been around long enough to know that people make comments. We know what's going on in the dressing-room. We have another huge match to come, and we can only control what we do.’

England’s openers walked out for the chase knowing they needed to win in 5.2 overs, or 32 balls, to surpass Scotland’s net run-rate even before the Namibia match. When Phil Salt launched the first two deliveries over extra cover for six from left-armer Bilal Khan, their mood was clear. Salt fell next ball, playing on as he aimed more violence, before Will Jacks perished cheaply amid the flurry of strokes.

But wickets were irrelevant. What mattered was speed, and Buttler hurried England to their target with four fours and a six in Bilal’s second over. When Jonny Bairstow pulled Fayyaz Butt to the fine-leg fence moments later, victory had come in 19 balls. The entire game had lasted less than an hour and three-quarters.

England’s innings built on a ruthless performance from their bowlers, after Buttler had chosen to bowl. The rout, watched by a thin crowd, began in the second over, when Jofra Archer took revenge for being spanked for four by having Pratik Athavale caught low down at cover by Salt. And Archer struck again in his second over, Oman captain Aqib Ilyas prodding low to Jacks in the gully.

Wood then induced a leading edge off Zeeshan Maqsood with his first delivery, snaffling an easy return catch, before Kashyap Prajapati pulled his sixth ball tamely to square leg. When Buttler stumped Khalid Kail at the second attempt, Oman were 25 for five, and a weight was beginning to lift from English shoulders.

There were moments of scruffiness. Moeen Ali dropped a sitter at slip to reprieve left-hander Maqsood off Archer, while Liam Livingstone dived over one in the covers during a tight opening spell from Reece Topley, who had replaced Chris Jordan.

But Wood persuaded Ayaan Khan to chop on for a single, and Rashid had Mehran Khan providing Moeen with catching practice at slip four balls later. He then produced a pair of googlies to bowl Fayyaz Butt and Kaleemullah, leaving Shoaib Khan as the only Omani to reach double figures. But he spooned Archer to Buttler, and the innings was done and dusted in little more than an hour.

Rashid had four for 11, while both Wood - who had spent part of the previous day’s training session doing laps of the outfield with team psychologist David Young - and Archer picked up three for 12.

Only West Indies, who were all out for 45 at Basseterre in March 2019, have been dismissed for fewer in a T20 international by England. A total of four fours and Prajapati’s bold six over cover off Topley were the sole moments Oman threatened to break the stranglehold.

On an island that enjoys its cocktails, this was just the tonic before Namibia. When managing director Rob Key rejoins the tour, he should find a camp whose smiles have become a little less forced.