England were made to fight to the wire in a typically hard-fought first Calcutta Cup clash of the day before edging nearer to the second stage of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Victory against Italy back at Eden Gardens on Monday will rubber-stamp the passage to the Super Eight phase of the competition, but a Scottish team here as last-minute replacements for Bangladesh proved a might nuisance once again.
Five of this XI were in the Scotland team that humbled England in a one-day international in Edinburgh eight years ago and the majority were in Barbados two years ago when rain prevented them defending a 109-run target in 10 overs in pursuit of another famous win.
Despite the positivity drummed up by the pre-tournament whitewash of Sri Lanka, defeat here would almost certainly have signalled England’s involvement in the tournament and this was a nervy display in which they were thankful for Scotland posting a score under par by 20 runs.
England’s hero was Tom Banton, who has not looked back since displacing Ben Duckett in the XI. An unbeaten half-century, his second in five appearances, was the cornerstone of a five-wicket win, completed with 10 balls unused when Will Jacks slammed back-to-back boundaries.
In a match of functional, unimaginative cricket, England were mightily relieved to have players like Banton, Sam Curran and Jacob Bethell, who were prepared to take on the boundaries, at a time when their seniors have gone off the boil.
Tom Banton’s half-century helped guide nervy England to a five-wicket victory over Scotland
Harry Brook’s side edged towards the second stage with by beating Scotland, who once again proved to be a nuisance
Phil Salt’s struggles so far in the tournament continued after being dismissed for two runs
Phil Salt had said on the eve of this contest that ’an opportunity to upset England is most Scotsmen’s dream,’ and they gave themselves hope of doing so with his early dismissal as
Brandon McMullen – bowling in the mid 70s in terms of miles per hour, with wicketkeeper Mathew Cross stood up to the stumps – lured him into a tame poke to cover in the first over of the chase.
Salt is England’s most prolific centurion in this format, and one who has plenty of experience in these conditions as a regular Indian Premier League participant and current champion, but he is yet to progress beyond the 19th ball of an innings here so far.
And his opening partner Jos Buttler is not faring much better. Attempting to turn the pressure upon left-armer Brad Currie, he only succeeded in doubling Scotland’s wicket tally in the second over when he miscued to mid-off.
Suddenly, at 13 for two, England’s prospects were taking on the characteristics of the atmosphere: murky. And things so nearly took a further turn for the worse when an edge from Bethell on seven was put down by Cross off McMullen.
From 54 for two, however, Banton seized his chance to shove the Scots onto the back foot, slamming three sixes in as many legitimate deliveries to welcome left-armer spinner Mark Watt into the attack.
Even then Bethell and captain Harry Brook invited the Scots back into things with a couple of ungainly scoops in consecutive overs, and it took Banton’s brutal hitting and Curran’s poise to ward off further panic.
Just as against West Indies on Wednesday, England began with three wickets in the power play after Brook won the toss, but this time in one of few welcoming signs for the day it was Jofra Archer who prevailed.
Archer had shipped 90 runs across the first two Group C matches, but was soon lowering that economy rate with an incisive opening spell that included him taking two wickets, taking him to 50 in T20 internationals in the process.
Harry Brook had given Scotland hope with an ungainly scoop – an over after Jacob Bethell had been dismissed in similar fashion
Jofra Archer took two wickets in a incisive opening spell in a major positive for England
George Munsey and Brandon McMullen were both unable to deal with his pace, being rushed into errors in the third over.
And when Michael Jones was suckered by a slower ball bouncer from Sam Curran in the sixth, Scotland were forced to rebuild.
But Scotland captain Richie Berrington, regularly moving outside leg-stump to give himself room, countered with ex-New Zealand international Tom Bruce in support, sharing a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket.
It was the first of five in a four-over spell that kept Scotland to a modest total, and England were thankful for that ahead of the other Calcutta Cup meeting 5,000 miles away in Edinburgh.