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NEW DELHI: Adil Rashid’s triple strike turned the game on its head before Tom Banton’s unbeaten half-century steered England to a vital five-wicket win over Scotland, keeping their Super Eights hopes alive in the T20 World Cup on Saturday.

In a must-win Group C encounter following their surprise defeat to West Indies, the two-time champions opted to field and relied on Rashid (3/36) and Liam Dawson (2/34) to choke Scotland at the death, bowling them out for 152 in 19.4 overs.

Scotland were cruising at 113 for 3 in 12.3 overs and looked well on course for 180-plus, but a sudden collapse that saw them lose five wickets for just 14 runs flipped the contest.

Rashid switched ends and picked up three crucial wickets, including skipper Richie Berrington (49), to derail the innings.

Dawson then struck twice in quick succession as Scotland completely lost their grip on the game.

Early Jitters, Banton Holds Firm

Chasing a manageable target, England stumbled early and slumped to 13 for 2 inside two overs before Banton crafted a match-winning 63 not out off 41 balls (4x4, 3x6).

Will Jacks sealed the deal with a six and a four off Brad Wheal as England completed the chase in 18.2 overs.

After edging past Nepal and then being outclassed by West Indies, England bounced back strongly and climbed to second place in the group with four points, behind the table-toppers.

They now take on Italy on Monday in a bid to seal their Super Eights qualification.

England needed stability and Banton found an able partner in Jacob Bethell (32 off 28 balls; 2x4, 1x6). The duo stitched together a 66-run stand off 45 balls to steady the innings.

Phil Salt (2) chipped Brandon McMullen to cover, while Jos Buttler (3) mistimed a lofted drive off Brad Currie and failed to clear the infield.

McMullen sprinted back from mid-off to complete a superb over-the-shoulder catch.

Bethell countered with a flat six over wide long-on and followed it up with crisp boundaries through third man and point.

Banton, who had survived on 7 after Matthew Cross failed to grab a difficult chance standing up to the stumps, gradually found his rhythm.

Davidson finally broke the partnership when Bethell’s slog-sweep went straight to backward point.

Scotland tightened the screws and struck again as Harry Brook’s attempted scoop was caught by Brad Wheal at short fine leg, reducing England to 86 for 4 in 10.4 overs.

But Banton stayed composed. He brought up a crucial 33-ball fifty — a welcome return after three single-digit scores — and added 46 runs with Sam Curran (28 off 20 balls) to lay the platform.

Spin Twins Trigger Dramatic Collapse

Earlier, Scotland looked set for a big total at 113 for 3 before England’s spin pair turned the tide in the middle overs.

After leaking 26 runs in his first two overs, Rashid changed to the High Court End and transformed the contest.

Against the flow of play, he dismissed Berrington for a 32-ball 49 (5x4, 2x6), denying him a half-century.

In his very next over, Rashid struck twice in three balls to remove Matthew Cross and Mark Watt.

Watt was beaten all ends up as the ball spun through the gate and shattered his stumps.

Rashid finished with figures of 3/36, while left-arm spinner Dawson (2/34) provided strong support with two wickets in two overs.

Together, the spin duo claimed five wickets in four overs as Scotland crashed from 113/3 to 127/8 in a stunning slide.

Jamie Overton (1/23) also kept things tight as Scotland never recovered from the collapse.

Archer’s Burst and Scotland’s Counter

England had struck early through Jofra Archer (2/24), who removed in-form opener George Munsey (4) and Brandon McMullen (0) in the space of three balls during the powerplay.

Michael Jones (33 off 20 balls) tried to inject momentum, smashing Sam Curran for two fours and a six in the final over of the powerplay before falling in the same over.

Scotland were 42/3 at the end of the powerplay.

The momentum briefly swung when Berrington launched a counterattack against the spinners.

He used Rashid’s flight cleverly, striking him for a boundary and a six in an 18-run over, with Bruce adding another maximum.

The pair put on 71 runs off just 41 balls for the fourth wicket, placing Scotland in a commanding position before the collapse.

The surface offered extra pace and bounce, something Archer exploited with sharp short balls in his opening spell.

The pacer also reached a landmark, becoming only the third English fast bowler after Stuart Broad and Mark Wood to claim 50 wickets in all three formats.

(With PTI Inputs)