'Doesn't take much': Wade's rage helps sink reigning champs

A heated exchange between Matthew Wade and England captain Jos Buttler proved the impetus for Adam Zampa's latest big-game World Cup performance, as the leg-spinner suggested their opponents' frustration got the better of them.

Zampa said England had been "under the pump and it showed" as Australia slammed their highest score at a T20 World Cup, before the 32-year-old led a strangling bowling performance that has Buttler's men battling for survival in the Caribbean.

Wade only made 17no and did not effect a dismissal, but Zampa pointed to the tactical nous and fiery demeanour of Australia's vice-captain as a major factor in their 36-run win.

While batting, the wicketkeeper was left incensed after pulling out of facing up to an Adil Rashid delivery. He blocked it, but forcefully insisted to officials a dead ball should be signalled. When umpire Nitin Menon refused, Wade shared more tense words with Buttler behind the stumps.

Travis Head later suggested Wade had heard music playing over the ground’s loudspeaker when Rashid was about to bowl, having hit his previous delivery for a boundary.

"It's very rare for him to block the next one, especially Wadey," said Head. "I think he didn’t really have intention (to face up) – it followed him, he blocked it, Wadey just asked the question. Wadey obviously felt it went one way and Jos at the time felt it went the other."

Zampa added: "I think he felt like that it was the same basically as letting it hit him in the leg on a dead ball. But it doesn’t take much to fire Wadey up."

Buttler conceded in hindsight he could have agreed to have Rashid re-bowl the ball.

"I think he pulled away and then played it, so I think the umpire was like, 'Well, you sort of played it', but he said he pulled away," Buttler told reporters at Kensington Oval.

"And to be honest, I was thinking about many other things at that point. Whether I should have said, 'I don't know if he pulled away and let's just carry on'. But the umpire seemed to be like, 'Well, because he played it, it's a dot ball'.

"I can't speak for him, whether he looked up late, but he seemed ready and then pulled out very late and I think that's what the umpire was saying."

Incidentally, Buttler had been in a similar position in an incident involving Wade two years ago when he elected not to appeal for obstructing the field when the Tasmanian clearly impeded Mark Wood's attempt to catch him.

Regardless, Saturday's incident lit the fuse for Wade, who celebrated Buttler's dismissal to Zampa with added vigour.

Zampa said the 36-year-old wicketkeeper, Mitch Marsh's deputy at this World Cup, had played a key part in him snaring the scalps of both openers to turn the game.

Buttler and opening partner Phil Salt blazed 73 from the first seven overs of their run chase, emulating David Warner and Head's earlier peppering of a short square boundary.

That was when Wade sparked Zampa into action as the laid-back tweaker from Byron Bay dismissed both openers in consecutive overs.

"Wadey is a fiery guy, super competitive – and something ticked him over a little bit today and that's what we love about Wadey," Zampa said after the Aussies took top spot in Group B.

"I think after the six or seventh over mark he came up to me and said, 'Let's not sit back here, let's go. We can't wait for them to make the mistake because they’re not going to'. Basically stay in the contest.

"That’s the beautiful thing about Wadey, having him behind the stumps – so competitive, you hear his voice and that makes a huge difference. If you've got a wicketkeeper who is quiet, whose body language is the opposite of someone like Wadey, you can feel that as well."

England's body language was visibly downcast at times, most notably when Jonny Bairstow and Jofra Archer both failed to attempt to stop a boundary that went between them.

That came after Warner and Head carted 74 off the Powerplay, with Buttler admitting his decision to bowl Will Jacks with the new ball back-fired as the off-spinner conceded 22 from his only over.

"I think they were under the pump and it showed," Zampa said of England, who could win their next two games against Oman and Namibia and still not qualify depending on how Scotland fare.

"It's so hard to bowl it in the Powerplay, and if your bowlers aren't summing up the conditions quickly it can get frustrating.

"Heady and Davey took advantage of it. We try not to be like that. We speak about it a bit. Our leadership isn't like that. It's 'Cummo' (Cummins, the Test and ODI captain), 'Bison' (Marsh) who are very calm. That helps us, as bowlers as well."

2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Australia's squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Australia's Group B fixtures

June 6: Beat Oman by 39 runs

June 9: Beat England by 36 runs

June 12: v Namibia, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua, 10.30am AEST

June 16: v Scotland, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia, 10.30am AEST

Super Eights, finals to follow if Australia qualify

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