It's the 'other' Scotland v England clash on Saturday - but T20 World Cup tie has potential to make history

Sure, you might describe it as the ‘other’ Scotland-England game taking place on Saturday; there’s a history and glamour about The Calcutta Cup guaranteed to overshadow anything as new-fangled as the T20 World Cup.

But the prize on offer for Scotland’s cricketers in Kolkata’s famous Eden Gardens certainly remains precious in its own right. And there is no doubt that the Scots – late additions to the tournament but already impressing after two games of their Group C campaign – understand the historic opportunity laid in front of them.

Facing opponents who have lost to the West Indies and struggled past Nepal, with the shadow of a shambolic Ashes tour still looming over all aspects of the English game, Scotland remain rank outsiders. Yet victory over Italy (not an achievement within the grasp of every Scotland national side) and running the Windies close has inspired confidence.

For many in the squad, the prospect of a dream double – a win over their own followed by Gregor Townsend’s boys getting their Six Nations campaign back on track – represents the ideal weekend.

“Yeah, there's definitely a few rugby boys in the squad,” said wicket keeper-batsman Matthew Cross. “So I know they'll definitely be glued to the screen when the time's right. I'll be honest, I've no idea what the time difference is and when it's on but if we've got an opportunity to watch it, I think we'll be watching that as well.

“Hopefully after we've done our bit. And then it's over to the rugby lads to get it done as well.

“I think we know how important this game is. But, ultimately, our goal is to make sure we try and get to the Super 8 stage - and to do that we have to beat England. I think it's pretty straightforward for us now.

“We’re pretty excited to be honest. I think it's kind of what we play the game for, these opportunities to take on teams like England and beat them.

“Obviously the last time we managed to complete a game against England we won (back in 2018). And we got ourselves into a position in the West Indies game to have a crack at it but we obviously fell short.

“So I think it seems to be one of these games where the guys tend to step up and we seem to perform better. Hopefully that's the case again and we get to complete the game this time.”

A victory to talk about for years

Insisting that the 2018 win will NOT feature in pre-match conversations, Cross explained: “I think it's just there in the background. It's something to say that we've done this before so we can do it again.

“But that's a long time ago now. So it'd be nice to be talking about a win in 2026 against England for a few years.”

Scotland were called into the tournament late, of course, after Bangladesh’s refusal to play in India. After visas were expedited and travel plans rushed, it’s fair to say they’ve settled quickly.

Cross said: “I think there's a bit of a freshness about the group that sometimes you don't always get if you have a big build-up. So I think guys are more raring to go.

“Bar a few overs going wrong against the West Indies, we could have won that one as well. So I think all things considered it's going pretty well.

“I think just drawing on a lot of experience, you know? This is quite an experienced squad and we've got guys who've done it in multiple different scenarios.

“We also have that confidence of having beaten every team we play in this group at different stages in different formats. So I think it's just drawing on that experience and understanding what it takes for us to win these kind of games.

“And it's been amazing. Obviously, it's a bit different to back home in terms of everyone knows who you are straight away and really wants to get around you and take photos and things like that.

“So it's been a bit chaotic but at the same time really good and, you know, playing in some stadiums like Eden Gardens in Mumbai, it's incredible. Things that, you know, you wouldn't have thought you might be doing a few years ago.”