WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN!

Mott: We are now real deal after awful start

- MIKE WALTERS

ENGLAND coach Matthew Mott claims his players have gone from "rock bottom" to the real deal in six months and warned India: "It's time we threw the first punch."

Mott's job was on the line after England's torrid flop in the 50-over World Cup before Christmas, when they lost six of their nine games.

But Lord's director of cricket Rob Key held firm, insisting Mott and skipper Jos Buttler had earned the right to defend their Twenty20 crown in the Caribbean.

Now, after walking a tightrope through a rain-hit group phase, England face a blockbuster semi-final in Guyana where all the cards are stacked in India's favour - from an ominous weather forecast to lop-sided playing regulations. But Mott believes their dismal white-ball experience last winter will stand them in good stead.