Brook hails ‘brilliant’ Banton as England back on track at T20 World Cup. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Unbalanced reporting

Presenting mainly one side’s perspective while giving little or no voice to the other side involved.

The article focuses almost entirely on England’s performance and Harry Brook’s praise of Tom Banton. Examples: - “England captain Harry Brook paid tribute to Tom Banton, who starred with the bat to guide England to a five-wicket win over Scotland…” - Multiple quotes from Brook about Banton’s innings and qualities. Scotland’s role is limited to factual mentions of their total and Mark Watt’s expensive over: “Scotland’s modest total was looking to be more tricky than England would have liked… Banton then launched Mark Watt for three towering sixes…” There are no quotes from Scottish players or coaches, and no description of any positive aspects of Scotland’s performance.

3 suggestions

Add at least one quote or reaction from a Scotland player or coach about the match, for example their view on the total they set, their bowling plans, or how they felt about the turning point over.

Include a brief description of any notable Scottish performances (e.g., top scorer, key bowler spells) to balance the focus on Banton.

Rephrase “Scotland’s modest total” to a more neutral description such as “Scotland’s total of 153” unless supported by comparative context (e.g., average scores at Eden Gardens in similar conditions).

Biased language

Use of value-laden or one-sided positive language that can subtly favor one side, even if common in sports reporting.

Most evaluative language is in direct quotes from Brook, which is appropriate, but the narrative also adopts some framing that leans toward England: - “Scotland’s modest total was looking to be more tricky than England would have liked…” – “modest” is a mild evaluative term that downplays Scotland’s effort without context. The rest of the strong adjectives (e.g., “awesome”, “brilliant innings”, “powerful player”) are clearly attributed to Brook, which is standard and acceptable, but they contribute to a strongly positive portrayal of England with no balancing positive language about Scotland.

3 suggestions

Where possible, keep evaluative adjectives in attributed quotes and use neutral wording in the reporter’s voice. For example: “Scotland’s total of 153 initially posed some difficulty for England…” instead of “Scotland’s modest total…”

If using evaluative terms like “modest”, add context to justify them (e.g., “modest by Eden Gardens standards, where first-innings scores have averaged around 180 in this tournament”).

Balance positive language about England with at least brief acknowledgment of Scotland’s strengths in the match, if any (e.g., “Scotland’s new-ball bowlers reduced England to 13-2, briefly putting them under pressure”).