England dominates West Indies to secure eight-wicket victory
Key Points(5)
- Their final total of 180 for four from their 20 overs seemed insufficient on a hard, true Daren Sammy Cricket Ground pitch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Indies' bowlers got little assistance from the pitch under the lights and failed to bail out their team.
- Roston Chase made the breakthrough, getting Buttler lbw for 25 on review, followed by Russell removing left-hander Moeen Ali for 13 in the 11th over.
- However, Bairstow then seized the initiative with some enterprising batting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hosein felt the weight of Bairstow’s bat in the 15th over, conceding a four, a six, and another four off the first three balls.
- Although the match hung in the balance with England still requiring 46 from the final five overs, the tide turned decisively when Romario Shepherd bowled a forgettable over.
- Salt hit him for three fours and three sixes, virtually sealing the contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Those kinds of chances to Salt are always difficult,” Powell remarked.
West Indies made a timid start to the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup as their batting line-up failed to ignite and Phil Salt's masterful performance guided England to an eight-wicket victory on Wednesday.
The Caribbean team struggled to find momentum after being put in to bat, with opener Brandon King retiring hurt on 23 due to a side strain in the fifth over. Their final total of 180 for four from their 20 overs seemed insufficient on a hard, true Daren Sammy Cricket Ground pitch.
West Indies' bowlers got little assistance from the pitch under the lights and failed to bail out their team. Salt crafted a perfectly executed, unbeaten 87 off 47 balls, and Jonny Bairstow contributed 48 not out, leading England to a successful run chase.
“After batting first, I think we left 15 or 20 runs out there as a batting group,” West Indies captain Rovman Powell said. “But we could have given a better display with the ball as a bowling group.”
Wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran dropped Salt, on seven
The problems for the co-hosts intensified when wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran dropped Salt, on seven, off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in the third over. Powell tried Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Andre Russell, and pace spearhead Alzarri Joseph in the Power Play, but none could secure a wicket, allowing England to cruise to 58 without loss with Salt and fellow opener Jos Buttler ticking along comfortably.
England, similar to the West Indies innings, struggled for runs between the seventh and 10th overs, reaching 83 for one at the halfway stage. Roston Chase made the breakthrough, getting Buttler lbw for 25 on review, followed by Russell removing left-hander Moeen Ali for 13 in the 11th over. However, Bairstow then seized the initiative with some enterprising batting.
Hosein felt the weight of Bairstow’s bat in the 15th over, conceding a four, a six, and another four off the first three balls. Although the match hung in the balance with England still requiring 46 from the final five overs, the tide turned decisively when Romario Shepherd bowled a forgettable over. Salt hit him for three fours and three sixes, virtually sealing the contest.
“Those kinds of chances to Salt are always difficult,” Powell remarked. “You have to give credit to Phil. He seems to like playing against West Indies because every time he plays against us, he always hurts us. But we strayed away a little bit from our plans, especially to Phil, and it is just for us to look back at those plans and re-evaluate.”
West Indies batsmen got starts but none carried on
Earlier, several West Indies batsmen got starts but none carried on. Hometown hero Johnson Charles led with 38, Pooran hit 36, Powell blasted the same score in quick time, and Sherfane Rutherford added 28 not out. However, the problems began when King went down, just as he seemed to be finding his rhythm.
West Indies ended the Power Play on 54 without loss, but neither Charles nor Pooran could find their hitting range, leaving the hosts at 82 without loss at the halfway stage. Charles was caught inside the long-on boundary off Ali in the 12th over after a stand of 52 with Pooran carried West Indies to 94 for one. Powell then jumpstarted the innings with five sixes in his 17-ball knock but was caught at short third man off Liam Livingstone's leg-spin, which triggered a mini-collapse.
West Indies now fly to Barbados to face Group "A" runners-up and fellow tournament co-hosts United States on Friday under the lights at Kensington Oval, before heading to Antigua for another night match against Group D winners South Africa at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
England was scheduled to meet South Africa in their next match on Friday morning at the DSCG before completing their Super Eight schedule against the Americans on Sunday morning at Kensington Oval.
