Andre Russell took three wickets and produced an unbeaten partnership with captain Rovman Powell to the lead the West Indies to a four-wicket victory over England within the series-opening T20 in Bridgetown.
Phil Salt (40) received England off to a flying begin after sharing a 77-run partnership with Jos Buttler (39) contained in the opening six overs, having misplaced the toss and being despatched to bat first, just for the West Indies to hit again and bowl the guests out for 171 inside 19.3 overs.
Rehan Ahmed (3-39) took two wickets in successive balls to go away West Indies struggling at 123-6 in reply, following a brief climate delay, with Adil Rashid (2-14) additionally impressing as he marked his one centesimal T20I look by changing into the primary England males’s participant to achieve 100 T20I wickets.
Adil Rashid (centre) claimed the wickets of Kyle Mayers (35) and Shimron Hetmyer (1)
Powell and Russell (29no) then led the cost with an unbeaten 49-run seventh-wicket stand from simply 21 balls, because the West Indies chased down their victory goal with 11 balls to spare to maneuver 1-0 up within the five-match sequence.
West Indies seize sequence opener
Salt smashed six boundaries and one six throughout his outing however was caught at deep midwicket by an excellent juggling catch from Shimron Hetmyer, who additionally had skipper Buttler caught at cow nook, as England did not construct on a quick begin that noticed them 112-2 halfway via their innings.
Will Jacks (17) fired two sixes in his quickfire innings earlier than being eliminated by Alzarri Joseph (3-54), who conceded 25 runs from his first over – the most costly of his profession – however managed to complete on extra respectable figures after mopping up the tail.
England’s Will Jacks, proper, celebrates with captain Jos Buttler after hitting a six off Alzarri Joseph
Romario Shepherd (2-22) introduced an finish to Ben Duckett’s (14) cameo within the 14th over with a slower ball that was ramped to 3rd and struck once more within the 18th over to dismiss Sam Curran (13), however it was the terrific leaping catch from Joseph at long-off that invited the applause of the gang on the Kensington Oval.
Brook (one) edged behind to Pooran while Liam Livingstone (27) chopped an off-cutter from Russell (3-19) on to his stumps, with Russell – enjoying in his first worldwide for the reason that 2021 T20 World Cup – placing once more 4 balls later to have Ahmed (one) caught at long-off by Powell.
Andre Russell was awarded participant of the match on his return to worldwide cricket
Joseph then completed strongly by dismissing Rashid (0) within the ultimate over, with Tymal Mills (0) then caught behind from the following ball to go away England all out for 171.
Brandon King (22) and Kyle Mayers (35) placed on a gradual 32-run partnership in reply earlier than the previous smashed a brief ball at Duckett, who accomplished an amazing leaping catch, because the West Indies amassed 78 runs inside the primary six overs.
Ahmed (3-39) had Nicholas Pooran (13) out caught and bowled to maneuver the sport again in direction of England, with Rashid claiming his landmark wicket within the subsequent over when he had Hetmyer (one) caught at mid-wicket by Duckett simply earlier than a 40-minute rain delay.
Ahmed had Shai Hope (36) caught at large long-on and put to make use of the slip Butter provided him to dismiss Shepherd (0) for a golden duck, leaving the hosts nonetheless needing 49, earlier than costly overs from Livingstone and Mills noticed the West Indies add 32 inside two overs and transfer momentum again of their favour.
Russell hit Rashid for a six after which 4 to carry the required runs all the way down to 4 runs earlier than carving Sam Curran (0-23) to the backward level boundary to finish a successful begin to the sequence.
Buttler: ‘We need to preserve pushing boundaries’
England’s captain Jos Buttler:
“It was always going to get harder, the pitch, with the way it played. I thought the West Indies adapted with the taking the pace off the ball but, from the position we were in, we were looking for a score of 200.
Jos Buttler scored 39 in England’s four-wicket loss
“We want to keep pushing the boundaries and try to be as positive as we can. But it’s about finding ways to keep scoring in that way.
“In the present day, because it received tougher and tougher, discovering methods to minimise dot balls and choose off sure areas. Getting these additional 20, 25 runs in an retro means aswell, in order that’s one thing we will mirror on and do nicely.”
What’s next?
The five-match T20 international series now heads to Grenada for back-to-back matches on Thursday and Saturday, both starting at 5.30pm GMT. They then move to Trinidad and Tobago for the final two fixtures on December 19 and December 21, both 10pm starts. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW
