The English side restricted the West Indies to a total of 180 runs, thanks to their exceptional death bowling, and then chased down the target in just 17.3 overs, powered by the explosive batting of Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow, at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia.
Following England’s resounding victory, West Indies legend Ian Bishop took to social media to criticise his team for conceding defeat too easily. He pointed out what went wrong for the co-hosts in the game.
“Can’t afford 51 dot balls on a good batting surface,” Bishop wrote on X.
England captain Jos Buttler‘s decision to bowl first after winning the toss quickly proved to be a wise one.
Despite a cautious start, Brandon King ignited the crowd with a massive 101-metre six and three boundaries. However, misfortune struck when King, on 23, suffered a side strain and had to retire hurt, leaving the West Indies in a vulnerable state.
The responsibility of stabilising the innings fell on the shoulders of Nicholas Pooran and Johnson Charles. Charles began to play more aggressively, but England’s bowlers maintained discipline and kept the scoring rate under control.
When Charles was dismissed for a well-played 38, Rovman Powell elevated himself in the batting order and provided a much-needed boost with a scintillating cameo. Powell’s 36 off just 17 deliveries, which included five massive sixes, three of them off Liam Livingstone, raised hopes of the West Indies reaching an imposing total.
England’s bowlers, however, mounted a comeback just as the hosts appeared poised to surpass the 200-run mark.
Livingstone made amends by removing Powell in the same over, while Jofra Archer dismissed the struggling Pooran, who scored 36 off 32 balls. Adil Rashid then struck a vital blow, luring Andre Russell into a poorly executed shot that resulted in a catch.
The West Indies ultimately posted a total of 180, despite a late flourish from Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed a quick-fire 28 from 15 balls.
Salt spearheaded England’s dominant performance with a blistering knock, amassing runs off just 47 deliveries. His innings featured seven boundaries and five maximums. Bairstow provided valuable support, remaining unbeaten on 48 off a mere 26 balls, including five fours and two sixes.
However, the English bowling unit deserves equal praise for their disciplined effort. They collectively delivered an impressive 51 dot balls, with Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid being the standout performers.
Archer conceded only 34 runs in his spell, while Rashid was even more economical, giving away just 21 runs. Together, they accounted for 22 of the total dot balls bowled.
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The convincing victory, achieved with 15 balls to spare, significantly boosted England’s net run-rate to 1.343. This impressive performance propelled them to the top of the standings, surpassing South Africa, who had earlier secured a win against co-hosts USA on the same day.
West Indies will next take on the United States on Saturday in Barbados, while England will face South Africa on Friday in St Lucia.
