Rovman Powell and Andre Russell embrace after sealing victory for West Indies in Barbados
Credit: Randy Brooks/AFP
The power; the poise; the sheer audacity to see a fielder on the boundary ropes as no encumbrance at all. England were braced for what to expect from West Indies’ phalanx of six-hitters at a heaving Kensington Oval.
Knowing what awaits, though, is not the same as having a response. England’s plans for West Indies’ batting thudded into the reality of a line-up of such depth that Andre Russell – perhaps the most feared six-hitter in T20 history and, aged 35, now back in international cricket after two years away – waltzed out at number eight.
He plundered 29* – including a slog sweep from an Adil Rashid googly that soared onto the top of the scoreboard. A ferocious cut, which bounced just inside the rope, sealed West Indies’ four-wicket victory with 11 balls remaining. Russell marked his comeback, which head coach Darren Sammy had strongly advocated, by being player of the match; Jason Holder, who has hit a Test double hundred against England on this ground, wasn’t even needed to bat.
As during their twin T20 World Cup victories, in 2012 and 2016, West Indies beat a team by outhitting them. England hit six sixes; West Indies crashed 14. The ebullient Kyle Mayers hit four in his 21 balls, combining power with such supreme timing that he didn’t just hit them into the Greenidge and Haynes Stand but onto it, peppering the white roof. Shai Hope, West Indies’ anchor at number four, still managed three of his own. Then, after Rehan Ahmed was rewarded for daring to toss the ball up to remove Hope and Romario Shepherd in consecutive balls and reduce West Indies to 123-6, captain Rovman Powell and Russell gallivanted to victory with a stand of 49 from 21 balls. It ended a match that emphatically made good on the promise that the night held.
Kyle Mayers hits one of four big sixes
Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
For all that much bilateral cricket can feel like contractual necessity, as the last vestiges of the day’s sun set over the Kensington Oval, the sense of anticipation in Barbados was not manufactured. This storied ground was sold-out, as anyone navigating Bridgetown’s packed roads could attest.
About half the fans were locals, with attendance buoyed by the spectator-friendly 6pm start and West Indies’ ODI series victory. To see Wes Hall, scourge of Test batsmen in the 1960s and now in his 87th year, signing copies of his book for travelling supporters was to be reminded of the awesome history of the West Indies-England contest.
The catching from both sides was in keeping with the occasion. In West Indies’s run chase, Ben Duckett leapt from his left to pluck the ball out of the air at backward point; Rehan Ahmed then caught-and-bowled Nicholas Pooran, leaping up to his left in his follow through.
West Indies’ own catching had been even more spectacular. Brandon King ran backwards from mid off, overcoming an initial misjudgment and the ball swirling in the wind, to catch Will Jacks, diving at full length; Alzarri Joseph’s perfectly-timed leap at long off intercepted a thundering Sam Curran straight drive.
Rehan Ahmed takes a spectacular catch to dismiss Nicholas Pooran
Credit: Randy Brooks/AFP
Yet the most important catch of the day came from an unlikely source: Shimron Hetmyer, who has often been lampooned for his fitness. From the first ball of the seventh over, Hetmyer intercepted Phil Salt’s blistering pull on the midwicket boundary, flicked the ball in the air as he fell over the ropes and then calmly walked back over the rope to complete the catch.
Attacking the new ball like a more revved-up version of Jason Roy, Salt played with a fluency that none of his teammates could match. After slashing his second ball, from left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, for four, Salt then slog-swept the next past square leg and cut his fifth through point.
This innings distilled Salt’s selflessness and instinctive reaction to hitting any boundary: to double down. Most audaciously, after thrashing Alzarri Joseph over mid off for four, he then backed away next ball, and carved a six over third man. Jos Buttler, who straight driving fiercely and unfurled a trademark scoop – flipping an Andre Russell delivery like it was a pancake with such timing that it soared over the fine leg boundary – seemed almost becalmed by comparison.
Phil Salt carves Alzarri Joseph for six during a thrilling 20-ball 40
Credit: Randy Brooks/AFP
Salt’s blistering 40 felt like the prelude to England reaching 200. Instead, after soaring to 77-0 from the first six overs, England mustered just 94 in the rest.
Russell ended his first over with a slower ball, which Buttler missed – and then told his teammates the template to follow. The Jamaican’s combination of pace and cutters snared 3-19, with Romario Shepherd almost as effective. When Joseph was too quick for Rashid and Tymal Mills, England were all out for 171, three balls shy of batting the full 20 overs. Beginning with Joseph’s terrific catch off Curran, England’s added just six runs, while losing five wickets, in the last three overs – a collapse to rival some of those by the Test team here.
“West Indies adapted,” Buttler said. “We needed to find a way to score 20-25 more runs in that phase which would have been a really good score on that wicket.
“They hit a lot of sixes as a team, that’s something that is a trademark of their side and we’ve got to find ways to limit that. Obviously the swing in the game with sixes is so big.”
Yet, for all West Indies’s success with pace, on a used pitch England were dependent upon spin. As Ahmed and Rashid shared five wickets between them, showing flight, guile and the resilience that all leg spinners need, it vindicated England’s decision to pair the two together. When Hetmyer chipped to midwicket, Rashid became the first ever Englishman to reach 100 T20I wickets.
For all England’s difficulties in the field, the new stop-clock was not one of them: neither side came close to missing the 60-second target to be ready to bowl a new over. Now, an altogether more onerous target awaits England: to win three of the four remaining T20s, beginning in Grenada on Thursday, to avoid another series defeat.
West Indies vs England: As it happened . . .
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2:05AM
WEST INDIES WIN BY FOUR WICKETS!
OVER 19: WI 172/6 (Powell 31, Russell 29) Andre Russell, who had an outstanding game on his return, belts Sam Curran for four to seal victory with 11 balls to spare. England contributed fully to an intriguing game, but West Indies’ batting depth – Andre Russell at eight for goodness sake – proved decisive. The last 43 runs came off just 15 deliveries.
2:02AM
OVER 18: WI 168/6 (Powell 31, Russell 25)
Adil Rashid, who has one over left, is England’s last hope. There is no hope. Russell blocks his first ball and then slog-sweeps an enormous six. It hit the top of the scoreboard and bounced out of the ground.
A clout for four and a single take West Indies to within a boundary of victory.
1:58AM
OVER 17: WI 157/6 (Powell 31, Russell 14)
Tymal Mills returns to the attack. The wet ball makes it harder to bowl the slower deliveries that are such a key part of his armoury. But pace brings different risks, and a sharp bouncer is top-edged for six by Russell.
Powell ends a brilliant over for West Indies with a fierce cut for four. Moments ago they were in trouble; now they’re apparently cruising to victory.
1:51AM
OVER 16: WI 141/6 (Powell 26, Russell 4)
The captain Rovman Powell swings the match back towards West Indies! After four singles in four balls, Powell launched Livingstone for successive sixes down the ground. West Indies need 31 from 24 balls, which is a whole lot better than 43 from 26.
1:46AM
OVER 15: WI 125/6 (Powell 12, Russell 2)
Andre Russell defends the hat-trick ball, then slices just short of Woakes at short third man. That’s the last ball of a mixed but ultimately impressive spell from Rehan Ahmed: 4-0-39-3. He’s 19 years old.
1:44AM
Wicket!
Shepherd c Curran b Rehan 0 Rehan Ahmed is on a hat-trick! Jos Buttler put in a slip for the new batsman Romario Shepherd, who fiddled his first ball to the right of Sam Curran at slip. Rehan Ahmed is the gift that keeps on giving. FOW: 123/6
1:43AM
Wicket!
Hope c Brook b Rehan 36 Six and out for Shai Hope! He slog-swept Rehan Ahmed for six, tried to go again next ball and holed out to Brook running in from long-on. That’s another really impressive comeback from Rehan, who is scarily mature for a 19-year-old. FOW: 123/5
1:40AM
OVER 14: WI 117/4 (Hope 30, Powell 12)
Liam Livingstone comes into the attack. There are two right-handers at the crease so he’ll bowl mainly/exclusively legbreaks. Hope slugs a couple down the ground, with the ball dropping short of long-on on both occasions. Five singles from the over.
It’s getting very tight.
1:36AM
OVER 13: WI 112/4 (Hope 27, Powell 10)
Powell glides the first ball for four despite the presence of a slip and short third man. West Indies need 60 from 42 balls, only 12 of which can be bowled by Rehan and Adil Rashid.
1:35AM
The players are back on the field
Rehan Ahmed has two balls of third over to bowl. Let’s play.
1:29AM
Play will resume at 9.35am in Barbados/1.35am GMT
No overs have been lost, so West Indies need 64 from 44 balls.
1:22AM
The cutoff time is 10.10pm in Barbados
Or 2.10am in the UK. No word yet on whether any overs have been lost.
1:15AM
The covers are coming off
There’s no official resumption time yet, but you’d imagine it won’t take long.
1:05AM
Watch: Rashid takes 100th T20I wicket
1:02AM
Our man at the Kensington Oval
It’s raining very heavily here in Barbados, with no indication when it will stop. Showers tend to pass very quickly here. But if this one doesn’t, West Indies will win by six runs on DLS. Just awaiting news of when the cutoff time is.
12:56AM
Rain stops play
12.4 overs: WI 108/4 (Hope 27, Powell 6)
The captain Powell edges a good delivery from Rehan wide of Buttler for four. And then, out of nothing, a sudden shower blows in and the players run off the field. West Indies are six runs ahead on DLS.
12:53AM
OVER 12: WI 102/4 (Hope 26, Powell 1)
It took Rashid 14 years to reach 100 wickets, mainly because England ignored him for six years before Eoin Morgan took over as captain. He’s an unsung great of English cricket, without whom the glory of 2019 and 2022 would not have been possible.
12:50AM
Wicket!
Hetmyer c Duckett b Rashid 1 Adil Rashid becomes the first England men’s bowler to take 100 T20 wickets! It’s a big one, too, the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer. He swaggered down the track and launched the ball flat and hard towards cow corner, where Ben Duckett took a well judged catch just inside the rope. England are right back in this. FOW: 101/4
Shimron Hetmyer can’t believe he has holed out off Adil Rashid
Credit: Ricardo Mazalan/AP
12:47AM
OVER 11: WI 101/3 (Hope 26, Hetmyer 1)
That’s an admirable comeback from Rehan Ahmed: 19 from his first over, two and a wicket from his second, which ends with Hope getting a leading edge into the off side.
12:45AM
Wicket!
Pooran ct and b Rehan 13 Whatever it is, Rehan Ahmed has got it. After being pummelled for 19 in his first over, he has taken the key wicket of Nicholas Pooran with a brilliant return catch. Pooran spooned the ball high to the left of Rehan, who leapt to take a spectacular two-handed catch. FOW: 100/3
Rehan Ahmed takes a great catch to dismiss Nicholas Pooran
Credit: Randy Brooks/AFP
12:41AM
OVER 10: WI 99/2 (Hope 25, Pooran 13)
The impatience with which England are drying the ball between deliveries suggests this was a good toss for West Indies to win. Not that England can complain given how many Jos Buttler has won this winter.
Pooran launches Rashid down the ground for the ninth six of the innings and the 15th of the match. West Indies’ T20 triumphs in 2012 and 2016 were built on six-hitting, and they’re not going to change their approach ahead of a home tournament.
Time for drinks. West Indies are behind England on the comparison but probably ahead in the game.
12:37AM
OVER 9: WI 87/2 (Hope 23, Pooran 3)
The wonderful Garry Sobers, who turned 87 in July, is in the crowd at the Kensington Oval. The mind boggles at how good he would have been in T20 cricket.
Tymal Mills replaces Rehan Ahmed and keeps things relatively quiet with some impressive variations. The only boundary is a fortunate one, a legside yahoo from Hope that flies off the edge to third man.
12:31AM
OVER 8: WI 79/2 (Hope 19, Pooran 1)
This is Rashid’s 100th T20 international; he’s now one wicket away from being the first England men’s bowler to take 100 T20 international wickets. His first over is a triumph: one run, one wicket. But he was also during the ball between deliveries, so the dew must be a factor. West Indies need 93 from 72 balls.
12:28AM
Wicket!
Mayers c Brook b Rashid 35 Adil Rashid strikes with his first ball! It looked like a long hop, the same as Rehan Ahmed’s opening delivery, but Mayers clunked this one straight down the throat of Brook at wide long on. He goes for 35 from 21 balls, including four sixes, and gets a sarcastic round of applause from Rashid as he leaves the field. FOW: 78/2
Harry Brook congratulates Adil Rashid after they combined to dismiss Kyle Mayers
Credit: Ricardo Mazalan/AP
12:26AM
OVER 7: WI 78/1 (Mayers 35, Hope 19)
With the Powerplay over, Rehan Ahmed comes into the attack. He starts with a long hop that Mayers pulls for six, then rubs his hands on his trousers. That suggests there’s a bit of dew, which would be a big problem for England.
Mayers drives six more over long off, a shot of classical elegance, and Hope pumps another down the ground to end a very expensive over: 19 from it. England are in bother.
Rehan Ahmed was hit for three sixes in his first over
Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
12:22AM
OVER 6: WI 59/1 (Mayers 22, Hope 13)
West Indies bat deeper than England, which could be a decisive factor given how badly England lost their way at the end of their innings.
Curran, whose first over went for 16, goes into death mode and beats Hope with a clever delivery that bounces twice on its way through to Buttler. A fine over, just three from it.
After a bruising start England pulled that Powerplay back pretty well, conceding only (sic) 29 runs from the last four overs.
12:18AM
OVER 5: WI 56/1 (Mayers 20, Hope 12)
West Indies are swinging at everything in the Powerplay, knowing that batting is likely to get tougher as the innings progresses. Woakes does superbly to restrict them to three from five balls – but Hope has the last word with a languid swipe over long-on for six.
12:15AM
OVER 4: WI 47/1 (Mayers 18, Hope 5)
Kyle Mayers has lost another ball! This time he pulled Tymal Mills onto the roof for a 103-metre six, a shot played with devastating hand speed. After a delay while a replacement ball is picked, Duckett almost takes another flying catch. Mayers slapped a slower ball into the covers, where Duckett flew to his right and put down a tough one-handed chance. Tough, but probably not as difficult as the one he took to dismiss King.
Kyle Mayers deposits Tymal Mills onto the roof
Credit: Ricardo Mazalan/AP
12:07AM
OVER 3: WI 36/1 (Mayers 9, Hope 4)
Shai Hope reminds us that there’s more to T20 than bish-bosh, timing his first ball delightfully through midwicket for four.
12:06AM
Wicket!
King c Duckett b Woakes 22 Ben Duckett takes a sensational catch in the covers. King smashed the new bowler Woakes to the left of Duckett on the edge of the circle, and he dived to grab the ball two-handed. That was a blinder. FOW: 32/1
12:01AM
OVER 2: WI 30/0 (King 21, Mayers 9)
The offspinner Will Jacks opens the bowling at the other end. His second ball is a vile long hop that Kyle Mayers pulls out of the ground! That’s a huge six, 99 metres according to the television coverage, and he follows up with a stylish back-foot square drive for three.
King, on the charge, mangles four more down the ground. West Indies have seen England’s fast start (22/0 after two overs) and raised it.
Incidentally, on that last England wicket, it looks like each team has two reviews. I thought the TV graphic said one, but it’s late and my eyes aren’t what they were.
11:57PM
OVER 1: WI 16/0 (King 16, Mayers 0)
The players are back out on the field already. Sam Curran bowls the first over – and Brandon King takes him for 16! There were two sixes, the second pulled majestically to deep midwicket, a four and a bizarre LBW appeal from Curran when the ball came off the middle of the bat.
11:51PM
Russell justifies his recall as England innings peters out
England faded notably after ending the Powerplay on 77-0. The very next ball, Phil Salt – who pummelled the ball straight and square alike – succumbed to a terrific juggling catch from Shimron Hetmyer.
While England had an ideal start, the middle order floundered, struggling to pick up the pace of the wicket on a used wicket. Andre Russell, playing his first game for West Indies since November 2021, emphatically justified his recall with 3-19; when he bowls with his pace and accuracy, Russell provides West Indies with enviable batting – he is carded at number seven – and bowling depth alike.
At 165-5 after 17 overs, after Liam Livingstone hit back-to-back sixes, England still had designs on 200. Instead, the innings petered out, with Alzarri Joseph’s catch running to his left at long on in keeping with an outstanding fielding display.
Tymal When Mills slashed Joseph behind, England were bowled out for 171: they mustered 6-5 in the final 2.3 overs, bowled out with three balls to spare. Whether West Indies can match Salt’s 40 from 20 balls, or the innings remains an outlier, will determine who takes the lead at a sold-out Kensington Oval.
11:45PM
West Indies need 172 to win
England were 77/0 after six overs and 112/2 after 10, but they lose their way against some clever bowling from West Indies, whose seamers took the pace off very effectively. Instinct says West Indies are favourites, though it may depend on the dew.
11:43PM
Wicket!
Mills c Pooran b Joseph 0 West Indies try to review a caught behind against Mills. Didn’t they use up their review earlier? Apparently not, because there’s a spike and Mills has been given out! FOW: 171 all out
11:40PM
Wicket!
Rashid b Joseph 0 Rashid misses, Joseph hits, and England have now lost their last seven wickets for 63. FOW: 170/9
11:39PM
OVER 19: ENG 169/8 (Woakes 2, Rashid 0)
Andre Russell completes an outstanding spell, full of slower balls, with career-best figures of 4-0-19-3.
11:38PM
Wicket!
Rehan c b Russell 1 Another wicket for Andre Russell, who is having a fine time on his return to the T20 side. Rehan Ahmed mistimes a slower ball towards long on,where the captain Rovman Powell takes an easy catch. FOW: 169/8
11:34PM
Wicket!
Livingstone b Russell 27 That’s the big one for West Indies. Livingstone drags a wide slower ball from Russell back onto his stumps to end a useful innings of 27 from 19 balls. England’s hopes of making 200 have gone with him. FOW: 167/7
11:33PM
OVER 18: ENG 167/6 (Livingstone 27, Woakes 1)
The new batter Woakes is dropped by Holder, a relatively straightforward chance at extra cover. Romario Shepherd ends another imperssive spell with figures of 4-0-22-2.
11:29PM
Wicket!
Curran c Joseph b Shepherd 13 My word, this is some catch from Alzarri Joseph. Curran belabours a slower ball towards long off, where Joseph runs round the boundary and leaps to take a brilliant two-handed catch high above his head. FOW: 165/6
11:28PM
OVER 17: ENG 165/5 (Livingstone 26, Curran 13)
That’s the Liam Livingstone we know and love. He launches Holder for emphatic successive sixes – the first pulled over square leg when he picked a slower ball, the second blazed over long off.
Liam Livingstone bangs Jason Holder for six
Credit: Ricardo Mazalan/AP
11:23PM
OVER 16: ENG 148/5 (Livingstone 13, Curran 9)
England have struggled as the innings has progressed and West Indies have started to take the pace off. After another frustrating over of missing and mistiming, Livingstone clatters Joseph’s final delivery straight down the ground for four. He has 13 from 14 balls, Curran 9 from 10.
11:18PM
OVER 15: ENG 139/5 (Livingstone 8, Curran 7)
West Indies are bowling a lot of slower balls and cutters, mostly to good effect. Livingstone tries one of his fast-handed haymakers over midwicket but can only toe end the ball to mid-off. Just four from a very good over by Russell. England’s post-Powerplay score is 58/5 in nine overs.
11:14PM
OVER 14: ENG 135/5 (Livingstone 6, Curran 5)
The new batter Sam Curran cuffs a pull for a much-needed boundary, England’s first in 27 balls.
Sam Curran slugs a boundary
Credit: Ricardo Mazalan/AP
11:11PM
Wicket!
Duckett c Hosein b Shepherd 14 Ben Duckett swishes his bat in disgust after an odd-looking dismissal. He tried to reverse ramp a very wide ball from Shepherd over short third man but could only steer it straight to Hosein.
It was smart bowling from Shepherd, who saw Duckett and speared it even wider. England are losing their way. FOW: 129/5
11:09PM
OVER 13: ENG 129/4 (Duckett 14, Livingstone 5)
England take six singles from Hosein’s last over; he ends with decent figures of 4-0-32-1. West Indies are turning the screw a touch.
11:05PM
OVER 12: ENG 123/4 (Duckett 11, Livingstone 2)
So far it’s been an innings of two halves: 77/0 from the first six overs, 46/4 off the next six.
11:02PM
Wicket!
Brook c Pooran b Holder 1 Okay, maybe the wicket of Buttler wasn’t a blessing in disguise. Harry Brook has gone second ball, edging a lovely slower ball from Jason Holder through to the keeper. Brook tried to launch it into another galaxy but was hoodwinked by the extra bounce and lack of pace. FOW: 120/4
Jason Holder (left) is congratulated after dismissing Harry Brook
Credit: Randy Brooks/AFP
10:59PM
OVER 11: ENG 118/3 (Duckett 10, Brook 1)
I never thought I’d write that the wicket of Jos Buttler could be a blessing in disguise for England, but that might be the case today because he was getting a bit bogged down. And he has been replaced by Harry Brook.
10:58PM
Wicket!
Buttler c Hetmyer b Hosein 39 The left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein makes a key breakthrough. Jos Buttler, who played some eye-catching strokes but was not at his most fluent, top-edged a pull towards deep square leg with one hand coming off the bat. Hetmyer hared in from the boundary and swooped to take his second fine catch of the innings. Buttler goes for 39 from 31 balls. FOW: 117/3
10:51PM
OVER 10: ENG 112/2 (Buttler 36, Duckett 8)
Ben Duckett, a pair of tweezers among sledgehammers in this T20 line-up, steers Shepherd between the two short third men for his first boundary. England are on course for a score in excess of 200. On this ground, against this opposition, they’ll probably need it.
10:47PM
OVER 9: ENG 103/2 (Buttler 34, Duckett 1)
Buttler squirts Joseph past backward point for four to bring up the England hundred off the last ball of the ninth over.
The last ball of the ninth over!
10:45PM
Wicket!
Jacks c King b Joseph 17 Will Jacks, having already hit two sixes off Joseph six earlier in the over, tries for another and is dismissed. He blasted the ball miles in the air and King ran back from mid-off to take an extremely good diving catch. Joseph has, a-hem, interesting figures of 1.3-0-38-1. FOW: 98/2
10:40PM
OVER 8: ENG 84/1 (Buttler 30, Jacks 5)
Romario Shepherd replaces Joseph. There’s a bit of a post-Powerplay lull for England, exacerbated by the dismissal of Salt, and Shepherd keeps England to five singles.
Phil Salt walloped 40 off 20 balls
Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
10:35PM
OVER 7: ENG 80/1 (Buttler 28, Jacks 2)
With Alex Hales and Dawid Malan gone, there’s a vacancy in England’s top three for the World Cup. Will Jacks has the first opportunity to make the position his own.
10:32PM
Wicket!
Salt c Hetmyer b Russell 40 Phil Salt’s sizzling cameo ends immediately after the Powerplay. He clubbed Russell to deep midwicket, where Hetmyer took an awkward one-man relay catch with the minimum of fuss. Salt goes for a punishing 20-ball 40. FOW: 77/1
10:29PM
OVER 6: ENG 77/0 (Salt 40, Buttler 27)
Salt smears the new bowler Alzarri Joseph back over his head for four, then makes room to slice the next ball over third man for six. That’s a helluva stroke from a player who never, ever dies wondering. He’s Jason Roy on steroids, although P-Salt isn’t quite such a catchy nickname.
A flustered Joseph oversteps to Buttler, who clubs the free hit wide of mid-on for four. Joseph’s over goes from worse to even worse when a leg-side wide goes through the legs of the keeper Pooran and runs away to the boundary. Twenty-five from the over.
Brutal Powerplay from England: 77-0. Explosive hitting from both openers, but Salt’s aggression replicating the old Jason Roy role perfectly: 41 from 19 balls during the fielding restrictions.
Phil Salt pummels another boundary
Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
10:22PM
OVER 5: ENG 51/0 (Salt 29, Buttler 20)
Andre Russell comes into the attack and pounds his first ball just back of a length. Buttler does his little wiggle and muscles it back over Russell’s head for a disdainful boundary.
There’s a review for caught behind when Buttler misses a scoop, but there’s nothing on UltraEdge so West Indies lose their only review. Buttler nails the scoop later in the over, pinging Russell for six to bring up England’s fifty.
Jos Buttler and Phil Salt brought up the England fifty inside the first five overs
Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
10:17PM
OVER 4: ENG 41/0 (Salt 29, Buttler 10)
Salt has gone off like a pacemaker once again. He pulls Holder emphatically for four, a shot that made the sweetest sound, and then clubs the next ball over cover for another boundary. Salt has raced to 29 from 15 balls; Buttler has 10 from 9.
10:13PM
OVER 3: ENG 29/0 (Salt 18, Buttler 9)
Salt chips Hosein between the two cover fielders for a couple. That ball seemed to stop in the pitch, which will interest England’s four spinners.
Buttler gets his second boundary with a thump along the ground long off.
10:09PM
OVER 2: ENG 22/0 (Salt 15, Buttler 5)
Jason Holder opens the bowling at the other end. It’s not the greatest over, with a couple of leg-side wides and a full delivery that is launched wristily over mid-on for four by Buttler. England are off to a decent start.
10:06PM
From Tim Wigmore in Barbados
Thirteen off the first over: Phil Salt playing the Jason Roy role to perfection there. Having such an aggressive partner also makes it easier for Jos Buttler to take his time a little, as he is sometimes prone to doing in the IPL.
10:04PM
OVER 1: ENG 13/0 (Salt 13, Buttler 0)
The left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein opens the bowling – and he almost strikes second ball when an edge from Salt flashes wide of Hope at slip for four.
That’s the first of three boundaries in the over. The last two were excellent shots, a premeditated sweep and a sweetly timed square drive after skidding back in his crease.
Akeal Hosein opened the bowling in Barbados
Credit: Ricardo Mazalan/AP
9:56PM
A sell-out at the Kensington Oval
Good evening from Kensington Oval, where it’s a sell-out v am told interest among locals has surged since their victory in the ODI series, as the traffic en route to the ground attested; my taxi had to drop me off at Rihanna Drive. Looking forward to seeing Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid in tandem tonight. They are different enough leg spinners – especially with Ahmed’s preference for left-handers – to make England fielding a leg spin pair in the T20 World Cup very viable. A used wicket should bring both into play tonight. And it’s the stop clock’s debut too, so will be interesting to see how that plays out.
Adil Rashid is presented with his 100th T20I cap by Andrew Flintoff
Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
9:41PM
Team news: Rashid and Ahmed included
Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed have both been included in the England XI. Two proper legspinners in an England cricket team, three if you include Liam Livingstone. What is the world coming to?
Rashid is playing his 100th T20 international, the first England men’s bowler to reach that milestone.
West Indies King, Mayers, Hope, Pooran (wk), Hetmyer, Powell (c), Shepherd, Russell, Holder, Hosein, Joseph.
England Buttler (c/wk), Salt, Jacks, Duckett, Brook, Livingstone, Curran, Woakes, Ahmed, Rashid, Mills.
Adil Rashid warms up ahead of his 100th T20 international appearance
Credit: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
9:35PM
West Indies win the toss and bowl
The T20 captain Rovman Powell looks slightly affronted when David Gower, conducting the toss, tells him the pitch “looks pretty dry”.
Jos Buttler says he would have bowled first as well.
9:08PM
Done in 60 seconds
Tonight’s game will be the first in international cricket to involve a stop clock, with run penalties for teams who bowl their overs too slowly. Tim Wigmore has more.
Why cricket is experimenting with a stop clock – part of a trend of sports focusing on the pace of play, in a world of diminishing attention spans.
It’s also a response to how the shortest international format has the slowest over rate https://t.co/v9Th6n0p1A
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) December 12, 2023
9:05PM
The T20 World Cup starts here
England have another World Cup to defend next year, when 16 teams head to West Indies and the USA to fight for T20 glory. A number of experienced players have returned to the squad after missing the ODIs, including Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Reece Topley and Adil Rashid.
At some stage during the series we may also get our first look at the uncapped, largely unknown fast bowler John Turner.
The West Indies also have some big names back in their squad, including Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and the mighty Andre Russell.
England celebrate T20 World Cup glory in Australia in 2022.
Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
8:55PM
Preview: a change of white-ball format
Good evening and welcome to our coverage of England’s first T20I against West Indies at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
England will be hoping for their poor limited-overs form to change as we enter the shorter format of the game for a series of five matches which run from today until December 21.
England head coach Matthew Mott has said that a change in format from one-day international to Twenty20 internationals can help England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler and his team.
England lost the three-match ODI series 2-1 after defeat in the deciding game on Saturday. West Indies were a side who did not even qualify for the recent 50-over World Cup.
“It’s always good when you lose a series to change the format, you move on pretty quickly,” Mott said ahead of the T20 series opener on Tuesday at the Kensington Oval.
“Jos showed his class the other day and he may well, at the top of the order, come out and take the bowling on as he has done for a number of years.”
Buttler registered scores of three, 58 not out and a duck in those three matches and came off the back of a poor run of form in the shorter formats. Indeed, after the 43 he scored in England’s opening World Cup loss against New Zealand, Buttler amassed a total of 95 runs in eight innings at an average of just 11.9.
Mott, however, said that Buttler’s place at the top of the order in T20s is certain, even though Will Jacks and Phil Salt experienced success in the ODI series.
“Jos is a lock-in, definitely opening,” Mott said. “He’s proven over a very long period of time.
“It will be just what he needs to get up the top and really boss the game from the start and I know for a fact he’s looking forward to it.”
The game gets under way at 10pm and we will be here for all of the live updates and reaction.
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