The West Indies lead the five-match T20I series against England 2-1 with two games remaining after a 20-run win in the high-scoring third match; Rovman Powell hits 10 sixes and becomes the third man from the West Indies to score a T20I ton; Tom Banton and Phil Salt fire in pursuit but the tourists come up short
Rovman Powell’s match-winning century included 10 sixes
Rovman Powell hit 10 sixes on a blistering 107 from just 53 balls as the West Indies beat England by 20 runs in a high-scoring third T20 international to advance 2-1 in the series with two games to play.
Powell became the third West Indies man, after Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis, to score a T20 international century, as the hosts recorded a mammoth 224-5 after being inserted by England substitute captain Moeen Ali, who replaced Eoin Morgan (yard).
Powell shared a third-wicket position of 122 from just 67 balls with Nicholas Pooran (70 from 43) to leave England with a daunting chase in Barbados, but Tom Banton (73 from 39) and T20I debutant Phil Salt (57 from 24) kept tourists’ hopes alive as they crunched six and five highs respectively.
Banton went down in the 13th over, but Salt then took over for the big score and England still had a mathematical chance of victory when he hit six straight off Romario Shepherd in the final over – the requisite 24th four-ball at the time. meaning four more sixes were needed.
However, Salt was bowled over by a yorker on the next ball and England finished 204-9, with the away team now needing to win the final two games, in Barbados on Saturday and Sunday, to claim a series victory.
England picked three debutants in a much-changed squad on Wednesday night, with Lancashire star Salt joined by Yorkshire batsman Harry Brook and Sussex all-rounder George Garton.
Salt dominated a 28-ball 45 position with Brook (10) for sixth wicket after Banton departed with England needing 45-ball 96
The salt began to splash over the boundary as the goal became a doable 12-ball 41, only for a two-wicket 19, during which Sheldon Cottrell sent in just three runs, to leave England needing 38 runs of the last.
Shepherd conceded two wide early in the final to bring the tourists back and when Salt then hit the bowler for successive highs, a shock England win was still a possibility, before Shepherd redeemed himself.
Powell was the star performer for the West Indies that day, mixing brutal striking with touch prowess as he scored his first hundred in any form of T20 cricket.
The 28-year-old joined forces with Pooran at 48-2 in the sixth when Liam Livingstone, back in the England side after an illness, sacked Shai Hope (4), and Garton had castled Brandon King (10). with the fifth. delivery who bowled in international cricket.
Garton (1-57), Livingstone (1-42), Tymal Mills (1-52) and Moeen (1-14 from one and up) posted dazzling numbers as Powell and Pooran broke a combined 15 sixes and eight fours, with Adil Rashid (1-25) and Reece Topley (1-30) chose an attack made up entirely of left-arm spinners and closers.
Sam Billings’ illness meant he was one of five players to miss – goalkeeper joining Morgan and Saqib Mahmood resting, Chris Jordan and Liam Dawson on the sidelines as Salt, Garton and Brook made their debuts, Livingstone returned and Mills was called.
Billings’ absence meant that Banton held the wicket and did that job fairly neatly, but it was with the bat that he excelled, scoring a 29-ball, the second T20I fifty and then notching a career-best T20I score, surpassing the 71 he achieved. against Pakistan at the Emirates Old Trafford in August 2020.
Banton led the charge for England as Jason Roy (19 of 16), James Vince (16 of 9), Moeen (0) and Livingstone (11 of 9) came and went. Livingstone still apparently worried about the illness that had kept him out of the first two games of the series.
Like Roy and Vince, Banton eventually split a ball after scoring a six, but then Salt came up, playing his first T20I after three ODI appearances against Pakistan over the summer, to take the game deep into an island that he knows well having spent part of his childhood in Barbados.
Salt’s fast tackles showed his strength and skill, but it was Powell who finally proved the difference between the sides in a game of 428 runs and 31 sixes.
England Captain Moeen Ali: “We were done a little bit with Morgs going down and playing against three rookies, but they played really well. A fantastic association took the game away from us, but I’m proud of the way the guys hit. We’ve got guys putting their hands up – Bants (Banton) He was outstanding, which is great for his confidence in the future.”
West Indies Captain Kieron Pollard: “Congratulations to Rovman (Powell). He came in and took a chance. We had a good discussion about our hitting and what we wanted to do. It was a complete game and I’m happy for the guys. The challenge is coming back.” again, we want to replicate that performance.”
The West Indies vs England T20 series draws to a close in Bridgetown, Barbados this weekend with game four on Saturday (8pm UK time) and game five on Sunday (8pm UK time).
The ashes of woman, meanwhile, continues with the independent test match in Canberra (Thursday-Sunday). Australia led the multi-format series 4-2 after all three T20 internationals, with the hosts winning the first game by nine wickets before rain washed out the second and third games.
Stay in Australia, and the The Big Bash League final will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am on Friday. as the Sydney Sixers look for a third straight title when they take on the Perth Scorchers at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.
