England beat West Indies to take 3-0 lead and win men’s T20 series – as it happened

Cameron Ponsonby’s match report from St Lucia

West Indies captain Rovman Powell:

It’s a bit disappointing. We keep losing wickets during the powerplay and in clusters. We managed to get to a score that we thought we could defend. Guys have to take more catches. Fielding is a collective effort. England are a world-class team.

England captain Jos Buttler:

Jofra and Saqib have taken some early wickets. Saqib really puts the ball up there. There are obviously a few guys that are not here that are top players. There’s great competition for places. Different players are putting their hands up. We’re going for 5-0. We’ve got a really hungry dressing room.

Saqib Mahmood is deservedly given the player of the match award. He bowled superbly.

Three times Livingstone was put down, and the England batter made the West Indies pay, particularly in the 18th over where he scored 18 runs to take the game away from the hosts. Two of those catching chances were tough ones, Hetmyer in the deep and Pooran when he stood up to the stumps. But the West Indies wicketkeeper really should have taken that catch over his shoulder. He was not at full stretch.

England beat West Indies by three wickets and take 3-0 lead to win T20 series!

19th over: England 144-7 (Overton 3, Ahmed 1) Rehan and Ahmed each poke two singles to take England to the verge of victory. The tourists need just two from the final over for a T20 series win!

WICKET! Livingstone 39, c Shepherd b Hosein (England 142-7)

18th over: England 141-6 (Overton 1, Livingstone 39) Joseph, maybe the pick of West Indies’ bowlers up to this point, misjudges a yorker and Livingstone stoops to flick the ball away for four on the full toss. After Livingstone avoids a run out after a remarkable throw from Hetmyer in the deep, the Lancashire man now takes charge, clattering Joseph to the boundary on consecutive balls, six then four. In just one over, Livingstone has changed the game. Previously England were teetering on the brink. Now they need five runs from 12 balls.

WICKET! Mousley 8, c Hetmyer b Hosein (England 123-6)

16th over: England 122-5 (Mousley 8, Livingstone 21) A brave call from Powell to put Hinds in, given this is an absolutely crucial passage of the match. Hinds starts poorly with a serious dose of the yips: three wides, one overthrow – West Indies are bleeding runs they can ill-afford to give away. But then Hinds removes Curran! It’s still a really expensive over – 14 from it, including a six from Mousley that just clears the fielder at the rope – but Curran is gone.

WICKET! Curran 41, c Hope b Hinds (England 114-5)

15th over: England 108-4 (Curran 41, Livingstone 19) After more than three overs since the last boundary for England – hugely surprising given the personnel at the crease – Curran slaps one down the ground for six! What an important shot that could be. England require 38 from 30 balls.

14th over: England 98-4 (Curran 33, Livingstone 17) You have to say this is a magnificent effort from West Indies. Their total of 145 really should not be defendable on this pitch, and against this opposition. But they are bowling really well – Joseph, Hosein and Motie in particular – and also impressing in the field. England are nudging their way towards victory but haven’t hit a boundary in more than two overs. That said, Livingstone has got his eye in.

13th over: England 83-4 (Curran 31, Livingstone 11) Another drop from Poonan as Livingstone escapes once more. Motie sends down an absolute peach, his leg break pitching and straightening beautifully to bamboozle Livingstone, who can only hover his bat around his off stump. There is a slim edge but Poonan, standing up to the stumps, the keeper can’t hold it. Had those two catches stuck, West Indies may well have been favourites in this match.

12th over: England 83-4 (Curran 30, Livingstone 7) Joseph starts well against Livingstone, beating the Englishman for pace as the ball whistles past the stumps. But Livingstone responds, marching down the pitch and smashing a six over square leg. Oooooof. But back comes Joseph, pitching one short. Livingstone swings, top edges it but Poonan drops it behind! That was not an easy chance, the West Indies wicket keeper was running backwards and looking for the ball over his shoulder, but still really should have taken the chance. He so nearly had the ball in his gloves, but it bounced out and the England team breathe a collective sigh of relief. There are wry smiles from the West Indies team, they know what a chance that was.

11th over: England 72-4 (Curran 24) The wicket of Jacks is potentially huge. Livingstone is to come but not too many proven batters after that. Curran looks in excellent nick, though, nudging and prodding. Motie, back into the attack, is already using a towel to dry the ball, such is the moisture on the ground.

WICKET! Jacks 32, c Powell b Motie (England 75-4)

Looks like the umpires are going to change the ball, as it as soaked up too much water in the outfield. It’s worth stating that there is no turn here, because the bowlers are simply unable to grip the ball properly. Maybe that will change now?

10th over: England 70-3 (Curran 25, Jacks 31) The half-way mark in terms of overs for England, and under half-way to the winning target. But there will be no panic stations … yet.

9th over: England 64-3 (Curran 23, Jacks 27) Motie also into the attack and Curran and Jacks nurdle it around. No boundaries, which will suit the West Indies.

8th over: England 58-3 (Curran 5, Jacks 23) Chase comes into the attack and it’s an excellent start, just five from the over.

7th over: England 53-3 (Curran 15, Jacks 24) Hinds comes into the West Indian attack with his slingy, Malinga-y action. But Curran picks him wonderfully chopping back-to-back fours off the back foot through square. The Englishman is using the pace of the pitch really well. You don’t have to be Hulk (or Chris Gayle) to score on this wicket. This still feels like England’s match to lose, especially with Curran in this sort of touch.

6th over: England 42-3 (Curran 5, Jacks 23) Curran times one beautifully for four off his first ball to get himself off the mark. Nine off the over, but England are without their captain. A crucial next period in the match is coming, with the powerplay ending now.

WICKET! Bethall 4, c Pooran b Joseph (England 37-3)

5th over: England 32-2 (Jacks 23) Jacks is a lucky boy, slicing one off the bowling of Hosein juuuuuuuuuust over the head of Powell, who had a really tricky chance with the ball falling over his shoulder as he ran back towards the rope. But Powell repeats the trick, successfully this time, for the wicket of Buttler. Game on?!

WICKET! Buttler 4, c Powell b Hosein (England 32-2)

4th over: England 22-1 (Buttler 3, Jacks 14) After five tight balls from Shepherd, a loose full toss gives a gift to Jacks, who sends a shot to the boundary.

3rd over: England 15-1 (Buttler 1, Jacks 10) A first boundary for England, as Jacks swats neatly through cover, before Salt’s innings comes to a premature end. Hosein looks up for this, and there is some neat fielding at midwicket to keep the early West Indies pressure on. Buttler at the crease for England, surely still the prize wicket.

WICKET! Salt 4, b Hosein (England 14-1)

2nd over: England 9-0 (Salt 4, Jacks 5) Joseph into the West Indies attack, all 6ft5in of him. Salt and Jacks continue to modestly poke things around with a few singles. Neither has freed their arms. Salt swings and misses, seems he is struggling with the pace on this moist pitch. Just four from the over! Captain Powell will be pleased.

1st over: England 5-0 (Salt 2, Jacks 3) It is Shepherd that will open the bowling for West Indies. England require just over seven runs an over, so they don’t need to come out of the blocks like a train. Both Salt and Jacks get off the mark with a few conservative strokes.

Salt and Jacks are out at the crease for England. Here we go!

I’m off to get a cuppa. While we wait for England’s batters to emerge, have a read of this:

A daunting stat for the West Indies: the Daren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia is the highest scoring ground in the Caribbean. The average score is 180+, which leaves West Indies well short today. All the damage was done at the top of the order, again in the powerplay. West Indies were 37-5, remember.

It’s a target that England would easily expect to reach, especially at a ground that has a short boundary and a pitch where the ball comes onto the bat with pace and a reasonably reliable bounce. But stranger things have happened and the West Indies have once defended a T20 score of 145 on this ground before, to Australia in 2021. So, it is possible, especially if the West Indies’ bowlers can get some movement.

West Indies set England a target of 146!

19th over: West Indies 135-8 (Joseph 11, Hosein 8) Curran, so good at the death, is unfortunate to concede four leg byes after a cheeky Hosein pad glances one off to the boundary. Hosein swings wildly and is fortunate not to be caught by Archer in the deep but smashes a six off the final delivery! The Trinidadian gives himself some room, leans back and careers one over the rope.

18th over: West Indies 122-8 (Joseph 9, Hosein 1) Joseph gets a valuable four away through long-off and just avoids a dismissal but hitting over the retreating Jacks. Hosein doesn’t look very comfortable out there as Overton goes to work again.

WICKET! Powell 54, c Bethell b Overton (West Indies 113-8)

17th over: West Indies 113-7 (Joseph 1, Powell 53) Excellent from Archer, who conceded just two runs at this late stage. Archer is done with nice figures of 1-25. Joseph simply can’t get back on strike.

16th over: West Indies 111-7 (Joseph 1, Powell 53) This feels like the last-chance saloon for West Indies, who need to get Powell on strike as often as possible and try to get to 150.

WICKET! Motie 0, c Jacks b Overton (West Indies 110-7)

WICKET! Shepherd 30, lbw Overton (West Indies 110-6)

15th over: West Indies 110-5 (Shepherd 30, Powell 53) The home side roar past 100 and it feels they are trying to step on the accelerator, here. Powell pings that six over midwicket but he is obviously freeing his arms, even if a couple of shots find England hands on the boundary rope.

Fifty for Powell!

14th over: West Indies 98-5 (Shepherd 28, Powell 44) Interesting that Mahmood replaces Curran, who conceded just three runs off his first over. England’s wicketkeeper, Salt, persuades Buttler to waste a review after successfully appealing for a catch behind. Just two runs off Mahmood’s final over. Brilliant bowling from the 27-year-old.

13th over: West Indies 96-5 (Shepherd 27, Powell 43) Back comes Powell, who once again is going after Ahmed, clobbering the 20-year-old down the ground for six, a shot of pure power. Ahmed recovers well and keeps it tight, almost catching Shepherd from his own bowling and nearly running Powell out with a tip onto the bowler’s stumps. Powell was alert and just grounded his bat in time.

12th over: West Indies 86-5 (Shepherd 24, Powell 36) An excellent first over from Sam Curran, just three singles from it. What a canny operator the World Cup winner is.

11th over: West Indies 83-5 (Shepherd 22, Powell 35) The players are fully under the lights now, as the sun goes down. Shortly after being crashed away for four, Overton collapses on the turf, motioning to his foot. The good news is that it just seems to be a boot issue. Yep, a stud has come loose. It’s a unremarkable over until Overton pins Powell with a lbw delivery … Powell is given out but reluctantly reviews. He looks guilty as anything and England players celebrate. There were two noises and replays show that Powell just got the thinnest of edges on the ball before it hit the pads. Powell obviously had no idea, though, and only reviewed on the off change that something was up. Both he and Daren Sammy on the sidelines laugh in relief as Powell is instructed back to the crease.