Captain Jos Buttler scored a brilliant 83 and put on a game-changing partnership with Will Jacks to guide England to a seven-wicket win over West Indies and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
Saqib Mahmood (2-20) and the returning Jofra Archer (1-31) sent the West Indies top-order into a powerplay with Liam Livingston (2-16) also impressing to leave the hosts thrashed 80-5. toss and put into bat.
Rowman Powell’s 43 ended Dan Musley (2-29) but the hosts added 73 runs from the last six overs to 158-8, with hopes of victory boosted by Phil Salt, who made an unbeaten century in the series opener. was out on the opening ball of England’s chase.
Phil Salt came out with the opening ball of England’s innings, scoring an unbeaten 103 in the front row.
Buttler hit six maximums in his stunning 45-ball innings and put on a 129-run second-wicket stand with Jacks (38) before Liam Livingstone smashed a quick unbeaten 23 to see England reach their winning target after 15 overs.
How England raced to another victory over Barbados
Mahmood conceded eight runs from his opening 10 balls but England made the breakthrough when Brandon King (one) skied to Livingston at mid-on and Evin Lewis (eight) then handcuffed Archer, replacing Rhys Topley in Saturday’s win, behind and giving Salt. easy to catch on the next finish.
Jofra Archer was among five England bowlers to take at least one wicket
Roston Chase escaped his first ball at slip to Jamie Overton but Mahmood was trapped for 13 to leave the West Indies 35-3 in four overs, leaving wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran and captain Powell to rebuild the hosts’ innings.
The pair added 35 for the fourth wicket before Pooran (14) got ahead of Livingstone and introduced Salt’s simple button, with Livingstone also removing Rutherford (one) lbw in the next over after a successful review.
Powell (43) showed attacking intent, hitting Rashid for 16 in one over to take the hosts past 100, only for his innings to be ended by a brilliant seven from Dan Musley to hand the fast bowler his first international wicket.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell, who has a T20 strike rate of over 140, scored 43 off 41 balls.
Gudakesh Mothie (nine) departed when Overton made a diving catch from Rashid at long-on and Shepherd (22) picked out Jacks in the deep off Musley early in the final over and Matthew Ford ended the unbeaten run at 13 as West. The Indians finished strong.
Hossain (1-24) got off to a dream start for England’s innings when Salt hit King at extra cover for a golden duck and Buttler almost finished off his leg stump with a toe in an eventful opener.
England recovered quickly and Buttler fired three consecutive boundaries as part of a 23-run stand to end the powerplay and Jacks also impressed as the pair passed their half-century mark in 33 balls.
Jos Buttler hit eight fours and six maximums in an impressive innings
Buttler hit Motty down the ground for a maximum and smashed Chase over the rope in the next over to bring up his 32-ball half-century and another six with debutant Terence Hinds at long-on continued England’s control of the contest.
Chase was smashed for the sixth time in succession by Buttler, who then hit him down the ground for a boundary before the partnership ended when Ford was caught in the second attempt when he was picked by Jacks.
Buttler was dismissed by Rutherford in the same over but was run out the next ball after trying to hit the ground and was caught by Powell, his second wicket in four balls, although the hosts failed to make any further inroads into England’s batting line-up. up.
Livingstone smashed Shepherd for consecutive boundaries before sealing a second comprehensive win in as many days with another big six to see England home by 31 balls and means they can now complete the back-to-back with a win in St Lucia on Thursday.
Buttler stars for England as West Indies look for a better start
England captain Jos Buttlerman of the match, speaking to TNT Sports. “It’s great to spend time in the middle. I was a little scratchy for the first few balls, but I got through that period and really enjoyed it. It was great to be back there.
“I have a lot of experience, I’ve been playing for a while and I’ve hit a lot of different positions. I’m just waiting to see what happens and play what’s in front of me.
England captain Jos Buttler and Will Jacks (left) put on 129 runs from 72 deliveries in the winning stand.
“We have to start again (in the third T20I of the series). We are playing a top class West Indies team who are great in T20 cricket. They will come back tough and we have to be ready from the first ball. next game.”
West Indies captain Rovman Powell, In a conversation with TNT Sports. “Obviously the surface gave the fast bowlers a bit, something that’s a trend here in Barbados. Teams generally win the ball because of what can happen in the first six (overs).
“It’s a case of us trying to get out of the Powerplay with not three. Statistics show that if you do that, you come out on the losing side most of the time. As a batting group we have to adapt.
“Somebody in the top four or top five has got to bowl most of the overs. We’ve done that in the past, but we’ve struggled to do so in this series. The next three games are an opportunity for the batsmen to do that.”
