England wrap-up T20 series win over West Indies

GROS-ISLET, Saint Lucia: England beat West Indies by three wickets in their T20 international in Saint Lucia on Thursday to take an insurmountable 3-0 lead in their five-match series.

West Indies recovered from 37-5 to make 145-8 largely thanks to a solid 54 from skipper Rovman Powell but while England had some scares they won with four balls to spare. Sam Curran top-scored with 41 for England, who can now enjoy the final two games of the series on the Caribbean island without any pressure.

After a rain-delayed start, none of the top five batsmen for the home side managed double figures with Saqib Mahmood picking up 3-17. Shai Hope was run out off the fourth ball and fellow opener Evan Lewis went in the next over, slashing Mahmood to Jofra Archer at third man.

Nicholas Pooran was then bowled by Barbados-born Archer in the following over and Roston Chase edged Mahmood to Jamie Overton at slip as England dominated the powerplay. West Indies rung the changes with the trio of Joseph, Shai Hope and Hetmyer drafted in for Matthew Forde and Brandon King - both injured - and Sherfane Rutherford. And yet they still endured another botched start.

Hope lasted just two balls, run out by Jacob Bethell at backward point after aborting what looked a comfortable single. That was the first of four powerplay wickets to fall across 17 deliveries, including the destructive left-handers Evin Lewis and Pooran through wayward hacks against Mahmood and Jofra Archer, respectively.

Mahmood was not done there, nicking off Roston Chase before Hetmyer followed his fellow southpaws with another woeful heave, caught deep square leg. With two matches to play, the Lancashire quick’s eight powerplay wickets are already the most for an England bowler in any series during that period of a T20I.

Mahmood rounded off his excellent spell removing Shimron Hetmyer who holed out to Dan Mousely at deep mid-wicket. But skipper Powell, supported well by Romario Shepherd led the Caribbean side´s recovery, the pair putting on a 73-run partnership before Overton trapped Shepherd lbw for 30.

Powell and Shepherd - West Indies top-scorers in the series - set about another face-saving stand, this one an impressive 73 from just 57 deliveries. But no sooner had they reached a respectable 110 for 5 after 15 overs, Overton instigated a collapse with three dismissals in seven deliveries, dismissing both set batters.

\A breezy 28 for the ninth wicket between Gudakesh Motie and Joseph gave them something to work with. Alas, it was the same old story, albeit one that confirmed only England’s second T20I series win in the last two years.

Overton dismissed Gudakesh Motie for a duck and got rid off Powell, who had struck four sixes in his41 ball knock, but Alzarri Joseph produce a useful 21 off 19 balls to help his team to a respectable score.

Although England found themselves 37-3 with left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein picking up the wickets of Phil Salt and skipper Jos Buttler, opener Will Jacks´ 32 kept them on course and the middle order contributions of Curran and Liam Livingstone (39) saw the tourists towards the finish line.

Livingstone rode his luck somewhat, dropped three times but Buttler was delighted with his team´s series win, singling out Mahmood and Curran for their roles. “A real collective effort to win the series, we set the tone with the ball in every game.

We are in a strong place, great competition for places, and it is nice to see the growth,” he said. “We are delighted to win the series, in modern cricket it is easy not to put emphasis on bilateral series but it gives us lots of confidence to take forward. Got a hungry dressing-room,” he said.

Powell felt his top-order had the main culpability for the loss. “It is disappointing we keep losing wickets in the powerplay. Didn´t come off tonight. We´ve got to be our natural selves but the element of being smart is missing,” he said.