Article by David Harris
England won the T20I against the West Indies after defeating the regional team by three wickets in a close match at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on Thursday night.
Set a target of 146 for victory England scored 149 runs in 19.2 overs. The visitors losing the wickets of Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell for 43 runs at the end of the Power Play.
Opener Will Jacks (32) and Sam Curran (41) steadied the innings with a fourth wicket partnership of 38 runs. Jacks faced 33 balls and counted three fours, after Jacks’ dismissal, Curran and Liam Livingstone (39) added 39 vital runs for the fifth wicket.
Livingstone received three chances during his stay at the crease. Wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran dropped him on six, off fast bowler Alzarri Joseph returning from his two-match suspension.
His second chance came when he was dropped by Pooran off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie on eight, and Shimron Hetmeyer failed to clasp a low chance at midwicket off Motie when Livington had scored 21.
Livingstone made the most of his reprieves, he struck Joseph for 16 runs in the 18th over before being caught at long-off by Ramario Sheperd off Motie, by then England was within sight of victory. Motie was the most successful bowler for the West Indies with four wickets for 27 runs.
Earlier England won the toss for the third consecutive time and opted to field; the West Indies innings began disastrously losing five wickets for 37 runs in the sixth over, Rovman Powell (50) and Shepherd repaired the damage with 73 runs for the sixth wicket that took the score to 110 runs in the 16th over.
The West Indies looked set to make a big score when fast bowler Jamie Overton trapped Shepherd lbw and picked up the wickets of Powell and Motie.
Joseph 21 not out and Akeal Hosein who was unbeaten on eight added 23 runs in the final two overs to take the score to 145 for eight wickets.
Man of the Match pacer Saqib Mahmood who took the early wickets at the start of the West Indies innings captured for 17 runs, and Overton picked up three wickets for 20 runs.