ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
After being sent into bat in St. Lucia last night, the West Indies stuttered their way to a par total of 180/4 off their allotted overs, only for a rampaging Phil Salt to propel England to a massive eight wicket win over the ‘Men in Maroon’ in their first ICC T20 World Cup Super-8 encounter.
While the top four batsmen all got 20+ scores, no one converted for that big score that the West Indies needed to set a big total.
Brandon King and Johnson Charles managed to get to 40 without loss before Brandon King suffered a side strain, forcing him to retire hurt when he had just begun to look dangerous with 23 from 13 balls, inclusive of three fours and a towering six.
Nicholas Pooran joined a disjointed Johnson Charles, who made 38 from 34 balls before he was out caught to leave the West Indies 98/1 in the 12th over.
Skipper Rovman Powell joined Pooran, and just when he began to get going with a pair of sixes off Liam Livingston in the 15th over, he got out, caught by Mark Wood for a promising 36 (17 balls, 6sx5).
Pooran followed shortly for an identical score, albeit off 32 balls punctuated by four fours and a six. Andre Russell entered the fray but fell cheaply for just 1.
It fell to Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd to push the West Indies from 143/4 to 180/4. Rutherford obliged with an unbeaten 28 (15 balls, 4sx1, 6sx2) while Shepherd could not get going, ending on a 7-ball 5 not out.
Adil Rashid with an economical 1/21 (4 overs) and Moen Ali (1/15, 2 overs) helped keep the West Indians quiet.
180 was never going to be enough with England’s line-up of power hitters, and it showed.
Opener Salt continued his love affair with the Caribbean, smashing 87 not out from just 47 balls while Jonny Bairstow hurried the chase along with 48 not out (26 balls, 4sx5, 6sx2).
After getting to his half century, Salt opened a sequence of brutality, carting Shepherd for 30 off the 16th over to put England in command, needing just 10 off the final four overs.
They got to the required 181 for victory with 15 balls to spare and 8 wickets in hand.
Only Andre Russell (1/21, 2 overs) and Roston Chase (1/19, 3 overs) took wickets for the West Indies.
The West Indies will now have to win their next two Super 8 games if they are to progress to the semifinals. Their next assignment is the USA in Barbados on Friday night at 8:30pm.
