(ESPN Cricinfo) – Big picture: Settled England scents the series.
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. England’s T20 World Cup defence didn’t exactly go to plan in the Caribbean five months ago, but at least, in reaching the semi-finals, they can say they fared better than the hosts.
The West Indies had been infused with rare hope and expectation going into the tournament, but they failed to emerge from the Super Eights – thanks, in no small part, to the last time that these two teams met at the Daren Sammy Stadium.
It felt like an anomaly at the time: a riotously effective England win, led by Phil Salt’s hard-hitting 87 from 47 balls, and a throwback to the dominant style with which they had transformed their white-ball fortunes across their previous World Cup cycles. But that eight-wicket victory has since been matched in Barbados by two equally emphatic wins – by eight and seven wickets, respectively – that have propelled England’s T20I team to the brink of only their second bilateral series win in two years.
Salt has once again been central to England’s success against the West Indies. His outstanding century in the opening fixture was his third in five innings against them, and when his record was dented by a golden duck in the rematch, England’s captain Jos Buttler was ready to step into the breach with a no-less-riotous 83 from 45 balls – which in itself was a good riposte to his own first-baller in game one.
West Indies’ prospects have not been aided by two damaging lost tosses – even after being set a seemingly daunting 183 in match one, England coasted to that target with 19 balls to spare. But they have also had to contend with some internal disruption: the two-match suspension meted out on Alzarri Joseph for his bizarre fit of pique in the ODI series, and the loss of Andre Russell, who turned his ankle during the first T20I.
But if England looked tactically bereft during the ODI leg of the tour, they’ve found an encouraging blend of continuity and confidence in the shorter format. Their remarkable array of all-rounders have been better deployed across 20 overs than was the case across 50, not least in the first match, when the loss of Reece Topley to a knee injury barely caused a ripple in Buttler’s options.
And even if the full depth of their batting has not yet been tested, the fact that Sam Curran, Dan Mousley, and Jamie Overton are all waiting for their first hit of the series is clearly preferable to them being required to perform endless bail-outs.
England have three shots in St Lucia to secure their first series win in the Caribbean since 2019 in any of the three formats. To judge by the direction of travel so far, it would take quite the collapse in resolve to deny them in the long run.
In the spotlight: Rovman Powell and Will Jacks
“Are we bringing enough as individuals to the table?” Rovman Powell’s assessment of his team ahead of the third match might have doubled as some astute self-analysis after a fallow run of form in the past month.
Low scores in T20 cricket are an occupational hazard, but Powell’s issue has been a failure to kick on from a series of starts: five innings between 13 and 43 since the start of the Sri Lanka series in October, at a strike-rate of 115.92 that is a significant way short of his career mark of 140. In top-scoring with 43 from 41 balls in the last match in Barbados, he showed glimpses of his true self – most particularly when launching Liam Livingstone for a 102-metre six, but by then he had chewed his way to 18 from 28 balls in an atypically ponderous display. If he can pick off where he left off, then England’s challenge will be all the greater.
He was rewarded last month with the central contract that eluded him in 2023-24, but Will Jacks continues to play as if he’s on the outside looking in. England know and admire the explosive qualities that he brings to his game, and Jos Buttler’s decision to slip down to No. 3 is a clear invitation for Jacks to cut loose in the manner that left Virat Kohli wide-eyed in wonder after his 41-ball century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL earlier this year. But since making a brace of half-centuries against Australia in September, Jacks has made 101 runs at 14.42 in seven subsequent innings, at less than a run a ball. With pressure for places heating up, not least for the Champions Trophy, the time is nigh to restate his credentials.
Team news: Alzarri returns from suspension
Shamar, Joseph in; Shamar Joseph out… it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for the West Indies in the past few days. All-rounder Shamar (Springer) has been called up as a replacement for Andre Russell, while (Alzarri) Joseph’s return from suspension means that his near-namesake is surplus to requirements. Terrance Hinds endured a rough debut in Barbados and is also likely to make way.
West Indies: (possible) 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Nicholas Pooran (Wk), 4 Rovman Powell (Capt.), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer/Roston Chase, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Matthew Forde
England are unlikely to tinker significantly with the series in their grasp, although their options have been limited, with Jafer Chohan and Jordan Cox leaving the squad ahead of their Lions and Test commitments, respectively. Reece Topley is hopeful he might yet be fit after jarring his knee in the first match (and copping a fine for smashing a chair as he left the field).
With Jofra Archer’s workload still being closely managed, John Turner – unused since the ODIs – could be in line for a format debut.
England: (possible) 1 Phil Salt (Wk), 2 Jos Buttler (Capt.), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jacob Bethell, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Dan Mousley, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Jofra Archer/John Turner, 10 Saqib Mahmood, 11 Adil Rashid.
