Key events
16th over: England 170-2 (Salt 98, Bethell 50) Shamar Joseph has conceded 31 runs from his two overs so far this evening and his third doesn’t stop the rot. Bethell swivels on a short ball and pulls with panache for SIX to move to 49. Bethell then goes to his first T20I half century in a the place where he spent his formative years. A lovely moment for him and a fine innings supporting Salt in what looks like a certain England win, they need 13 runs from 24 balls.
15th over: England 156-2 (Salt 94, Bethell 42) The umpires change the ball after the previous was deemed to have got too soggy with all the moisture on the outfield. Motie bowls his final over but can’t find the breakthrough. Bethell gets a meaty edge wide of the keeper for four and eleven runs are easily collected off the over for England.
14th over: England 145-2 (Salt 93, Bethell 32) Bethell picks up four over cover and then Salt moves into the nineties with a slap into the leg side that bursts through the hands of Shepherd on the square leg boundary. A hard chance but the fielder didn’t put in the best effort to take the catch or try to palm back and save the six. England need 38 from 36 balls.
13th over: England 130-2 (Salt 86, Bethell 24) West Indies in desperate need of a wicket, ideally that of Phil Salt. They nearly pick up Jacob Bethell as the youngster yorks himself on the charge and looks set to be stumped only for a desperate jab at the last that then squirts away for four. All going England’s way at the moment.
12th over: England 124-2 (Salt 85, Bethell 19) Andre Russell drops a clanger by serving up a juicy hip high full toss to Phil Salt that is dispatched fine for SIX. Gah! Russell then sends down a half volley on leg stump that Salt does not miss out on, whipping past the man on the ‘45 for four more. 14 runs in all off the over, England need 59 off 48 balls.
11th over: England 110-2 (Salt 74, Bethell 16) Quiet over after drinks, four singles worked off Hosein’s final over. He finishes with 0-20 as England look to target the rest.
10th over: England 106-2 (Salt 72, Bethell 14) Bethell shows he has power of his own and bunts Romario Shepherd down the ground for four. England go past the hundred mark and a section of the crowd are in good voice with a bit of Hi Ho Silver Lining being belted out. Shot! Bethell shows his touch too, opening the face and running the ball in the vacant space at third for four more. Time for a drink.
9th over: England 93-2 (Salt 69, Bethell 5) Man of the moment Motie back with the ball in hand. Salt gets under a full ball and flicks over midwicket for four. This has been a commanding innings. England need 90 from 66 balls. I reckon this game has got a moment or two left in it yet.
8th over: England 84-2 (Salt 62, Bethell 3) Things calm down a little with three singles off Shamar Joseph before Salt shows his touch and glides a four past point with velveteen hands.
7th over: England 77-2 (Salt 57, Bethell 1) Jacob Bethell, the local boy, replaces his captain and cuts to point to get off the mark. This has been an breathless game. Both sides refusing to back down, every over an event.
WICKET! Buttler c Motie b Shepherd 56 (England 76-2)
Gudakesh Motie has just pulled off an eye-popping sinew straining catch to get rid of Jos Buttler! What a catch. Buttler ran the ball off the face down the deep third where Motie back pedalled at speed, stuck up a mitt and the ball went right in. Jubilant scenes and Buttler can’t resist a second look and a rueful smile as he walks off. A golden duck on his comeback but a part in an electric bit of cricket too.
Salt drives powerfully into the off side and comes back for a second run that sees him bring up 1,000 T20i runs oh but hang on a minute!
6th over: England 73-1 (Salt 54, Buttler) Here comes Jos Buttler!
WICKET! Will Jacks b Motie 17 (England 73-1)
Will Jacks drives Motie over long on for SIX but then falls to the last ball of the PowerPlay trying to sweep and missing, the ball skidding on and skittling the stumps. Jacks is gutted but he’s played a smaller role in a brilliant opening stand.
Salt clears the front leg and hammers Motie’s first ball down the ground for SIX and then plays an absolutely phenomenal shot to bring up his FIFTY in 25 balls, shimmying down and slamming the spinner into the digital scorecard. England and Salt are having a stonking PowerPlay.
5th over: England 54-0 (Salt 41, Jacks 11) Akeal Hosein for his third over on the bounce. Some sharp fielding in the ring frustrates Salt, Evin Lewis throwing himself to his right and then his left to stop consecutive boundaries and create two much needed dot balls. Salt very nearly then chips a simple catch to cover but fortunately for him it falls short by a few inches. Would have been a soft dismissal. Just two runs off the over in the end. Gudakesh Motie is coming on to bowl fresh off his batting cameo.
4th over: England 52-0 (Salt 40, Jacks 10) Shamar Joseph replaces Russell. Get his first ball wrong with a leg side wide and then drags down, allowing Salt to free his hands and hit a SIX fine over the leg side. Salt then lashes two boundaries in a row square of the wicket and then plays a beautiful drive on the up down the ground for four! Oh my days, and another – Joseph goes short and Salt spots it, backing away and carving for four more into the off side. 24 runs off the over!
3rd over: England 28-0 (Salt 18, Jacks 9) Hosein with his second over, he does well to keep Jacks and Salt tied down to a single each. One ball to go, can he get out of the over cheaply? Nope! Salt hangs back in his crease and pans away over long on for SIX. Don’t go anywhere.
2nd over: England 20-0 (Salt 11, Jacks 8) Andre Russell trundles in with the new ball, slip in place. Salt gets a leading edge but the ball lands safe, the batters scampering three runs. SHOT! Will Jacks shows his class with a lofted drive over cover for SIX. Expensive over from Russell, England ticking.
1st over: England 6-0 (Salt 5, Jacks 1) Akeal Hosein starts with his left-arm twirl. Customarily accurate, Phil Salt manages a biff down the ground for four. Salt and Jacks run well to pick off two further singles.
West Indies were 117-8 off 14.4 overs in Barbados – the sort of position that would have led other teams to consolidate. Not this side.
West Indies scored 65 from the last 5.2 overs: some high-risk hitting, but their intent was completely vindicated.
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) November 9, 2024
Here come Salt and Jacks. Here come West Indies with a spring in their step.
West Indies finish on 182-9
England need to chase 183 runs to win! They had West Indies on the rack at 69-5 and 110-7 but a thrilling comeback courtesy of Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd sees West Indies set an imposing total. Curran’s final over goes for 16 runs as Shepherd flicked a full ball off his toes for a sublime six behind square and followed up with scorching drive over cover and into the crowd. Shepherd finishes unbeaten on 35 off 22 balls. Not long for England to lick their wounds, their chase will get underway in a little over five minutes time.
19th over: West Indies 166-9 (Shepherd 17, Shamar Joseph) West Indies are right back in this game. Sam Curran is coming on to bowl the last over.
WICKET! Motie c Mousley b Mahmood 33 (West Indies 166-9)
Gudakesh’s Motie’s highly entertaining and extremely crucial cameo comes to a close and it is just reward for Saqib Mahmood who finishes with 4-34 off his four overs. Mahmood mixed up his lengths to keep the batters guessing and eventually snared Motie off his ball, a cutter into the pitch that was flicked to Mousley on the midwicket fence.
18th over: West Indies 162-8 (Shepherd 17, Motie 32) Welcome to the death overs, Jamie Overton. Motie gets lucky with a cuff past the keeper for four but there’s nothing spawny about Shepherd who clips full ball off his pads with a flourish to add four more through midwicket.
17th over: West Indies 141-8 (Shepherd 12, Motie 27) Sam Curran can’t stop the Motie flow. Eleven runs off the over as Motie flays consecutive drives through the covers for four. Pre-meditated and expertly executed, Motie is seeing it like a beachball in Barbados.
16th over: West Indies 141-8 (Shepherd 11, Motie 18) Anything you can do Gudakesh… Romario Shepherd pongoes Livingstone through cover for four. Runs flowing for West Indies just when England might’ve been dreaming of a low target. Motie gets four in the same area a couple of balls later, what a cameo this is from him!
15th over: West Indies 129-8 (Shepherd 6, Motie 12) Hello gruesome! Gudakesh Motie arrives at the crease and spanks his first ball over long on for SIX. Cripes! Motie means business, the next ball is hit like a tracer bullet back down the ground for SIX more! Rashid picked up the wicket and then immediately crashed back down to earth with two lusty blows to end the over.
WICKET! Hosein lbw b Rashid 2 (West Indies 117-8)
A tale of two reviews! Rashid has Hosein guessing and grasping, sliding a leg-break onto the pads, the umpire deciding it is hitting and raising the digit of doom. Hosein reviews and the ball is actually adjudged to be sliding down past the leg stump. Not out! That one is though – Rashid sends down a carbon copy that is crucially a tad straighter. Given out on the field and this time the DRS doesn’t come to West Indies rescue.
14th over: West Indies 117-7 (Shepherd 6, Hosein 2) Shepherd pulls Overton for four behind square to keep West Indies ticking. Akeal Hosein joins him in the middle to try and blunt England’s surge.
WICKET! Pooran c Buttler b Overton 38 (West Indies 110-7)
Another stonkingly good catch by Buttler, who needs the gloves eh? Overton hits the middle of the pitch and Pooran tries to flay away off the back foot but can’t control it, a top edge looks to be looping over Buttler but a well-timed leap sees the returning captain pull off another excellent diving catch. Windies in trouble now with the set man on his way back to the hutch.
