Captain Jos Buttler scored a brilliant 83 and put on a game-changing partnership with Will Jacks to guide England to a seven-wicket win over West Indies and move 2-0 up in the five-match T20I series.
Saqib Mahmood (2-20) and the returning Jofra Archer (1-31) delivered the West Indies’ top order in the power play, with Liam Livingstone (2-16) also impressive to leave the struggling hosts on 80-5 after the loss. throw it and put it on the bat.
Rovman Powell’s 43 was completed by Dan Mousley (2-29) but the hosts added 73 runs from the final six overs to post 158-8, with hopes of victory raised when Phil Salt – who scored an unbeaten century in the series opener – exited from the opening ball of England’s chase.
Phil Salt walked out with the opening ball of England’s innings, having scored an unbeaten 103 in the series opener.
Buttler hit six maximums in a stunning 45-ball innings and put on a 129-run second-wicket stand with Jacks (38), before Liam Livingstone hit an unbeaten 23 to see England reach the victory target in 15 overs.
How England raced to win another Barbados
Mahmood conceded eight wides from the 10-ball opening over but made England’s breakthrough when Brandon King (one) skied for Livingstone at mid-off, with Evin Lewis (eight) then gloved Archer – replacing Reece Topley from Saturday’s win – behind and giving Salt . an easy catch in the next over.
Jofra Archer is among five English bowlers who have taken at least one wicket on a regular basis
Roston Chase avoided edging the first ball to Jamie Overton at slip but was trapped lbw by Mahmood for 13 to leave the West Indies 35-3 in four overs, leaving wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran and captain Powell to rebuild the hosts’ innings.
The pair added 35 for the fourth wicket before Pooran (14) advanced on Livingstone and gave Salt a simple stumping, with Livingstone also dismissing Rutherford (one) lbw in the next over after a successful review.
Powell (43) showed attacking intent by hitting Rashid for 16 from one over, taking the hosts past 100, only to see the innings ended by a brilliant yorker from Dan Mousley to give the fast-bowling spinner his first international wicket.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell, who has a T20 strike rate of over 140, scored 43 off 41 balls.
Gudakesh Motie (nine) departed when Overton stepped in from long on to take a diving catch off Rashid, while Shepherd (22) picked out Jacks inside Mousley early in the final over, with Matthew Forde finishing unbeaten on 13 as West. India finished strongly.
Hosein (1-24) made his dream start to England’s innings when Salt bowled King at extra cover for a golden duck, with Buttler almost stopped at leg-stump in the opener.
England quickly recovered and Buttler fired three consecutive boundaries as part of a 23-run over to end the powerplay, with Jacks also impressed as the pair over stood a half-century in 33 balls.
Jos Buttler hit eight fours and a maximum six in an impressive innings
Buttler hit Motie out of the ground for a maximum and smashed Chase over the ropes in the next over to bring up a 32-ball half-century, with another big six over long-on off debutant Terrance Hinds to keep England in control of the contest.
Chase was bowled by Buttler for a six, who then hit it down the ground for a boundary, before the partnership ended when Forde took a catch in the second attempt after being picked out by Jacks.
Buttler was dropped by Rutherford at the same time, but was out in the next ball after trying to hit the ground and was caught by Powell, his second wicket in four balls, although the hosts could not get into England’s batting line- up.
Livingstone crunched Shepherd for a successful margin before closing out the second full victory in as many days with another big six, seeing England home with 31 balls to spare and meaning they can now wrap up the series success with a win in St Lucia on Saturday.
Buttler stars for England as West Indies look to get off to a better start
England captain Jos Buttlerplayer of the match, speaking to TNT Sports: “It’s nice to spend time in the middle. I was a little tired for the first few balls, but I got through that period and I’m very happy. It’s nice to be back there.
“I have a lot of experience, I have played for a while and bathed in different positions. I’m just waiting to see what happens and play with what’s in front of me.
England captain Jos Buttler and Will Jacks (left) put on 129 runs from 72 deliveries in the match-winner.
“We have to start again (in the third T20I of the series). We are playing a top team in the West Indies, who are very good in T20 cricket. They will come back hard and we have to be ready from ball one. next game.”
West Indies Captain Rovman Powell, talking to TNT Sports: “Obviously the surface gives a bit to the fast bowlers, something that is the style here in Barbados. The team generally wins the toss and bowl because of what can happen in the first six (overs).
“It’s a small thing we try to come out of the powerplay not three down. Statistics show that if you do that, the majority of the time you come out on the losing side. As a batting group we have to adjust.
“Someone in the top four or five must bat the majority of overs. In the past we have done that but have struggled to do that in this series. The next three games give the batters the opportunity to do that”.
